Riser Handling Tools

What each tool does

The spider sits in the rotary table and holds the full weight of the riser, LMRP and BOP on retractable dogs or slips while you add or remove a joint. The gimbal sits under the spider and lets it tilt with vessel roll and pitch, so the load shares evenly across the dogs. The running tool makes up into the coupling of a joint and connects it to the top drive or elevators. A test tool closes the top of the string so you can pressure test the auxiliary lines, and in some designs the main bore. Bay handling tools lift single joints from the storage racks to the catwalk or the floor.

Variants

• Manual spiders, or hydraulic spiders with remote operation from the driller's cabin
• Spiders sized to the rotary table opening
• Gimbals with elastomeric bearings or mechanical pivots
• Running tools for flanged or mechanical couplings, manual or hydraulic
• Combined running and test tools

Key specifications

Standards and certification

API 16F covers riser running equipment in its scope. Spiders, gimbals and running tools are in the hoisting load path, so they sit under the same certification approach as other lifting gear. On a classed rig, DNV or ABS rules treat them as part of the drilling plant and may require type approval and periodic load testing. API RP 16Q covers how the tools are used during running and hang-off.

Failure modes and inspection

• Spider dogs, slips and seats wear and crack under repeated full-string loads
• Gimbal elastomer elements crack, take a set or debond
• Running tool locking dogs, threads and seals wear and gall
• Hydraulic cylinders, hoses and position sensors fail on remote tools

Inspection covers magnetic particle testing of every load-path part, dimensional checks against OEM wear limits, a proof load test where the code or class requires it, and a function test of dogs, locks and indicators. A spider that cannot prove its dogs are retracted is a hazard when running the stack.

Documentation

Ask for load test certificates, the latest load-path NDT report, the OEM certificate of conformity and any class certificates. For hydraulic tools, ask for the control system test and the hose replacement dates. Repair records should show whether any load-bearing part was welded.

Integration

Match the spider to the rotary table bore and the running tool to both the coupling and the top drive. The gimbal must suit the spider. Check that buoyed joints and the LMRP pass through the spider and rotary table. Remote spiders need hydraulic supply and an interface to the driller's control system, including interlocks with the top drive or elevators.

Refurbishment and the used market

A recertification strips the tool, inspects every load-path part by NDT, replaces seals and wear parts and proof-tests it. The safest used purchase is a tool set from the same riser system, or bought with the riser string. Unused surplus spiders and running tools sometimes come from cancelled newbuilds. Cameron and HMH make riser tools, and Oil States makes elastomeric gimbal bearings. The spider sits in the rotary table.