# US 11,306,544 B2 · Well pad construction system and methods

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- Number: US 11,306,544 B2
- Document ID: US11306544B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/848,324
- Filed: 2020-04-14
- Published: 2021-10-14
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-14
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Inventors: Zakariya Saleh Al-Helal; Carlos Ernesto Acero; Ali Muhammed Al-Ali; Sami Ali Al-Ghamdi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306544B2

## CPC

- E21B 15/006: {Means for anchoring the drilling machine to the ground}
- E21B 33/037: Protective housings therefor
- E02D 17/02: Foundation pits
- E04B 1/0015: {Cellars constructed from prefabricated units}
- E21B 33/14: for cementing casings into boreholes
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E02D: FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS (specially adapted for hydraulic engineering E02B); UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES {(tunnels, tunnelling, mining E21)}
- E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001})

## Abstract

A well pad construction system includes a construction area, surface compaction equipment to compact the construction area, an excavator disposed at the construction area and movable to generate an excavated area, a cellar disposed in the excavated area, controlled low-strength material (CLSM), and backfill equipment disposed around the excavated area. The backfill equipment is moveable over the construction area to pour CLSM into a gap between the cellar and surrounding medium in the excavated area for holding the cellar in place and providing a firm well pad from which a rig may operate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A well pad construction system comprising:
a construction area;
an excavator disposed at the construction area, the excavator moveable over the construction area to generate an excavated area;
a cellar disposed within the excavated area;
controlled low-strength material (CLSM);
backfill equipment disposed around the excavated area at the construction area, the backfill equipment moveable to pour CLSM into a gap between the cellar and surrounding medium in the excavated area for holding the cellar in place; and
a compactor disposed at the construction area, where the compactor is moveable over the construction area, the compactor comprising an impact roller for compacting the excavated area prior to excavation,
where the compactor applies high energy impact compaction (HEIC) at the construction area.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the impact roller comprises a non-cylindrical impact roller with three rounded lobes connected by three joints, each rounded lobe comprising from about 120° to about 180° of a cylinder.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the CLSM comprises water, cement, and fine aggregates.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the CLSM comprises byproduct materials.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the expected maximum strength of the CLSM is about 8.3 MPa (1200 psi).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the cellar is composed of at least one of steel, aluminum, concrete, reinforced concrete, fiberglass, and fiberglass-reinforced plastic.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the cellar comprises a shape of at least one of a cuboid, a box, a cylinder, a barrel, a bowl, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the sides and bottom of the cellar comprise a crack-resistant material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the top and the bottom of the cellar are at least partially open.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a drilling rig disposed longitudinally above the cellar; and
a drill pipe disposed longitudinally below the drilling rig, the drill pipe passing through the top and the bottom of the cellar for drilling a borehole downward below the cellar.

### Claim 11

A method of preparing a well pad comprising:
identifying a construction area;
compacting the construction area to generate a compacted medium within the construction area;
excavating the compacted medium using an excavator, where excavating the compacted medium creates an excavated area within the compacted medium;
installing a cellar in the excavated area; and
backfilling a gap between the cellar and surrounding medium with a backfill material,
where compacting the construction area selectively uses high energy impact compaction (HEIC) using an impact roller, and
where the impact roller comprises a non-cylindrical impact roller with three rounded lobes connected by three joints, each rounded lobe comprising from about 120° to about 180° of a cylinder.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, where the backfill material comprises controlled low-strength material (CLSM).

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, where the gap between the cellar and the surrounding medium is up to about 0.5 m wide.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, where the cellar is disposed near or at the center of the excavated area.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, where installing the cellar in the excavated area comprises using at least one of trucks, cranes, excavators, skid steers, and loaders.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising installing at least one drilling rig at the construction area, the at least one drilling rig disposed longitudinally above the cellar.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, where preparing the well pad takes up to about 3 days.

### Claim 18

A drilling site comprising:
a compacted medium comprising an excavated area;
a cellar disposed within the excavated area;
backfill material disposed between the cellar and the compacted medium, where the backfill material comprises controlled low-strength material (CLSM);
a compactor disposed at the drilling site, where the compactor is moveable over the excavated area, the compactor comprising an impact roller for compacting the excavated area prior to excavation, and where the compactor applies high energy impact compaction (HEIC) at the drilling site;
a drilling rig disposed longitudinally above the cellar; and
a drill pipe disposed longitudinally below the drilling rig, the drill pipe passing through the top and the bottom of the cellar for drilling a borehole downward below the cellar.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The site of claim 18, where the cellar comprises a bowl shape.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The site of claim 18, where a volume of excavation required for rig pad preparation is reduced by at least 80%.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The site of claim 18, where additional soil is not required for use as the backfill material.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The site of claim 18, where the backfill material consists of CLSM.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The site of claim 18, where the backfill material provides a firm well pad for the drilling rig to stand on and operate from.

### Claim 24 (depends on 18)

The site of claim 18, where the impact roller comprises a non-cylindrical impact roller with three rounded lobes connected by three joints, each rounded lobe comprising from about 1200 to about 1800 of a cylinder.

### Claim 25 (depends on 18)

The site of claim 18, where the CLSM comprises water, cement, fine aggregates, and byproduct materials, and where the CLSM comprises a maximum strength of about 8.3 MPa (1200 psi).

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The site of claim 25, where the fine aggregates comprise at least one of sand and crushed stones, and
where the fine aggregates comprise a diameter or largest dimension that is larger than about 0.074 mm and smaller than about 6.35 mm.