Swivel connection tool

1. A swivel connection tool in combination with a swivel with an end connection configured to be suspended over an elevated work floor of a derrick, the swivel connection tool comprising:

a yoke having a bore therethrough and an opening from a perimeter of the yoke to the bore, the opening sized to receive the tubular through the opening and the bore sized to receive the tubular;

jaws with teeth carried by the yoke and movable with respect to the bore between an open position further from the bore to a tight position closer to the bore configured to hold the tubular in the bore and resist rotation of the tubular in the bore;

an actuator carried by the yoke and operatively coupled to the jaws to move the jaws between the open position and the tight position; and

a base carrying the yoke and configured to be carried by the work floor;

wherein the swivel is locatable adjacent the yoke at an incline and an upper end of a tubular of a work string or drill string is locatable in the bore of the yoke with the jaws engaging the upper end of the tubular and resisting rotation of the tubular while the swivel engages the upper end of the tubular.

2. The swivel connection tool of claim 1 , wherein the yoke is movably coupled to the base and movable with respect to the base about multiple degrees of freedom, including roll, with the yoke tiltable side to side with respect to the base.

3. The swivel connection tool of claim 1 , wherein the yoke is biased to a rest position away from the base, and oriented at an angle between 10-30 degrees with respect to vertical, configured to receive the tubular.

4. The swivel connection tool of claim 1 , further comprising:

an arm between the base and the yoke;

a spindle extending from the yoke and to the arm;

the yoke and the spindle movable longitudinally with respect to the arm;

a spring carried by the spindle to bias the yoke away from the base and defining a shock absorber when a tubular is placed in the yoke.

5. The swivel connection tool of claim 1 , further comprising an arm coupled between the base and the yoke; and wherein the base further comprises:

a vertical slot receiving the arm therein;

a horizontal slot transverse to the vertical slot;

a pin extending through the horizontal slot, the vertical slot, and the arm;

the pin displacing in the horizontal slot to allow heave movement of the arm and the yoke towards and away from the base; and

the arm and the yoke pivoting about the pin to allow pitch movement of the arm and the yoke tilting forward and backward with respect to the base.

6. The swivel connection tool of claim 1 , wherein the base further comprises:

a hitch receivable in a receiver, with the hitch carried by one of the base or the work floor, and the receiver carried by the other of the base or the work floor.

7. The swivel connection tool of claim 1 , wherein base has a footprint larger than the yoke with a width and a length larger than the yoke configured to resist tipping of the base during use and configured to reduce torque on the work floor during use.

8. The swivel connection tool of claim 1 in combination with a workover rig, the combination comprising:

a derrick disposed on a support surface;

a work floor adjacent the derrick and elevated with respect to the support surface and locatable over a wellhead, the work floor having an opening therein capable of receiving the work string therethrough;

the swivel capable of being selectively and releasably coupled to a tubular of a work string, the swivel capable of rotating the tubular, the swivel being pivotal with respect to the derrick between vertical and inclined with respect to horizontal, the swivel being capable of being raised and lowered by the derrick;

a catwalk on the support surface adjacent to the work floor with a slide extending from the work floor to the catwalk capable of transporting tubulars between the work floor and the catwalk;

the swivel connection tool being located on the work floor with the base of the swivel connection tool being attached to the work floor, and the yoke of the swivel connection tool being located adjacent to an upper end of the slide and between the upper end of the slide and the swivel when the swivel is lowered.

9. The swivel connection tool of claim 1 , wherein the jaws are pivotally coupled to the yoke and pivotal between the open position and the tight position.

10. The swivel connection tool of claim 1 , wherein the jaws are disposed inside the yoke and outside the bore in the open position.

11. The swivel connection tool of claim 1 , wherein the bore defines a bottom of the yoke, and the jaws are located adjacent to the bore at the bottom of the yoke.

