Casing Drive System

Developed for the rigors of CASING DRILLING™, the TESCO Casing Drive System (CDS) delivers all of the advantages of Top Drive drilling to the Casing Running operation. Replacing power tongs and traveling elevators, the CDS allows simultaneous rotation, reciprocation and circulation of the casing string at any time, greatly increasing safety and the chance of getting casing into troublesome wellbores. TESCO now provides the CDS as part of a full-service Casing Running offering. Easily installed on any manufacturer's Top Drive system and with a track record of millions of feet, the TESCO CDS is the industry's most versatile and proven integrated drive tool.

The TESCO CDS

• Is quickly installed on virtually any Top Drive system, electric or hydraulic, with typically no modifications to any existing drilling equipment.
• Greatly reduces the amount of equipment and personnel required to run casing, provides a high level of mechanization keeping personnel out of the line of fire and places the Casing Running operation under the control of the Driller.
• Assures the ability to get casing to bottom through ability to simultaneously lower casing, while rotating and circulating.

Features and Operations

• An integrated link tilt system incorporating extendable bails and hydraulic single joint elevators with a safety interlock, enables the casing to be picked up at the V-door, eliminating manual single joint elevators and greatly reducing effort, fatigue and injury risk from personnel-machinery proximity.
• The integrated link tilt system positions the single joint over the hole and supports the casing while lowering the CDS and Top Drive, eliminating the need for a stabber in the derrick.
• The CDS grapples engage the casing, and the joint is made up using the Top Drive.
• A smooth make-up with no bending load and precise control on final torque is easily attained by use of the Top Drive system.
• Once the connection is assembled circulation can be initiated and the CDS used to rotate and/or reciprocate the entire string of casing, greatly reducing the chance of stuck pipe.
• The CDS replaces traveling elevators, and supporting the entire casing string load, is used to lower the casing string into the well.
• When used with a slip/spider assembly the CDS interlock eliminates the chance of dropping the string in the well bore by not allowing the CDS to release the pipe until the slips are set.