Method and apparatus for treating pressurized drilling fluid returns from a well
First Claim
1. A method of treating pressurized drilling fluid returns from a well having a returns outlet, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) providing a primary separation means for selectively separating solid, liquid and gas components of the drilling fluid returns, said primary separation means having input means for introducing drilling fluid returns thereto;
(ii) providing a secondary separation means for selectively separating at least a portion of a gas component in the drilling fluid returns, said secondary separation means having input means for introducing drilling fluid returns thereto;
(iii) connecting said input means of said primary separation means and said input means of said secondary separation means to the returns outlet of the well, said input means of said secondary separation means connected to the well returns outlet upstream of said input means of said primary separation means;
(iv) connecting said primary and said secondary separation means to the returns outlet of said well through the use of control valves to regulate the flow of drilling fluid returns through said input means of said primary separation means and through said input means of said secondary separation means;
(v) monitoring the flow of the gas component of the drilling fluid returns expelled from said primary separation means;
(vi) in response to changes in the flow of gas expelled from said primary separation means, operating said control valves to regulate the flow velocity of drilling fluid returns through said primary and said secondary separation means to thereby maintain the flow of gas expelled from said primary separation means within predetermined parameters;
(vii) conveying the solid and liquid components of the drilling fluid returns as separated by said secondary separation means to said input means of said primary separation means; and
, (viii) monitoring the flow volume of the gas component of the drilling fluid returns expelled from said primary separation means through the use of a flow meter and utilizing said flow meter to generate a flow volume signal, said flow volume signal sent to a microprocessor for analyzing and comparison to a pre-determined flow value, thereafter using said microprocessor to actuate said control valves to maintain the flow of gas from said primary separation means within said pre-determined parameters and to control flow velocities.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for treating pressurized drilling fluid returns from a well having a returns outlet. The method comprises the steps of providing a primary separator for selectively separating solid, liquid and gas components of the drilling fluid returns where the primary separator has an input for introducing drilling fluid returns thereto; providing a secondary separator for selectively separating at least a portion of a gas component in the drilling fluid returns where the secondary separator has an input for introducing drilling fluid returns thereto; connecting the input of the primary separator and the input of the secondary separator to the returns outlet of the well such that the input of the secondary separator is connected to the well returns outlet upstream of the input of the primary separator; providing a control to regulate the flow of drilling fluid returns through the input of the primary and secondary separators; monitoring the flow of the gas component of the drilling fluid returns expelled from the primary separator; and, in response to changes in the flow of gas expelled from the primary separator, operating the control to regulate the flow of drilling fluid returns through the primary and secondary separators to maintain the flow of gas expelled from the primary separator within predetermined parameters.
67 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of treating pressurized drilling fluid returns from a well having a returns outlet, the method comprising the steps of:
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(i) providing a primary separation means for selectively separating solid, liquid and gas components of the drilling fluid returns, said primary separation means having input means for introducing drilling fluid returns thereto;
(ii) providing a secondary separation means for selectively separating at least a portion of a gas component in the drilling fluid returns, said secondary separation means having input means for introducing drilling fluid returns thereto;
(iii) connecting said input means of said primary separation means and said input means of said secondary separation means to the returns outlet of the well, said input means of said secondary separation means connected to the well returns outlet upstream of said input means of said primary separation means;
(iv) connecting said primary and said secondary separation means to the returns outlet of said well through the use of control valves to regulate the flow of drilling fluid returns through said input means of said primary separation means and through said input means of said secondary separation means;
(v) monitoring the flow of the gas component of the drilling fluid returns expelled from said primary separation means;
(vi) in response to changes in the flow of gas expelled from said primary separation means, operating said control valves to regulate the flow velocity of drilling fluid returns through said primary and said secondary separation means to thereby maintain the flow of gas expelled from said primary separation means within predetermined parameters;
(vii) conveying the solid and liquid components of the drilling fluid returns as separated by said secondary separation means to said input means of said primary separation means; and
,(viii) monitoring the flow volume of the gas component of the drilling fluid returns expelled from said primary separation means through the use of a flow meter and utilizing said flow meter to generate a flow volume signal, said flow volume signal sent to a microprocessor for analyzing and comparison to a pre-determined flow value, thereafter using said microprocessor to actuate said control valves to maintain the flow of gas from said primary separation means within said pre-determined parameters and to control flow velocities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of treating pressurized drilling fluid returns from a well having a returns outlet, the method comprising the steps of:
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(i) providing a primary separation means for selectively separating solid, liquid and gas components of the drilling fluid returns, said primary separation means having input means for introducing drilling fluid returns thereto;
(ii) providing a secondary separation means for selectively separating at least a portion of a gas component in the drilling fluid returns, said secondary separation means having input means for introducing drilling fluid returns thereto;
(iii) connecting said input means of said primary separation means and said input means of said secondary separation means to the returns outlet of the well, said input means of said secondary separation means connected to the well returns outlet upstream of said input means of said primary separation means;
(iv) providing control means to regulate the flow of drilling fluid returns through said input means of said primary separation means and through said input means of said secondary separation means;
(v) monitoring the flow of the gas component of the drilling fluid returns expelled from said primary separation means;
(vi) in response to changes in the flow of gas expelled from said primary separation means, operating said control means to regulate the flow velocity of drilling fluid returns through said primary and said secondary separation means to thereby maintain the flow of gas expelled from said primary separation means within predetermined parameters; and
,(vii) extracting at least a portion of said gas component expelled from said primary separation means and combining with the gas component of said drilling fluid returns as separated by said secondary separation means. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of treating drilling fluid returns from a pressurized source, said drilling fluid returns containing at least one of a gas component, a liquid component and a solid component, the method comprising the steps of:
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(i) connecting a primary separator and a secondary separator to the source of pressurized drilling fluid returns, said secondary separator connected to the source of drilling fluid returns upstream of said primary separator;
(ii) providing at least one flow controller to regulate the flow of drilling fluid returns through said primary and said secondary separators;
(iii) monitoring the volume of the gas component of the drilling fluid returns separated by said primary separator; and
,(iv) operating said flow controller to regulate the flow velocity of drilling fluid returns through said primary and said secondary separators in response to changes in the volume of gas separated from said drilling fluid returns by said primary separator to maintain the volume of gas separated from said drilling fluid returns by said primary separator within pre-determined parameters. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for treating pressurized drilling fluid returns from a pressurized source, said drilling fluid returns containing at least one of a gas component, a liquid component and a solid component, the apparatus comprising:
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(i) a primary separator having an input port for introducing drilling fluid returns therein, and having at least one gas output port;
(ii) a secondary separator having an input port for introducing drilling fluid returns therein, and having at least one gas output port;
(iii) at least one flow controller to regulate the flow of drilling fluid returns through said primary and said secondary separators;
(iv) at least one flow meter to monitor, and to generate a signal pursuant to, the volumetric flow of the gas component of the drilling fluid returns separated by said primary separator; and
,(v) a system controller, said system controller regulating the operation of said flow controller in response to signals generated by and received from said flow meter to thereby regulate the flow of drilling fluid returns through said primary and said secondary separators in response to changes in the volume of any gas separated from said drilling fluid returns by said primary separator and to thereby maintain the volume of any gas separated by said primary separator within pre-determined parameters. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification