U.S. patent application number 14/537201 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-05 for vented gas drilling fluid catch apparatus.
The applicant listed for this patent is Brent Williams. Invention is credited to Brent Williams.
Application Number | 20150059574 14/537201 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51845711 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150059574 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Williams; Brent |
March 5, 2015 |
Vented Gas Drilling Fluid Catch Apparatus
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a catch tank for drilling
operations. The catch tank is located between a mud-gas separator
and a flare. The catch tank has an inlet port with a closed end
baffle which allows a drilling fluid-gas mixture to be separated
and gas to proceed to the flare without entrained drilling
fluid.
Inventors: |
Williams; Brent; (Geary,
OK) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Williams; Brent |
Geary |
OK |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51845711 |
Appl. No.: |
14/537201 |
Filed: |
November 10, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13623219 |
Sep 20, 2012 |
8882891 |
|
|
14537201 |
|
|
|
|
61537944 |
Sep 22, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
95/254 ;
96/220 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 19/0042
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
95/254 ;
96/220 |
International
Class: |
B01D 19/00 20060101
B01D019/00 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for capturing drilling fluid from a mud-gas
separator located downstream from a drilling rig comprising: a gas
line in communication with the mud-gas separator a flare located
downstream from the mud-gas separator; and a catch tank comprising
an inlet port located on the gas line between the mud-gas separator
and the flare, wherein the catch tank comprises: a director for
directing mud from the inlet port downward; and a gas line outlet
in communication with the flare.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the director comprises a
baffle.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the baffle comprises a
closed-end baffle.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the director comprises an
interior wall of the catch tank.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a panic line
communication with the drilling rig and the catch tank, wherein the
panic line is directed toward the director.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising an alarm for
detecting fluid in the panic line.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a fluid line outlet
for removal of mud from the catch tank.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inlet port is located on a
bottom side of the catch tank.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inlet port is located
proximate a top side of the catch tank.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inlet port is within the
catch tank such that a portion of the gas line is within the catch
tank.
11. A method for preventing the escape of drilling fluid through a
flare line comprising: receiving a gas stream from a. mud-gas
separator at an inlet port of a catch tank; directing any mud
within the gas stream downward upon entering the catch tank; and
flaring the mud-free gas.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the mud is directed downward by
a closed-end baffle.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein the mud is directed downward by
an inside wall of the catch tank.
14. The method of claim 11 further comprising removing drilling mud
from the catch tank.
15. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving a gas
stream from a drilling rig at a panic line.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising activating an alarm
when a gas stream is received at the panic line.
17. The method of claim 11 wherein the mud-gas separator is
downstream of a drilling rig.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the catch tank is removable from
a gas line, wherein the gas line is between the mud-gas separator
and the flare.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the mud is directed downward by
an inside wall of the catch tank.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/623,219, filed Sep. 20, 2012, now U.S. Pat.
No. 8,882,891, which claims the benefit of provisional patent
application Ser. No. 61/537,944 filed on Sep. 22, 2011, the entire
contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to oilfield
equipment and specifically for a vented catch tank for drilling
fluid overflow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention is directed to an apparatus for
capturing drilling fluid. The apparatus comprises a drilling rig, a
mud-gas separator located downstream from the drilling rig, a flare
located downstream from the mud-gas separator, and a catch tank.
The catch tank is located between the mud-gas separator and the
flare. The catch tank comprises an inlet port having a closed end
baffle and a mud opening such that mud entering the catch tank is
directed downward by gravity and a gas line outlet in communication
with the flare.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the apparatus of
the current invention.
[0005] FIG. 2 is a side view of a catch tank for use with the
apparatus of FIG. 1.
[0006] FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view of a catch tank for use
with the apparatus of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0007] The disclosed invention is directed to an apparatus 10
designed to catch drilling fluid, or mud, often a toxic and
environmentally disfavored product, which is released in the gas
line of a mud-gas separator due to high pressures and other
upstream conditions in a drilling rig. A catch tank is provided as
an additional measure to prevent drilling fluid, which is hot,
corrosive, and toxic, from exiting the apparatus through a flare.
Removing drilling fluid helps prevent corrosion and blockage in the
gas ignition line, and prevents drilling fluid from escaping
through the flare into the environment. One skilled in the art will
appreciate that hot drilling fluid poses a hazard to equipment and
operators.
[0008] With reference to FIG. 1, the apparatus 10 comprises a
drilling rig 12, a mud-gas separator 14, a catch tank 16, a gas
ignition line 18, and a flare 20. Additionally, the apparatus 10
may comprise a panic line 22 to provide for catching drilling fluid
in the case of extreme high pressure at the drilling rig 12. The
drilling 12 produces oil and/or gas for production purposes.
Drilling rigs such as drilling rig 12 use drilling fluid to promote
efficient subsurface drilling. This drilling fluid returns to the
drilling rig 12 with gas from the subsurface.
