Stands (43) of multiple lengths of drill pipe, for oil and gas drilling
are individually supported in a storage bin (28, 29) in an array of plural
layers of plural numbers of stands. The individual stands are held in cooperating
notches (41, 42) in vertically aligned support sleepers (38, 39)
so that each stand experiences loads due only to its own weight and motions of
a bin frame (13) where, as preferred, the frame is supported on a drillship
deck (12). Sleepers between stand layers are indexable between positions
in the array and outside the array. A bridge crane (32, 33) spans the length
of the bin and is moveable transversely above it. The bridge crane carries vertically
movable magnetic lifting heads (47) for lifting, holding and releasing an
individual pipe stand. The crane can move a stand between a supported position
in the bin array and a supported position on a power-driven carriage (18, 49)
which is movable along a path along an upper part of a side of the bin (28,
29). The carriage includes a skate cart (18) for transporting a stand
as such, and a pin cart (49) drivable along the skate cart for supporting
the pin end of a stand on the skate. The carriage path preferably ends inside the
margin of the floor (17) of a drilling rig.
