Dust Binding Device and Method

Abstract

A method for finding dust generated when air drilling and mixing this dust with liquid. The apparatus comprises a mixing chamber in fluid communication with a liquid tank. A plurality of inlet ports extend into the mixing chamber from the fluid tank. As dust passes through the mixing chamber dust binds with the liquid from the fluid tank.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method that captures dust during air drilling. Oil is a product of the decomposition of tiny plants and animals that died in the ancient seas between to 10 and 600 million years ago. The dead organisms would sink into the sand and mud at the sea floor. In these layers, there was little or no oxygen present, so the organisms would break down into carbon-rich compounds that formed organic material. This organic material mixes with the sediment, and new sedimentary layers are deposited on top of the material mixture. The new sedimentary layers exert heat and pressure onto the organic material. The addition of the heat and pressure produces the crude oil and natural gas. After that particular process, the oil flows from the source rock into the reservoir rock which is either sandstone or limestone.

Geologists find oil reserves by examining the surface features. Once an oil reserve is detected, the oil company prepares the land. First, the land is cleared and leveled. Water must be available for drilling, and a well will be drilled if there is no natural source available. Then the crew digs the reserve pit which serves for the disposal of rock cuttings and drilling mud.

After the land is prepared, the crew digs several holes for the rig and the main hole. Then a cellar, which is a rectangular hole dug around the actual drilling hole, is created. The cellar provides a work space for the workers. The crew sets up the oil rig and begins drilling. The drill bit, collar, and drill pipe are placed in the hole. The drill bit cuts up the rock while the collar fits around the drill pipe and provides weight to the drill bit. The kelly and turntable are attached and drilling begins. The kelly is a four or six-sided pipe that transfers rotary motion to the turntable and drill string. The turntable uses power from the motor to perform the rotational motion of the drill. Rock cuttings are removed from the hole by circulating mud out of the bit through the pipe. As the hole gets deeper, new sections are added to the drill pipes. Once the preset depth is reached, the drill pipe, collar and bit are removed. Afterwards, a casing pipe is placed in the hole to prevent collapsed and is cemented in place.

After drilling the hole, the crew tests for oil, and once the oil has been confirmed, they lower in a perforating gun. The gun creates tiny holes in the casing so that oil can flow through. A small pipe is then placed into the hole in order to bring the oil up. A Christmas tree placed on top of the casing allows the crew to control the oil. In order to start the flow of oil acid is pumped into the well if the reservoir rock is limestone. The acid creates channels in the limestone for the oil to flow. For sandstone, a special fluid containing proppants is used. Proppants are sand, walnut shells, or aluminum pellets. The fluid creates a pressure which causes small fractures in the sandstone, and the proppants force the fractures to remain open. The present invention provides a novel method and apparatus for air drilling.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In air drilling, air is used to collect the rock cuttings that occur in the drill hole during the drilling process. Air is circulated throughout the oil rig. The air will also take up any dust created during the drilling process. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for collecting the dust created during the air drilling process.

The present invention includes a mixing chamber incorporated into the air flow line. In the mixing chamber, the dust is mixed with water to create mud which is then stored into a reserve pit. The present invention also includes the attachment of a fluid tank to store the water and an extra pipe line to circulate the water through the oil rig. The fluid pipe line connects to the air flow line by way of a plurality of inlet ports. The inlet ports allow the water to flow into the mixing chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the oil rig components with presented invention installed.

FIG. 1a is a cutaway view of the oil rig components showing present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an internal view of the present invention.

FIG. 4a is a cutaway view of the binding process with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

As depicted in FIG. 1, the present invention (10) works in conjunction with a normal oil rig system that uses the process of air drilling. In drilling for oil on land, there are two types of processes that can be used. One is a water-based system that circulates fluid mud to remove rock cuttings from the drilling hole, and the other is air drilling which uses air or another type of gas instead of water-based mud. Air drilling is the less expensive of the two options, and it is commonly not used in areas where the rock is not self-supporting and there are high formation pressures.

An oil rig is divided into multiple systems: the power system, the mechanical system, circulation system, and rotating equipment. The present invention is specifically for the air drilling process. The power system (not shown) contains the parts that run the oil rig. The oil rig is normally powered by a large diesel engine (200) which uses diesel fuel oil to operate an electrical engine. The mechanical system includes the hoisting system. The hoisting system (210) is designed for lifting heavy loads by way of a winch with a large steel cable spool, block-and-tackle pulley, and a receiving storage reel for the cable.

FIG. 1 shows part of the support structure or derrick (100) and circulation system to which the present invention (10) is fixably mounted to. The rotating equipment which is responsible for the actual drilling of the hole contains a swivel (123), kelly (129), turntable or rotary table ( ) drill string (112), and drill bits (127). The swivel (123) is a large handle that holds the weight of the drill string (112) which allows the drill string (112) to rotate creating a pressure-tight seal on the hole. The drill string (112) is the drill pipe (119) which consists of about 30 feet of sections connected by connectors (117), and the drill collar (110) is a heavier pipe that fits around the drill string (112) and places weight on the drill bit (127). The drill bit (127) is the part of the rig that actually cuts the rock which is made out of various materials and in various sizes. The drill bit (127), drill string (112), and drill collar (110) are surrounded by the casing (130).

Air drilling is inexpensive and the fastest way to create a hole. An oil rig that uses air drilling is very similar to the conventional mud operating oil rigs. However, there are a few major differences in the type of drill bit (127), circulating fluid which is replaced with air, the use of air compressors, and special downhole and uphole equipment for circulating the air.

