December 2004 Supplement    Rig Floor Equipment

Drawworks for 3,000 input horsepower

The LEWCO L-3000 drawworks produced by LeTourneau Ellis Williams Co., a subsidiary of LeTourneau, Inc., a division of Rowan Companies, Inc., is the only 3,000 input horsepower drawworks rated at 2 million lb hook load. It is capable of drilling depths of 16,000 ft to 40,000 ft (4,877 to 12,192 m). The L-3000 has a sister drawworks model, the L-2000 for up to 2,000 input horsepower and drilling depths of 13,000 ft to 20,000 ft. 

LEWCO’s 3,000-hp drawworks for 2 million lb hook loads.

The L-3000 has hoisting power provided by a two- or three-motor drive system, which can be either variable frequency AC or SCR-controlled DC. Rowan’s own use of the drawworks, such as on the illustrated land rig, has been with AC motors produced by manufacturing division Oilfield-Electric-Marine, Inc.

On the new drawworks, the clutches are mounted one shaft behind the main drum shaft for reduced weight and easy access. Both the low-drum and high-drum drive clutches use the same PO-336 plate-type clutch for interchangeability and reduced parts stocking. The brake system is powered by a 3,000-psia hydraulic unit. 

The machine is equipped with a disc brake system featuring hydraulically applied service brake calipers as well as spring-actuated emergency/ parking brake calipers for fail-safe operation. The LEWCO hydraulic brake system offers improved performance vs. conventional band brakes. The main drum is 36-in. diameter by 72-in. long with grooving for drill line. And there is an option for a sand line drum with guide for 20,000 ft of 9/16-in. sand line. 

A driller’s control panel with all necessary air and hydraulic controls is located at either end of the driller’s position on the drawworks, or in the driller’s cabin on an offshore rig. Customers receive the drawworks mounted on an oilfield-type skid, with provisions for crane lifting and easy tailboard loading onto transport trucks or rig structures. 

Houston-based LEWCO has been known for mud pumps since its founding in 1974. In early 2000, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of LeTourneau, Inc.