Subsea
Remote tool handler
Change downhole tooling by remote control, keeping people out of the rooster box, on a standard, derrick-mounted unit.
Changing downhole sampling tools traditionally means a worker climbing to the rooster box, a structure suspended above the deck and swapping tooling by hand, in a high-motion position above a heave-compensated drill string. It’s one of the more exposed jobs on a geotechnical rig, and a growing number of operators now stipulate that no one rides the rooster box. Our remote tool handler removes the person from that position entirely: a derrick-rail-mounted arm presents, holds and changes tooling under remote control, so tool changes happen safely from a control position rather than at height.
It’s a standard MintMech product, a proven, repeatable unit and it can be bolted into place on a suitable derrick in hours, avoiding the hot work, licensing and lost port time of a major modification.
What problem it solves
The rooster box is a fall and crush risk that sits on the critical path of every tool change. Removing manual access cuts that risk, lets the crew keep working closer to the weather limit and makes tool changes faster and more repeatable, directly improving both safety and rig utilisation.
Specification
| Type | Derrick-rail-mounted remote tool handler with an extending/retracting arm and tool guide tube |
|---|---|
| Function | Remote presentation, guidance and change of downhole sampling tools; removes manual rooster-box access |
| Control | Remote operation; designed to integrate with the rig control and safety system |
| Design code | Structurally verified to DNVGL-ST-0378 (offshore & platform lifting appliances), full FEA and hand-calculation verification |
| Materials | S355J2 structural steel (plate to BS EN 10025, hollow sections to BS EN 10210) |
| Installation | Bolt-in mounting to a suitable derrick rail – fitted in hours, no major modification |
Spring-loaded variant – umbilical strain relief
A spring-loaded variant adds active strain relief for the downhole umbilical. As the bottom-hole assembly and umbilical move with the drill string and vessel, the sprung arm takes up slack and absorbs snatch, keeping tension off the umbilical and its terminations, protecting an expensive, failure-prone item and extending its service life. It’s the same proven tool-handler platform, configured to protect the umbilical as well as handle tooling.