[0009] Ordinarily, the mixture of gas and drilling fluid from the
drilling rig 12 will be separated from produced gas in the mud-gas
separator 14 before excess gas is ignited at the flare 20. However,
it should be understood that under high pressure, the capacity of
an ordinary mud-gas separator 14 will be overcome and entrained
drilling fluid will exit the mud-gas separator in the gas ignition
line 18. Therefore, the catch tank 16 is located downstream from
the mud-gas separator 14 but upstream from the flare 20 as an
additional measure to prevent drilling fluid from exiting via the
flare. The catch tank 16 catches any excess mud and separates it
from the gas. The gas is allowed to enter the gas ignition line 18
and is flared at the flare 20. Drilling fluid is returned to a
containment pit for processing and recycling through the apparatus
10.
[0010] A panic line 22 is coupled to the drilling rig 12 to provide
pressure release in case of a "blow out". Under a "blow out"
scenario, the flow rate of production at the drilling rig 12 will
increase until the rig 12 cannot accommodate it, increasing
pressure and putting the apparatus at risk for an explosion. The
panic line 22 ordinarily allows excess gas to be vented to relieve
strain on the rig 12 due to the elevated pressure. In the
embodiment of FIG. 1, the panic line 22 may also couple to the
catch tank 16 to prevent drilling fluid from exiting the apparatus
10 through a vent during blow out conditions.
[0011] With reference now to FIG. 2, the catch tank 16 is shown in
more detail. The catch tank 16 comprises a tank body 30, a base 32,
at least one inlet port 34, a fluid line outlet 36 and a gas line
outlet 38. The tank body 30 as shown in FIG. 2 is a cylinder.
Alternatively, the tank body 30 may be a rectangular body or
similar shape. The tank body 30 comprises a first end 40 and a
second end 42 and is supported by the base 32. The base 32 may
comprise skids 44 for supporting the catch tank 16 and is
preferably oriented for ease of transportation to and from sites
where the apparatus 10 is required via truck, train car or other
common carrier.
[0012] A mud-gas mixture enters the catch tank 16 at the at least
one inlet port 34 located proximate a top of the first end 40 of
the tank body 30. Preferably, there are at least two inlet ports 34
located at opposing sides of the first end 40 of the tank body 30.
In a preferred embodiment, the inlet ports are approximately eight
inches in diameter for connection to pipes common in the oil and
gas industry. However, other diameters may easily be used with the
catch tank 16. The fluid line outlet 36 is located at a bottom of
the tank at the second end 42 of the tank body 30 and allows
drilling fluid to be removed from the catch tank 16 and processed
for is further use in the drilling rig 12. The drilling fluid may
be removed via the fluid line outlet 36 using a fluid pump (not
shown). The gas line outlet 38 is located near a top of the second
end 42 of the tank body 30. Preferably, the gas line outlet 38
comprises a connection to an eight inch pipe, as is common in the
industry for the gas ignition line 18. However, other diameters are
anticipated by the present invention.
[0013] With reference now to FIG. 3, the catch tank 16 is shown
with the inside of the tank body 30 visible. The at least one inlet
port 34 comprises a director, such as closed end baffle 50, a gas
opening 52 and a fluid opening 54. The director is shown as a
closed end baffle, but one of ordinary skill can appreciate that
the director may also be the inside of catch tank 16 or other
equivalent structure. The gas opening 52 is located at a top end of
the closed end baffle 50 while the fluid opening 54 is located at a
bottom end of the closed end baffle. As shown, the catch tank 16
comprises two inlet ports 34. One skilled in the art may appreciate
that one of the inlet ports 34 may receive fluids from the panic
line 22 (FIG. 1) and the other from the mud-gas separator 14 (FIG.
1). The inlet ports may be placed at the top of the tank, or
alternatively through the bottom of catch tank 16. An alarm may be
provided to indicate flow through the panic line 22.
[0014] With continued reference to FIG. 3, as fluid and gas enter
the catch tank 16 through the at least one inlet port 34, they
contact the director, here closed end baffle 50. Gravity causes
drilling fluid to exit through the fluid opening 54. Fluid is
caused to settle within the tank body 30. Gas exits the at least
one inlet port 34 through both the gas opening 52 and the fluid
opening 54. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the gas
entering the tank body 30 at the at least one inlet port 34 will
exit through the gas line outlet 38. Any drilling fluid entrained
in the gas will fall out due to impact with the closed end baffle
50 and the time spent within the tank body 30 allowing the fluid to
fall due to gravity.
[0015] One skilled in the art may appreciate that although the
present invention has been described with respect to the preferred
embodiment, various changes and modifications may be suggested to
one skilled in the art, and it is intended that the present
invention encompass such changes and modifications as fail within
the scope of this disclosure.
* * * * *