U.S. patent application number 13/946410 was filed with the patent office on 2014-01-23 for systems and methods for the storage and disposal of waste cement.
This patent application is currently assigned to Rock Solid Rentals Ltd.. The applicant listed for this patent is Rock Solid Rentals Ltd.. Invention is credited to Kim FLEXHAUG, Vern HOWRISH, Bruce LYON, Denis MARTIN, Randy MARTIN, Ryan MARTIN, Alan OMOTANI.
Application Number | 20140023298 13/946410 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49946602 |
Filed Date | 2014-01-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140023298 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MARTIN; Ryan ; et
al. |
January 23, 2014 |
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THE STORAGE AND DISPOSAL OF WASTE
CEMENT
Abstract
A collapsible bladder system for the storage and disposal or
re-use of cement returns from oil and gas wells is described. The
collapsible bladder system includes a flexible storage bag having
an input valve, an output valve and a vent that can be easily set
up and transported by a single person. Cement returns are pumped
into the flexible storage bag and allowed to harden into a cement
block. The cement block covered with the storage bag can be hauled
away for disposal or re-used for a secondary purpose, such as a
barricade.
Inventors: |
MARTIN; Ryan; (Vermilion,
CA) ; MARTIN; Randy; (Vermilion, CA) ; MARTIN;
Denis; (Vermilion, CA) ; HOWRISH; Vern;
(Spirit River, CA) ; LYON; Bruce; (Airdrie,
CA) ; OMOTANI; Alan; (Calgary, CA) ; FLEXHAUG;
Kim; (Okotoks, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Rock Solid Rentals Ltd. |
Vermilion |
|
CA |
|
|
Assignee: |
Rock Solid Rentals Ltd.
Vermilion
CA
|
Family ID: |
49946602 |
Appl. No.: |
13/946410 |
Filed: |
July 19, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61674200 |
Jul 20, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/111 ;
53/128.1; 53/410 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C04B 2111/00784
20130101; C04B 18/049 20130101; Y02W 30/91 20150501; B09B 3/0025
20130101; B65B 25/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/111 ;
53/128.1; 53/410 |
International
Class: |
B65B 25/00 20060101
B65B025/00 |
Claims
1. A collapsible bladder for the collection and storage of cement
comprising: a bag body having top and bottom surfaces and front and
back ends; a vent located on the top surface of the bag body for
the release or equalization of air pressure within the bag; a first
port located on the front end of the bag body for filling the bag
body with cement, the first port having a first port valve operable
between an open position and a closed position; and a second port
located on the back end of the bag body for expelling overflow
cement from the bag body, the second port having a second port
valve operable between an open position and a closed position.
2. A collapsible bladder as in claim 1 wherein the bag body
includes a bag portion and a cover portion operably connected to
one another by a zipper.
3. A collapsible bladder as in claim 2 wherein the cover portion
includes at least one access port for embedding a handle within the
cement prior to curing.
4. A collapsible bladder as in claim 1 further comprising at least
one external form for imparting a surface texture or feature to at
least one surface of the cement block.
5. A collapsible bladder as in claim 4 wherein the external form
includes a wave profile for imparting a wave profile on at least
one surface of the cement block.
6. A system for collecting and storing cement returns at a well
site comprising: a plurality of collapsible bladders, each
collapsible bladder including: a bag body having top and bottom
surfaces and front and back ends; a vent located on the top surface
of the bag body for the release or equalization of air pressure
within the bag body; a first port located on the front end of the
bag body for filling the bag body with cement returns, the first
port having a first port valve operable between an open position
and a closed position; and a second port located on the back end of
the bag body for expelling overflow cement returns from the bag
body, the second port having a second port valve operable between
an open position and a closed position; wherein the plurality of
collapsible bladders are positioned in a series and the second port
and first port of adjacent collapsible bladders are connected by a
hose to a llow overflow cement returns to flow between adjacent
collapsible bladders.
7. A method for storing and disposing of cement returns comprising
the steps: a) pumping cement returns into a bladder; and b)
allowing the cement returns to harden inside the bladder to create
a covered cement block.
8. The method as in claim 7 wherein the bladder includes a zipper
allowing the cement block to be removed from the bladder and the
method further comprises the step of c) removing the bladder from
the cement block.
9. The method as in claim 7 wherein prior to step a) the bladder is
fixed to at least one external form thereby enabling a covered
cement block from step b) to have a surface texture or feature
corresponding to the external form.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefits of priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn. 119 and 120 of U.S. Provisional Patent Application
No. 61/674,200 filed Jul. 20, 2012, the entire contents of which
are incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to collapsible bladders, and
specifically to collapsible bladder systems for the storage and
disposal of cement returns from oil and gas wells.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Large storage containers are frequently needed in certain
industries for the transportation and disposal of waste products.
In one example and specifically in the oil and gas industry, there
is a need for storing and disposing of cement returns from oil and
gas wells that are being cased.
[0004] As is known, after drilling an oil or gas well, an operator
will typically case sections of the well in order to provide
stability to one or more sections of the well for the subsequent
production phases of the well. During casing, steel sections of
pipe are placed in the well and then cemented in place by pumping
cement through the casing and allowing the cement to flow upwardly
through the annulus between the formation and exterior surface of
the casing. Once the annulus has been filled, the cement will cure
thereby securing the casing in place.
[0005] During the cementing operations, at the point where the
annulus is fully filled with cement, cement will flow out of the
top of the well thus indicating to the operator that the annulus is
full. In a typical cementing operation, in order to ensure that the
annulus is fully filled with cement, the operator will allow an
additional volume of cement to flow out of the top of well before
ceasing to pump cement down the well. This excess or waste cement,
which may be substantial in volume, must be collected at surface
and properly disposed of. Currently, cement returns (i.e. the waste
cement) are generally disposed of in pits or in above ground
containers at or near the drilling site.
[0006] In most jurisdictions, there are various regulations and
standards that must be met for cement pits in order to limit the
negative effect they can have on the environment. Typically, buried
cement returns must not interfere with subsurface water flow and
generally measures must be taken to prevent animals or the public
from entering the pit. In addition, after drilling operations
cease, the pit must be reclaimed to its former or equivalent land
use, all of which may be a time-consuming and costly process for
the operator. Moreover, a number of jurisdictions have recently
tightened their rules and regulations for cement returns disposal
in order to further reduce the negative environmental impacts that
may be associated with them.
[0007] More specifically, as the pit disposal method typically
requires a) a large pit up to 100 m.sup.3 to be dug into the ground
at a well site, b) allowing the cement returns to harden and
conveying them from the wellhead to the pit and c) breaking the
hardened cement into smaller pieces to ensure drainage in the pit
and d) the reafter covering the cement and remediating the ground,
the oil and gas industry has generally been moving away from the
use of cement pits as these steps require a substantial amount of
work that can be costly to complete.
[0008] Another common method for the disposal of cement returns
from oil and gas wells is the use of above ground containers. In
this method, large lined steel containers are set up at wellheads,
where cement returns are pumped into the containers and allowed to
harden. As with the pit method, the cured cement must be broken
into pieces prior to disposal. The full containers are then hauled
to a local landfill where the hardened cement is disposed of and
the empty containers are returned to the drilling site to be filled
with further cement returns. While with this method drilling
companies are not subjected to the same standard of land
reclamation as with cement pits, the hauling and moving around of
the large heavy containers containing waste cement is both labor
and equipment intensive. That is, this method typically requires
the use of expensive equipment including a winch tractor as well as
hammering and lifting equipment.
[0009] As a result of the foregoing problems and also due to the
changes to rules and regulations concerning cement returns that are
being imposed in certain jurisdictions, such as Alberta, Canada,
there is a need for improved cement return storage and disposal
systems that have less environmental impact and that are more
cost-effective by reducing the equipment and labor requirements of
cement disposal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] In accordance with the invention, a collapsible bladder for
the collection and storage of cement is provided comprising: a bag
body having top and bottom surfaces and front and back ends; a vent
located on the top surface of the bag body for the release or
equalization of air pressure within the bag; a first port located
on the front end of the bag body for filling the bag body with
cement, the first port having a first port valve operable between
an open position and a closed position; and a second port located
on the back end of the bag body for expelling overflow cement from
the bag body, the second port having a second port valve operable
between an open position and a closed position.
[0011] In various embodiments, the bag body includes a bag portion
and a cover portion operably connectable by a zipper. The cover
portion may also include at least one access port for embedding a
handle within the cement prior to curing.
[0012] In another embodiment, the collapsible bladder also includes
at least one external form for imparting a surface texture or
feature to at least one surface of the cement block. In one
embodiment, the external form includes a wave profile for imparting
a wave profile on at least one surface of the cement block.
