Modular wellbore tubular handling system and method

A wellbore tubular handling system and method is provided for operation in holding and lowering tubulars, such as casing strings (34), at a rig site. The handling system utilizes a plurality of interchangeable gripping modules (54) for use with both the elevator slips (78) and the spider (18). Because the gripping modules (54) are completely interchangeable, only one additional gripping module (54) is needed to provided 100 % redundancy at the well site to thereby reduce the equipment normally required by approximately 25 %. An elevator module (52) receives the interchangeable gripping module (54) therein. An interchangeable gripping module (54) may also preferably be flush mounted in many standard rotary table types. Alternatively a top mount spider module (140) is provided to receive a gripping module (54) for other rig floor (24) and/or rotary table constructions. The gripping module (54) has three inner support rings (80,82,84) and slips (78) between approximately one and two feet in length to permit high load support while protecting any thin walled casing that is used in the casing string (34).