US 5,775,852 A · Apparatus and method for adding dry materials to liquid drilling mud system

Abstract

A method and apparatus (10) for delivering dry bulk material (21) to a drilling mud system (50) of an oil and gas well comprises a plurality of collapsible bags (30) for holding a quantity of dry bulk material (21), each bag (30) being supported on a bag storage rack (20) having a discharge outlet (22) connected to the bags (30), the discharge outlets (22) having bag discharge valves (24); a hopper (40) for receiving and collecting material from the bags (30) and for discharging material into the drilling mud system (50) by means of a hopper discharge valve (48); a length of material discharge hose (70) connected to the discharge outlets (22) and to the hopper (40); and a vacuum pump (60) having a vacuum hose (47) to the hopper (40) for producing a vacuum in the hopper (40) and the hose (70) and thereby drawing material (21) from the bags (30) into the hopper (40) for discharge into the mud system (50). The racks have load cells (25) for measuring the weight of material in the bags and the load cells (25), the hopper discharge valve (48); and the bag discharge valves (24) may be connected to a programmable control panel (65) for remotely controlling the flow of material from each of the bags (30) to the hopper (40).

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus for delivering dry bulk material to a drilling mud system of an oil and gas well comprising:

(a) a plurality of collapsible bags for holding a quantity of the dry bulk material, each of said bags having a tubular bag outlet portion extending from said bags;
(b) a plurality of bag storage racks supporting said bags, each of said racks having a discharge outlet connected to said outlet portion of a respective one of said bags;
(c) a hopper for receiving and collecting said material from said bags, said hopper having a material inlet port, a material discharge outlet port, a hopper outlet valve controlling discharge from said outlet port, and a vacuum stub opening for attaching a vacuum hose;
(d) a length of material discharge hose, said discharge hose having an air inlet end, a plurality of material inlet hose ports, and a hopper connection end, said hopper connection end of said material discharge hose being connected to said material inlet port of said hopper and selected said material inlet hose ports of said material discharge hose being connected to selected said tubular bag outlet portions of said bags;
and
(e) a vacuum pump having a desired length of vacuum hose, said vacuum hose being connected to said vacuum stub opening of said hopper for producing a vacuum in said hopper and said material discharge hose and thereby drawing said material from said bags into said hopper.

3 more elements

A method for delivering a desired quantity and type of dry bulk material to a drilling mud system of an oil and gas well comprising the steps of:

(a) supplying a plurality of material storage bags to the well location, each of said bags containing a quantity of selected dry bulk material;
(b) supplying a plurality of bag storage racks for supporting said bags;
(c) placing said bags containing said quantity of selected dry bulk material into said bag storage racks;
(d) providing a length of material delivery hose;
(e) providing means for connecting each of said bags to said delivery hose;
(f) connecting each of said bags to said material delivery hose;
(g) providing a material collection hopper having means for connecting said hopper to said material delivery hose;
(h) connecting said material delivery hose to said hopper;
(i) creating a vacuum in said hopper whereby said selected dry bulk material in said bags is drawn from said bags through said material delivery hose and collected as the dry bulk material in said hopper;
and
(j) providing means for discharging said dry bulk material collected in said hopper from said bags;
and
(k) discharging said dry bulk material collected in said hopper from said hopper into said drilling mud system.

10 more elements

An apparatus for delivering desired dry material for injection into a well bore of an oil and gas well comprising:

(a) a liquid slurry system in communication with said well bore, said liquid slurry system having a tank for mixing said dry material;
(b) a hopper, said hopper having a material receiving port, a hopper discharge port, and a hopper discharge valve controlling discharge from said hopper discharge port, said hopper being positioned in relation to said liquid slurry system for delivering said desired dry material from said hopper discharge port into said tank of said liquid slurry system;
(c) a plurality of bags, each of said bags containing a selected dry material, each of said bags having a tabular sealable bag discharge outlet extending from said bags;
(d) a plurality of bag storage racks having funnel-shaped frameworks each for supporting a respective one of said bags at an angle of about sixty degrees from horizontal, each of said racks having a rack material discharge means, each said rack material discharge means having an inlet end, said inlet end being connected to a respective said sealable bag discharge outlet, and an outlet end, each of said racks having a respective housing connected to each said bag storage rack thereof, said housing having an inlet end and an outlet end, an inner annular collar mounted within each said housing, said inner annular collar having an upper collar inlet end for connection to said bag discharge outlet of a respective one of said bags and a lower collar outlet end for connection to said material delivery hose, and an outer annular collar positionable over and above said inner collar and said bag discharge outlet of the respective one of said bags when said bag discharge outlet is connected to said inner collar and thereby sealing said bag discharge outlet around said inner collar;
(e) a material delivery hose, said material delivery hose being connected to said material receiving port of said hopper, and to said outlet end of each said rack discharge means;
and
(f) means for creating a vacuum in said hopper and thereby drawing said selected dry material from said bags, through said rack discharge means and said material delivery hose into said hopper for discharge as said desired dry material into said tank of said liquid slurry system through said hopper discharge port.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for adding dry materials to liquid drilling mud system

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method for adding dry materials to liquid drilling mud system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20