A drilling device has a drilling mast and a movable drifter thereon with a drill rod stabilizing device for stabilizing drill rods in position during drilling. The stabilizer travels along the mast along with the drifter, and includes a locking arm that automatically opens and closes the stabilizer to allow passage of drill rods into an out of the drill line from storage, while supporting the drill rods during drilling. In a substantially vertical drilling position, the stabilizer is moved downwardly by gravity, and upwardly by the drifter's drive chain, which is retained in contact with the stabilizer by a pick-up link on the drive chain contacting stop blocks on the stabilizer. In a substantially horizontal drilling position, the stabilizer is moved in a return direction by the pick-up link and stop block combination. The stabilizer is advanced in the opposite direction by the drifter's pick-up link, which is retained in contact with the stabilizer by a pair of spaced-apart rollers on the stabilizer that frictionally contact and retain the pick-up link and stabilizer together.

An apparatus for preventing pipe buckling when downwardly directed axial forces are applied to a pipeline (3) which extends from a derrick (1) down into a well bore, especially when snubbing. The apparatus comprises two sets of pipe supports (8) linked together to give a continuous chain (10), which is arranged to extend from a respective guide rail (6, 7) in the derrick (1) to the pipeline (3), and the pipe supports (8) are movably arranged in the guide rail (6, 7) parallel to the pipeline (3). The guide rail (6, 7) extends in a general U-shape with the U-bend (6c, 7c) located closest to the lower end of the derrick (1) and comprises two legs (6a, 6b, 7a, 7b), of which a first leg (6a, 7a) is arranged close to the pipeline (3) and a second leg (6b, 7b) is arranged at a greater distance from the pipeline. The pipe supports (8) are designed to be placed in the first leg (6a, 7a) when operative, and are designed to be transferred to the second leg (6b, 7b) when they are to be rendered inoperative.

The present invention is a portable drilling rig having a support tower. A drilling engine, mounted within a cradle, and a lift winch are attached to the support tower. A stabilizer bar is attached to the lower end of the support tower to prevent swaying of the support tower. The engine transfers torque to the transmission mounted below the engine, to which a steel swivel, housing a quill, allows passage of air and/or water to a drill steel to provide rotary force to power a drill bit. A pull-down system, preferably a weighted bar, is attached to the lower end of the support tower and to the drilling engine to pull the drilling ending downwardly. Manual transport is provided by means of a main base wheel dolly system for easy one-man mobilization. A counterweight is attached to the lower end of the support tower to prevent the support tower from being lifted as the pull-down system forces the drilling bit into the ground. Deflectors attached to the support tower prevent debris coming out of the hole from splashing on the present invention and the operators. A gas/water control manifold attached to the collar of the drilling engine functions to mix water and gas which is forced through the center of the drilling rod to cool the drilling bit and remove drilling debris from the hole.