[0013] In another aspect, the invention provides a system for
collecting and storing cement returns at a well site comprising: a
plurality of collapsible bladders, each collapsible bladder
including: a bag body having top and bottom surfaces and front and
back ends; a vent located on the top surface of the bag body for
the release or equalization of air pressure within the bag body; a
first port located on the front end of the bag body for filling the
bag body with cement returns, the first port having a first port
valve operable between an open position an d a closed position; and
a second port located on the back end of the bag body for expelling
overflow cement returns from the bag body, the second port having a
second port valve operable between an open position and a closed
position; wherein the plurality of collapsible bladders are
positioned in a series and the second port and first port of
adjacent collapsible bladders are connected by a hose to allow
overflow cement returns to flow between adjacent collapsible
bladders.
[0014] In another aspect, the invention provides a method for
storing and disposing of cement returns comprising the steps:
pumping cement returns into a bladder; and allowing the cement
returns to harden inside the bladder to create a covered cement
block.
[0015] In another embodiment, the bladder includes a zipper
allowing the cement block to be removed from the bladder and the
method further comprises the step of c) removing the bladder from
the cement block. In another embodiment, prior to step a) the
bladder is fixed to at least one external form thereby enabling a
covered cement block from step b) to have a surface texture or
feature corresponding to the external form.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The invention is described with reference to the
accompanying figures in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic front perspective view of a
collapsible bladder in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a collapsible bladder
system comprising multiple linked bladders in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic front perspective view of various
shaped bladders in accordance with the invention; and
[0020] FIG. 4. is a schematic front view of a cement-filled bladder
showing external forms in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] With reference to the figures, a collapsible bladder system
10 for the storage and disposal of cement returns from oil and gas
wells is described. Within this description, the bladder system is
generally described for the storage and disposal cement returns
from oil and gas wells; however, as described below, the bladder
system may be used in a number of different applications.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, the collapsible bladder system 10
comprises a flexible bladder 12, a vent 14, an input valve 16 and
an output valve 18. The bladder 12 is constructed from a
lightweight flexible material, such as polyurethane, that can be
folded into a compact bundle for storage and transportation. To set
up the bladder for use, the folded bladder is simply unfolded from
the collapsed form at the location where waste cement is located.
As such, a plurality of collapsed bladders can be readily
transported and set-up in an efficient manner by a single person
and without the need for heavy equipment. Moreover, a single person
can easily move one or more empty bladders around a well site as
needed.
[0023] More specifically, in a preferred embodiment, the flexible
bladder 12 is a large collapsible bag having a generally
rectangular shape with rounded corners that is fabricated from a
lightweight flexible material, such as polyurethane. In the
preferred embodiment, the flexible bladder has a maximum internal
volume that allows standard lifting equipment to lift an equivalent
volume of cement. That is, it is generally not desirable for the
bag to be too large such that it will be difficult to lift an
equivalent volume of cured cement but also not too small so as to
require a substantially larger number of bags for a typical
disposal job. Thus, in one embodiment, the bladder will have a
volume of approximately 1.7 m.sup.3 (61 ft.sup.3) and generally
measure approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) long, 4 feet wide (1.2 m) wide
and 2 feet (0.6 m) tall.
[0024] When empty, the flexible bladder having these dimensions can
be folded into a compact bundle about the size of a briefcase. The
flexible bladder is generally free-standing when full or partially
full and does not require further supports. As is understood, and
explained in greater detail below, the shape and volume of a bag
can be varied to provide additional functionality and/or uses.
[0025] In operation, one or more bladders are connected to a source
of waste cement such as a casing operation via input valve 16. Each
bladder is positioned such that the vent 14 is located on the top
of the flexible bladder to allow for air pressure to be equalized
as the bladder is being filled. The input valve 16 and output valve
18 are preferably located on opposite ends of the bladder and
generally nearer the top of the bladder. Both the input valve and
output valve are equipped with appropriate valve and connection
fittings 16a, 18a that allow the valves to be manually moved
between open and closed positions and allow hoses and/or of her
elements to be secured in an airtight manner to the valves. In
order to fill a bladder with waste cement, the input valve is
opened and is connected to a hose or pipe (not shown) that conveys
cement returns from the well into the bladder. If a single bladder
is being used, the output valve is closed, otherwise, if a
plurality of bladders 10a, 10b, and 10c (FIG. 2) are being
connected together, a hose 20 is used to connect the output valve
18 of one bladder to the input valve 16 of the next bladder in
series with each valve being placed in the open position. As such,
any number of bladders can be connected in this manner, depending
on the volume of cement returns from the well.