12. A method for connecting or disconnecting a threaded connection between a tubular of a work string or drill string and a swivel suspended over an elevated work floor of a derrick, the method comprising:

providing a swivel connection tool comprising:

a yoke having a bore therethrough and an opening from a perimeter of the yoke to the bore;

jaws with teeth carried by the yoke and movable with respect to the bore between an open position further from the bore to a tight position closer to the bore;

an actuator carried by the yoke and operatively couple to the jaws to move the jaws between the open position and the tight position;

a base carrying the yoke and configured to be carried by the work floor;

laying an upper end of a tubular in the bore of the yoke of the swivel connection tool;

gripping the end of the tubular with the jaws of the yoke of the swivel connection tool and resisting rotation of the tubular;

pivoting the swivel to align with the tubular;

rotating an end connection of the swivel with respect to the end of the tubular with the swivel; and

releasing the upper end of the tubular from the jaws of the swivel connection tool.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein rotating the end connection of the swivel further comprises breaking a torqued-up connection between the swivel and the tubular.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein rotating the end connection of the swivel further comprises torqueing-up a connection between the swivel and the tubular to a predetermined torque.

15. A swivel connection tool used for connecting a swivel to a tubular, the swivel connection tool comprising:

a yoke having a bore therethrough and an opening from a perimeter of the yoke to the bore, the opening sized to receive the tubular through the opening and the bore sized to receive the tubular;

jaws carried by the yoke and movable with respect to the bore between a an open position further from the bore to a tight position closer to the bore configured to hold the tubular in the bore and resist rotation of the tubular in the bore;

an actuator carried by the yoke and operatively coupled to the jaws to move the jaws between the open position and the tight position;

a base carrying the yoke and configured to be carried by a work floor;

the yoke being oriented at an incline on the base with a bore axis oriented at an acute angle with respect to horizontal;

an arm coupled between the base and the yoke;

a vertical slot in the base receiving the arm therein;

a horizontal slot in the base transverse to the vertical slot;

a pin extending through the horizontal slot, the vertical slot, and the arm, the pin displacing in the horizontal slot to allow heave movement of the arm and the yoke towards and away from the base;

the arm and the yoke pivoting about the pin to allow pitch movement of the arm and the yoke tilting forward and backward with respect to the base; and

the arm and the yoke being capable of roll movement with the arm and the yoke tilting side to side with respect to the base.

16. A swivel connection tool for use in connecting or disconnecting a tubular of a work string or drill string to a swivel suspended over an elevated work floor of a derrick, the swivel connection tool comprising:

a yoke having a bore therethrough and an opening from a perimeter of the yoke to the bore, the opening sized to receive the tubular through the opening and the bore sized to receive the tubular;

jaws carried by the yoke and pivotal with respect to the bore from an open position further from the bore to a tight position closer to the bore configured to hold the tubular in the bore and resist rotation of the tubular in the bore;

an actuator carried by the yoke and operatively coupled to the jaws to pivot the jaws between the open position and the tight position;

a base carrying the yoke and configured to be carried by the work floor;

an arm between the base and the yoke;

a spindle extending from the yoke and to the arm;

the yoke and the spindle movable longitudinally with respect to the arm; and

a spring carried by the spindle to bias the yoke away from the base and defining a shock absorber when a tubular is placed in the yoke.

17. The swivel connection tool of claim 16 , wherein the jaws further comprise teeth configured to engage the tubular and resist rotation of the tubular in the bore.

18. The swivel connection tool of claim 16 , further comprising an arm coupled between the base and the yoke, and wherein the base further comprises:

a vertical slot receiving the arm therein;

a horizontal slot transverse to the vertical slot;

a pin extending through the horizontal slot, the vertical slot, and the arm;

the pin displacing in the horizontal slot to allow heave movement of the arm and the yoke towards and away from the base; and

the arm and the yoke pivoting about the pin to allow pitch movement of the arm and the yoke tilting forward and backward with respect to the base.