Tubulars handling system and apparatus

1. A system for handling tubulars, said system comprising an apparatus for moving a tubular between a substantially horizontal position and an upward angled position, said apparatus comprising:

a base;

a boom pivotally attached to the base about a horizontal boom pivot axis between a substantially horizontal position and an upward angled position;

a boom pivot drive mounted on said base and adapted to pivot the boom; and

a tubular gripper attached to the boom and adapted for gripping the tubular,

wherein the boom pivot drive comprises:

a central gear wheel rotatably mounted on the base about a central gear wheel axis parallel to the horizontal boom pivot axis;

one or more drive gear members that are each rotatably mounted on the base and each rotatable about a corresponding drive gear member axis, meshing with the central gear wheel;

one or more motors connected to said one or more drive gear members and allowing to drive said one or more drive gear members so as to pivot the boom between said substantially horizontal position and said upward angled position;

a crank member directly connected to the central gear wheel, the crank member being rotatable in unison with the central gear wheel about the central gear wheel axis, and having a crank end remote from the central gear wheel axis; and

a connecting rod pivotally attached to the crank end via a first pivot axis, and pivotally attached to the boom via a second pivot axis remote from the boom pivot axis,

wherein the horizontal boom pivot axis, and the first and second pivot axes of the connecting rod are parallel to each other.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said one or more motors are electromotors having a rotary output shaft connected to said one or more drive gear members.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the drive gear member axis of each of said one or more drive gear members is parallel to the central gear wheel axis.

4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the drive gear member axis of each of said one or more drive gear members is parallel to the central gear wheel axis.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least two drive gear members are present, each connected to an associated motor, the motors being embodied such that the boom is pivotal by a single motor in case of failure of one or more other motors.

6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the central gear wheel has a pitch circle diameter of at least 0.75 meter.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the central gear wheel is an annular gear wheel having gear teeth on an inner face thereof.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the pivot boom drive comprises a rotatable crank disc member rotatably mounted to the base so as to be rotatable about the central gear wheel axis, said crank disc member having an inner face to which the central gear wheel is attached, and said crank disc member having an outer face provided with a first pivot axis connection to the connecting rod.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein a roller bearing is provided between the base and the gear wheel, the roller bearing extending around the central gear wheel.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the gripper is pivotally attached to the boom about a gripper pivot axis, parallel to the boom pivot axis, to allow for pivoting of the gripper relative to the boom.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the boom has a near vertical end position, and the gripper is pivotal to assume an exact vertical end position with said boom in the near vertical end position.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the gripper is pivotal relative to the boom by a gripper pivot drive, comprising a hydraulic cylinder extending between the gripper and the boom at a distance from the gripper pivot axis.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the boom has a near vertical end position and the gripper pivot drive allows to bring the gripper in an exact vertical end position, wherein the gripper pivot drive comprises a control unit that is adapted to perform the gripper pivot motion before the boom reaches the near vertical end position.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the base has a length and a width corresponding with the dimensions of an ISO freight container.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the boom has, in a substantially horizontal position thereof, a greater length than the length of the base, and wherein the boom is composed of a base boom part connected via the boom pivot axis to the base and an extension boom part, the base boom part having a length such as to not extend beyond the base when in the substantially horizontal position, and the extension boom part being telescopic relative to the base boom part or being releasably fastened to the base boom part, and wherein the gripper is attached to the extension boom part.

16. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the boom has, in a substantially horizontal position thereof, a greater length than the length of the base, and wherein the boom is composed of a base boom part connected via the boom pivot axis to the base and an extension boom part, the base boom part having a length such as to not extend beyond the base when in the substantially horizontal position, and the extension boom part being telescopic relative to the base boom part or being releasably fastened to the base boom part, and wherein the gripper is attached to the extension boom part.

17. The system according to claim 1 , said system further comprising a tubulars storage station to be arranged adjacent the tubular handling apparatus, said storage station allowing for storage of multiple tubulars and sequential transfer of tubulars to the tubular handling apparatus.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the storage station allows for storage of multiple tubulars in a horizontal position, parallel to the gripper when the boom is in the substantially horizontal position.

19. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a drilling rig having a firing line, and the tubular handling apparatus is arranged to move tubulars between said firing line and a tubulars storage station.

20. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a marine pipe lay structure adapted to lay pipe on the seabed, said pipe lay structure having a firing line, and the tubular handling apparatus being arranged to move tubulars between a tubulars storage station and said firing line.

21. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more tubulars to be handled by the tubular handling apparatus.

22. The system according to claim 21 , said tubular being one of a drill pipe, a drill collar, a casing, a production tubing, a sucker rod, a pump column pipe, a logging tool pipe, and a hydrocarbon transportation subsea pipe.

23. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the upward angled position is a substantially vertical position.

24. A method for handling tubulars between a substantially horizontal position and an upward angled position, said method comprising the steps of:

using the system according to claim 1 ;

gripping the tubular by the gripper in one of said substantially horizontal position and an upward angled position; and

pivoting with respect to a base, so that the tubular is brought in the other of said substantially horizontal position and an upward angled position.