Drill cuttings re-injection system

A method of injecting slurry into a wellbore annulus comprising the steps of;

• filtering the slurry, the slurry comprising drilling mud and drill cuttings;
• pumping the filtered slurry through at least one injection inlet into a pressure containing conduit, the at least one injection inlet being in fluid communication with a flow path within a drilling guide base;
• pumping the filtered slurry through the flow path of the drilling guide base to a flow path of an injection adapter ring, wherein the flow path of the injection adapter ring is a circular gallery vertically contained by the injection adapter ring;
• circulating the filtered slurry around the circular gallery of the injection adapter ring, the circular gallery being in fluid communication with the at least one injection port of an injection mandrel;
• directing the filtered slurry through the at least one injection port of the injection mandrel to an annulus, the annulus formed between the injection mandrel and an inner casing within the pressure containing conduit.

A system to store drilling slurry from multiple subsea wells comprising;

• a well adapted to store drilling slurry comprising:
• at least one injection inlet, wherein drilling slurry may enter the well through the one injection inlet;
• a drilling guide base, the drilling guide base including at least one flow path in communication with the at least one injection inlet for the flow of drilling slurry;
• an injection adapter ring;
• a circular gallery vertically contained by the injection adapter ring, the circular gallery in communication with the at least one flow path of the drilling guide base wherein drilling slurry may flow around the circular gallery;
• an injection mandrel, the injection mandrel including at least one injection port in communication with the circular gallery of the injection adapter ring;
• an inner casing forming an annulus between the injection mandrel and the inner casing, wherein the at least one injection port of the injection mandrel injects drilling slurry into the annulus;
• and
• an isolation sleeve, the isolation sleeve being adapted to block the communication between the circular gallery and the at least one flow path of the drilling guide base;
• at least a second well adjacent to the well adapted to store drilling slurry, wherein drilling slurry from the at least second well is brought to the surface and filtered;
• and
• a first fluid conduit for the transportation of the filtered drilling slurry to the at least one injection inlet of the well adapted to store drilling slurry.

A method of installing a re-injection system on a subsea wellhead comprising;

• connecting an isolation sleeve to an exterior surface of an injection adapter ring, wherein the injection adapter ring has an interior bore and the isolation sleeve is movable from a closed position to an open position;
• connecting a slidable sleeve to the interior bore of the isolation sleeve, wherein the slidable sleeve may be moved from a first position where it protects a sealing surface on the interior bore of the injection adapter ring to a second position;
• installing the injection adapter ring onto a drilling guide base that includes an injection flow loop, wherein the drilling guide base moves the isolation sleeve to the open position;
• running the drilling guide base down to a conductor housing of a wellhead;
• installing the drilling guide base on the conductor housing;
• using the slidable sleeve in the first position to pressure test the injection flow loop;
• running an injection mandrel down to the conductor housing, wherein the injection mandrel includes a test plug;
• and
• landing the injection mandrel on the slidable sleeve, wherein the slidable sleeve is moved to the second position.

A system to inject material into a well formation for disposal and storage comprising;

• at least one injection inlet;
• a drilling guide base, the drilling guide base including at least one flow path in communication with the at least one injection inlet;
• an injection adapter ring within the drilling guide base;
• a circular gallery vertically contained by the injection adapter ring, the circular gallery in communication with the at least one flow path of the drilling guide base;
• an injection mandrel within the injection adapter ring, the injection mandrel including at least one injection port in communication with the circular gallery of the injection adapter ring;
• and
• an inner casing within the injection mandrel forming an annulus between the injection mandrel and the inner casing the annulus being in communication with the at least one injection port, wherein material may be injected into the well formation through the annulus.