In the circulation of the air, the air is first compressed at the surface and is then injected into the drill string (112). The drill string (112) can have a hollow tube within depending upon whether a good, uncontaminated core sample is required. After injection into the drill string (112), it passes through the drill bit (127). Drill bits (127) used for air drilling have special holes used for circulation of the air. The air with the cuttings passes back through the drill bit (127) through the wellbore annulus which is a gap between and inner tube, and up the drill string (112) to the surface. Upon arrival at the surface, the cuttings enter into a cyclone where the cuttings are separated from the air.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 1a, although the present invention is used injunction with air drilling, the invention uses water in order to capture the dust. Therefore, the present invention uses a fluid tank (122) that is attached to the oil rig and will flow through a fluid connection pipe (13). The fluid connection pipe (13) is a cylindrical in structure and allows the water to flow out of the fluid tank (122) into the mixing chamber (22).

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 1a, as mentioned above, after the hole flows into the drilling hole, it flows back through the wellbore annulus, up the drill string (112), and to the surface. With the present invention (10), the air with the rock cuttings is diverted into an alternative flow line (12). The flow line (12) is a large, cylindrical pipe which contains the mixing chamber (22) where the dust will be turned into mud. As the dust flows through the flow line (12), it will hit a part of the flow line (12)

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the fluid connection pipe (13) is attached to the mixing chamber (22) by way of supporting pipe members (20, 21) that allow the water to flow from the fluid connection pipe (13) into the mixing chamber (22). The supporting pipe members (20, 21) are cylindrical pipes that have inlet ports (30) that extend into the mixing chamber (22). The supporting pipe members (20, 21) are connected to the flow line (12) by way of connecting members (40, 42). The water flows into the mixing chamber (22) by way of the inlet ports (30).

Referring to FIG. 4a, as the water flows out of the inlet ports (30), it splashes upon a growler (40). In the preferred embodiment, the growler (50) is a small piece of steel that is attached to the top of the mixing chamber (22) extending perpendicularly in front of each inlet port (30). When the water hits the growler (50), a jet spray action is created and allows the water to mix with the dust (43) to create mud (44). The mud (44) is circulated into the shale shakers (124) which are used to remove rock cuttings from the mud (44). The shale shakers (124) consist of flat, wire sheets that vibrate. The mud (44) flows through the wire sheets, and the rock cuttings get shaken out of the mud (44). The shale shaker (124) slides the cuttings into the reserve pit (116) which holds the rock cuttings.

In addition to these systems, an oil rig has several other components. There is the casing (117) which is a large concrete pipe which prevents the hole from collapsing. The derrick (100) is the support structure of the drilling apparatus. The blowout preventer (118) stops a blowout which is an uncontrolled gush of gas or oil which can cause a fire. The blowout preventer (118) consists of high-pressure valves that seal the high-pressure drill lines and relieve pressure. (claims completed upon review)

Claims

1. A mixing apparatus for binding dust to a liquid during the air drilling process used in combination with an oil rig, the apparatus comprising:

a mixing chamber with a hollow interior cavity therein formed within an air flow pipeline leading from the drill hole of the oil rig;

a connection pipeline fixably mounted atop the mixing chamber in a parallel relation and interconnecting fluid tank of the oil rig with the connection pipeline in fluid communication with the fluid tank for channeling liquid from the fluid tank into the mixing chamber;

a plurality of inlet ports leading into the interior cavity and interconnecting the connection pipe to the mixing chamber;

a growler perpendicularly mounted within the interior cavity directly in front of each inlet port and extending linearly upward wherein as liquid is channeled from the fluid tank into the cavity a jet spraying action is formed within the cavity wherein dust flowing through the flow line into the mixing chamber forms a liquid.

2. The mixing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mixing chamber further comprising:

a second pipeline fixably mounted to a side of the mixing chamber;

the second pipeline in fluid communication with the connection pipeline;

a plurality of second inlet ports leading into the interior cavity and interconnecting the second pipeline to the mixing chamber; and

a growler perpendicularly mounted within the interior cavity directly in front of each second inlet port and extending linearly upward therefrom wherein as liquid is channeled from the fluid tank into the cavity a jet spraying action is formed within the cavity wherein dust flowing through the flow line into the mixing chamber forms a liquid.

3. The mixing apparatus of claim 2 wherein the mixing chamber further comprising:

an opposing pipeline fixably mounted to an opposite side of the mixing chamber across from the second pipe line in a parallel relation; the second pipeline in fluid communication with the connection pipeline;

a plurality of third inlet ports leading into the interior cavity and interconnecting the connection pipe to the mixing chamber;

a growler perpendicularly mounted within the interior cavity directly in front of each inlet port and extending linearly upward therefrom wherein as liquid is channeled from the fluid tank into the cavity a jet spraying action is formed within the cavity wherein dust flowing through the flow line into the mixing chamber forms a liquid.

4. The mixing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the growler is made of a hard durable material substantially like steel.

5. A method of binding dust during the air drilling process having a drilling rod with a drilling bit connected to an air flow path line in an oil rig comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a dust binding apparatus with a mixing chamber with a plurality of inlet ports in fluid communication with a liquid binding tank and the dust binding apparatus being integrally formed within the air flow path line in the oil rig;

(b) providing an agitator within the mixing chamber formed by a growler made of a durable material that extends perpendicularly upward within the chamber in front of each inlet port;

(c) during the air drilling process, feeding the dust through the air flow path line into a mixing chamber of the dust binding apparatus;

(d) simultaneously supplying water into the mixing chamber of the dust binding apparatus through the inlet ports wherein the water is agitated by the growlers within the mixing chamber of the dust binding apparatus causing the dust to bind with the liquid; and

(e) discharging the resultant mixture from the mixing chamber into a mud collection apparatus.