[0026] In a multi-bladder configuration, generally as the first
bladder 10a fills with cement and the cement reaches the level of
the output valve 18, cement will flow through the hose 20 into the
second bladder system 10b. Upon reaching the level of the output
valve 18b of the second bladder 10b, the cement will flow into the
third bladder 10c, and so on. While the bladders are filling with
cement, further bladder systems can be connected to the last
bladder in the series as needed to handle the volume of cement
returns. If only one bladder system is being used or the bladder
system is the last in a series of bladder systems, i.e. bladder
system 10c in FIG. 2, the output valve is preferably closed.
[0027] When a bladder is full, the cement returns are allowed to
harden within each bladder thereby forming a large cement block
enclosed in the bladder. The block of cement, with or without the
bladder, can be hauled away in one piece to a disposal site such as
a landfill. It is generally not necessary to break the cement into
smaller pieces or remove the cement from the bag. However the bag
can be removed from the cement block if desired and the block
broken into pieces. In one embodiment, to facilitate removal of a
cement block and re-use of the bladder, the bladder may be
fabricated as interconnected pieces including a bag portion 12a and
lid portion 12b interconnected via a zipper 12c extending around
the circumference of the upper edge of the bag portion. In this
case, if the bladder is removed from a cured cement block, the
bladder may be used again.
[0028] Furthermore, the lid portion 12b may be provided with ports
12d that may be opened prior to curing to enable lifting handles
(not shown) to be embedded in the uncured cement that will
subsequently harden into place within the cured cement block.
[0029] In further embodiments, and depending on the shape and
volume of the bladders, the cement blocks that are formed can be
used for secondary purposes, such as barricades around the well
head or elsewhere at the drilling site. Similarly, cement blocks
can also be transported to other locations for secondary uses at
those locations. Furthermore in various embodiments, multiple
cement blocks can be stacked upon one another or positioned
adjacent one another as needed.
[0030] As can be appreciated, the shape and size of the hardened
cement block is determined by the shape and size of the bladder.
The bladder can be made in various shapes and sizes to create a
cement block as needed for a secondary purpose. FIG. 3 shows a
variety of bag shapes each of which may have a specific secondary
function. For example, a cylinder 31 or half cylinder 33 may be
formed for use as a post or barricade, and a flat cylinder 32 or
cube 34 may be used as a barricade and/or to enable effective
stacking of blocks.
[0031] In addition, and as shown in FIG. 4, before the bladder is
filled with cement, it may be placed on an exterior form that
shapes the bladder as it fills with cement and hardens. The mold 30
may be placed underneath the bag, or it may extend up the sides
and/or along the top of the bag, depending on the desired shape of
cement block. For example, molds may be used to create cement
blocks with longitudinal ridges or waves 30a along the top and/or
bottom to facilitate vertical or offset stacking.
[0032] In another embodiment, if concrete blocks with substantially
flat surfaces are desired, stiffening members can be secured to any
of the outside edges of the unfilled bag to prevent the bag walls
from bowing outwards as the bag fills with cement. In another
embodiment, the bladder includes a base member having a series of
longitudinal slots extending across the length or width of the
bladder to enable lifting straps and/or forklift tines to be
readily inserted beneath the bladder to assist in the movement of
the cured bladders.
[0033] In another embodiment, reflective material is attached to
the outside of the bag such that the bag is visible for secondary
uses, such as a barricade. The bag may also have text and/or images
on its exterior surface, which may include warning messages,
instructions or advertising.
[0034] The collapsible bag can also be used for the storage and/or
disposal of other well fluids, such as drilling fluids, water,
fracturing fluids etc.
[0035] Further still, the exterior of the bladders may be provided
with additional fixtures such as straps and/or strap loops or the
like to facilitate the interconnection of adjacent bladders when
filled with cement.
[0036] Although the present invention has been described and
illustrated with respect to preferred embodiments and prefer red
uses thereof, it is not to be so limited since modifications and
changes can be made therein which are within the full, intended
scope of the invention as understood by those skilled in the
art.
* * * * *