Modular Pressure Control and Drilling Waste Management Apparatus for Subterranean Borehole

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017247958-A1
Application number	US-201515513555-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2015
Priority date	Sep 25, 2014
Publication date	Aug 31, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method comprises controlling an operating pressure of a fluid from a borehole. The fluid comprises solids and entrained gas. The method further comprises removing at least a portion of the entrained gas from the fluid at an upstream location. The method further comprises removing residual entrained gas from the fluid at a downstream location. The method further comprises separating at least a portion of the solids from the fluid. The method further comprises circulating the separated fluid back to the borehole. Separating of solids occurs after the removing of entrained gases from the fluid at the downstream location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a pressure control section in fluid communication with a subterranean borehole and controlling an operating pressure of fluid in the subterranean borehole, wherein the fluid comprises solids and entrained gas; a gas separator section in fluid communication with the pressure control section, wherein the gas separator section removes at least a portion of the entrained gas from the fluid; and a waste management section comprising:
a degasser section degassing at least a portion of the fluid from the gas separator section to produce degassed fluid;
a vibratory separator receiving the degassed fluid from the degasser section, the degasser section communicating the degassed fluid to the vibratory separator; and
a collection tank comprising a first pit that receives the separated fluid from the vibratory separator;

wherein the separated fluid is circulated back from the collection tank to the subterranean borehole.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a flare line receiving the removed entrained gases from the gas separator section.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the flare line receives the entrained gases from the degasser section.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the waste management section further comprises a desilter receiving the fluid from a first pit of the collection tank and operable to remove additional solids from the fluid, the solids are directed to a solids collection area and the desilted fluid is communicated to a second pit of a collection tank.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a solids collection container receiving the separated solids from the vibratory separator and the desilter.

6 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a first partition having a first partition height separates the first pit and the second pit in the collection tank and the second pit has a corresponding fluid capacity, wherein fluid can be communicated to the first pit from the second pit over the first partition when fluid in excess of fluid capacity of the second pit is directed to the second pit.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the collection tank comprises a third pit, a second partition having a second partition height separates the third pit and the second pit in the collection tank and the third pit has a corresponding fluid capacity, wherein fluid can be communicated to the second pit from the third pit over the second partition when a fluid in excess of fluid capacity of the third pit is directed to the third pit.

8 . An apparatus comprising:
a pressure control section in fluid communication with a subterranean borehole and controlling an operating pressure of fluid in the borehole, wherein the fluid comprises solids and entrained gas; a gas separator section in fluid communication with the pressure control section, wherein the gas separator section removes at least a portion of the entrained gas from the fluid and comprises a level sensor to determine a level of fluid in the gas separator section; and a waste management section comprising:
a degasser section operable to remove entrained gases from the fluid;
a vibratory separator in fluid communication with the degasser section, at least one of the degasser section and the vibratory separator receiving degassed fluid from the gas separator section; and
a collection tank comprising at least one pit, the at least one pit receiving separated fluid from the vibratory separator;

wherein the separated fluid is circulated back from the at least one pit to the gas separator section in response to the sensor indicating that the level of fluid is low.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the collection tank comprises a first pit, a second pit and a third pit, the first pit receiving separated fluid from the vibratory separator, the waste management section further comprising a desilter receiving fluid from the first pit and operable to remove additional solids from the fluid, the solids directed to a solids collection area and the desilted fluid communicated to the second pit.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein, when the sensor indicates the level of fluid is low, the fluid is circulated back from the third pit to the gas separator section.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a first partition having a first partition height separates the first pit and the second pit in the collection tank and the second pit has a corresponding fluid capacity, wherein fluid can be communicated to the first pit from the second pit over the first partition when fluid in excess of fluid capacity of the second pit is directed to the second pit.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a second partition having a second partition height separates the third pit and the second pit in the collection tank and the third pit has a corresponding fluid capacity, wherein fluid can be communicated to the second pit from the third pit over the second partition when a fluid in excess of fluid capacity of the third pit is directed to the third pit.

13 . A method comprising:
controlling an operating pressure of a fluid, the fluid comprising solids and entrained gas; removing at least a portion of the entrained gas from the fluid at an upstream location; removing residual entrained gas from the fluid at a downstream location; and separating at least a portion of the solids from the fluid to produce separated fluid,
wherein the separating of solids occurs after the removing of residual entrained gases from the fluid at the downstream location.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising venting the entrained gas removed at the upstream location and venting the entrained gas removed at the downstream location.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising circulating the separated fluid back to the borehole and collecting the separated fluid before the separated fluid is circulated back to the borehole.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising separating finer solids from the separated fluid and collecting the separated solids.

17 . A method comprising:
controlling an operating pressure of a fluid from a borehole, the fluid comprising solids and entrained gas; removing at least a portion of the entrained gas from the fluid; and preparing the fluid for recirculation to the borehole, the preparing comprising:
separating at least a portion of the solids from the fluid;
collecting the separated fluid; and
circulating the separated fluid back to remove at least a portion of the entrained gas;
circulating the separated fluid back to the borehole.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising separating solids from the fluid prior to the preparing, wherein the separating as part of the preparing separates finer solids.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the preparing comprises removing residual entrained gas from the separated fluid.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein, as part of the preparing, the separating occurs prior to the removing.

Assignees

• M-I L L C
• Mantovani & Vicentini S R L

Inventors

• Alfonzo Nunez Jamt
• Delahoussaye George Paul
• Spaccamonte Stefano
• Spinello Antonio

Classifications

• B01D19/0057

  the centrifugal movement being caused by a vortex, e.g. using a cyclone, or by a tangential inlet · CPC title

• E21B21/065

  Separating solids from drilling fluids · CPC title

• B01D19/0063

  Regulation, control including valves and floats (for construction and details of valves F16K) · CPC title

• E21B21/063

  by separating components · CPC title

• E21B21/067 Primary

  Separating gases from drilling fluids · CPC title