Oil and gas well cuttings disposal system

An oil well drill cuttings disposal apparatus for use at an oil well drilling site, comprising:

• a) a collection tank for collecting drill cuttings to be disposed of, said tank having an interior and an access opening that allows material to be discharged from the tank when the tank is to be emptied;
• b) means on said tank for transporting said tank to and from the oil well drilling site;
• c) means for sealing said tank after the tank interior is filled with drill cuttings to be disposed of;
• d) a first suction line for transmitting cuttings from the drill site at the opening to the tank interior;
• e) power means for forming a vacuum within the tank interior and comprising a blower and an electric motor drive for powering said blower;
• f) a second suction line for communicating between the tank interior and the power means;
• g) the assembly of the first and second suction lines and tank including separator means for preventing the travel of solid and liquid matter from the tank interior to the blower;
• and
• h) means for discharging drill cuttings from the tank via the access opening.

A method of removing drill cuttings from an oil and gas well drilling platform that uses a drill bit supported with a drill string and a well drilling fluid during a digging of a well bore, comprising the steps of:

• a) separating drill cuttings from the majority of the well drilling fluid on the drilling platform;
• b) transmitting the separated cuttings to a receptacle;
• c) suctioning the separated drill cuttings from the receptacle with a first vacuum line having an intake end portion;
• d) transmitting the drill cuttings via the first vacuum line to a transportable, movable holding tank that has a tank interior and at least one access opening for communicating with the tank interior;
• e) forming a vacuum within the holding tank interior with a blower that is in fluid communication with the tank interior via a second vacuum line;
• f) separating drill cuttings that travel in the first vacuum line to the tank before said drill cuttings can enter the blower by accumulating the drill cuttings in the tank interior until the tank is filled with a desired volume;
• g) powering the blower with an electric motor in steps "e" and "f";
• h) transporting the filled tank to a remote location;
• and
• i) emptying the tank interior of drill cuttings at a remote location.

An oil well drill cuttings disposal apparatus for use at an oil well drilling site comprising:

• a) a collection tank for collecting drill cuttings to be disposed of, said tank having an interior and an access opening that allows material to be discharged from the tank when the tank is to be emptied;
• b) lifting means on said tank for transporting said tank to and from the oil well drilling site;
• c) closure means for sealing said tank access opening after the tank interior is filled with drill cuttings to be disposed of;
• d) a first suction line for transmitting cuttings from the drilling site to the tank interior via the access opening;
• e) power means for forming a vacuum within the tank interior and comprising a blower and an electric motor drive for powering said blower;
• f) a second suction line for communicating between the tank interior at the access opening and the power means;
• g) a separator positioned in a flow path defined by the combination of first suction line, tank and second suction line for preventing the travel of any drill cutting or other extraneous solid or liquid matter to the blower;
• h) the tank access opening being sized and shaped for enabling the discharge of drill cuttings from the tank via the access opening;
• and
• i) a closure plate having a pair of plate openings therein for sealing the access opening, each suction "vacuum" line communicating with the tank via the plate openings.