Drill cuttings handling and shipping system
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorBakr Abdulrahim Al-Ghamdi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for separating drill cuttings from a drilling fluid and transporting the drill cuttings from a wellbore includes a multi-chambered collection bin defining a first chamber and a second chamber therein separated by a screen partition. An unloading bulk conveyor is operably coupled to the first chamber for unloading drill cuttings from the first chamber and a suction pump is operably coupled to the second chamber for drawing drilling fluid from the second chamber. Drill cuttings may be unloaded from the first chamber onto a transport vehicle for delivery to a disposal site. The drilling fluid may be pumped from the second chamber and recirculated through the wellbore.
Claims16
A system for separating drill cuttings from a drilling fluid and transporting the drill cuttings from a wellbore, the system comprising:
- an offshore platform;
- a transport vehicle remote from the offshore platform and operable to carry drill cuttings from the offshore platform;
- a vibratory separator disposed on the offshore platform, the vibratory separator including a vibrating screen for separating the drilling fluids from the drill cuttings;
- a multi-chambered collection bin disposed on the offshore platform, the multi-chambered collection bin defining a first chamber to receive the drill cuttings and remaining drilling fluid mixed among the drill cuttings from the vibratory separator and a second chamber separated from the first chamber by a stationary screen partition;
- an unloading bulk conveyor operably coupled directly between the first chamber and the transport vehicle for unloading drill cuttings from the first chamber directly to the transport vehicle;
- and
- a suction pump operably coupled to the second chamber for drawing drilling fluid from the second chamber.
A method of separating drill cuttings from a drilling fluid on an offshore platform and transporting the drill cuttings from the offshore platform, the method comprising:
- loading the drill cuttings and the drilling fluid into a first chamber of a multi-chambered collection bin disposed on the offshore platform;
- flowing a portion of the drilling fluid from the first chamber to a second chamber of the multi-chambered collection bin through a screen partition disposed within the multi-chambered collection bin;
- unloading the drill cuttings from the first chamber directly off the offshore platform and into a transport vehicle remote from the offshore platform with an unloading bulk conveyor;
- and
- pumping the portion of the drilling fluid from the second chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.