ESTec subsidiary inventions acquire United States patents.

ESTec Systems Corp. (ESE: TSX Venture Exchange) is pleased to announce it's subsidiary Allan R. Nelson Engineering (1997) Inc. has been granted a US patent US 6,935,440 B2 for a Service Rig with Torque Carrier and US patent US 6,951,082 B2 for a Drilling Rig with Torque Carrier

Background of invention 1:
To rotate tubing within a well, drilling rigs often have top drives that are suspended from drilling masts. When the top drives rotate the tubing, torque generated by the top drives must be transmitted into the supporting structure. For this purpose, it is conventional to provide a torque tube running along the height of the mast along which the top drive slides. The torque tube is fastened to stabilize its position but not to transmit torque into the mast. In service or workover rigs, which typically transport the mast on the rear of a carrier, the masts are not designed to withstand the torque load generated by a top drive. This invention is intended to overcome this difficulty.

Summary of invention 1:
A service rig or workover rig, comprising a mast, a torque carrier suspended from the mast; and a brace having a torque carrier end connected to the torque carrier for conveying torque from the torque carrier into the brace and an anchored end with a fastener for attaching the brace to the rear of the rig or a substructure of a well. Preferably, when the service rig with substructure is in operation over a well, the anchored end of the brace is horizontally offset from a point on the substructure directly below the torque carrier end of the brace. In a further aspect of the invention, the anchored end of the brace, when in operative position, is oriented parallel to an extension of the torque carrier. The anchored end of the brace preferably constitutes an offset extension of the torque carrier. If a substructure is not used, the brace may be tied into the back of the rig.

Background of Invention 2:
To rotate tubing within a well, drilling rigs often have top drives that are suspended from drilling masts. When the top drives rotate the tubing, torque generated by the top drives must be transmitted to the rear of the mast and into the supporting structure. For this purpose, it is conventional to provide a torque carrier running along the height of the mast along which the top drive slides. The torque carrier is fastened to the mast to transmit torque into the mast. Larger rigs also are equipped with upper and lower masts that can be telescoped together for transport. When these larger telescoping rigs are dismantled, the torque carrier must be removed to allow the upper mast to telescope into the lower mast. This process is time consuming. This invention is directed to a telescoping rig with torque carrier that facilitates readying a rig for transport.

Summary of Invention 2:
Therefore, according to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a telescoping rig with an upper mast telescopingly received within a lower mast. A torque carrier is formed of an upper part suspended within the upper mast and a lower part attached to the lower mast. The lower part may be secured to the upper part when the rig is in operational position, and is movable to allow the upper mast to move into a telescoped position within the lower mast.

According to a method of the invention, a rig having an upper mast and a lower mast is readied for transport by moving the lower torque carrier laterally within the lower mast to allow the upper mast to telescope within the lower mast; and telescoping the upper mast within the lower mast. A torque drive may then remain in the rig during transportation, and remain attached to the torque carrier, preferably the upper torque carrier, thus facilitating transportation of the rig.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the lower torque carrier is attached to the lower mast by pivots, for example swinging arms that swing in a vertical plane downward, to allow the lower torque carrier to swing out of the way of the upper mast when the upper mast is moved into the telescoped position.

The importance of these patents

These two patents are part of the intellectual properties that Allan R. Nelson Engineering (1997) Inc. developed in support of ESTec Oilfield Inc. We recently announced a deal to license to Farr Canada, a division of McCoy Corporation (TSX:MCB), a package of industrial designs, copyrights and patents, including these two patents.

ESTec Systems Corp. is an Edmonton-based public company with two operating divisions: Allan R. Nelson Engineering (1997) Inc. and ESTec Security. Allan R. Nelson Engineering is a group of professional engineers and technologists who carry diverse skills and a variety of professional backgrounds. They are Canada's leading forensic engineering firm, serving domestic and foreign markets, in particular in the petrochemical, mining and drilling equipment industries, and also provide mechanical design engineering for their clients. ESTec Security is a cutting edge information security development and service company. It offers BS7790 / ISO 17799 / ISO 27001 implementation consulting and auditing services.

On behalf of the board,

Anthony B. Nelson
Director