Ecologically sensitive mud-gas containment system

Abstract

This invention relates to an ecologically and environmentally friendly mud-gas containment system. Specifically, this invention relates to a mobile device that is capable of receiving waste gas and, in emergency situations, a volume of a mud-gas mixture from a drilling operation. The waste gas is communicated to a removable flare stack through a vent line. The mud-gas is received at a containment vessel. The impact of the mud-gas within the containment vessel separates the mud-gas into mud and waste gas. The mud is collected for recycling and/or environmentally sensitive disposal. The waste gas from the vessel is communicated to the flare stack. Separate removal ports and conduits are used to remove any residual mud or mud-gas from the vent line and/or containment vessel. Excess mud or mud-gas is communicated to an overflow catch tank for removal. The entire assembly is mounted on a mobile skid sized for highway transportation.

1 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A mud-gas containment system for use at a wellsite, the mud-gas containment system comprising:
 a vessel in which a mud-gas mixture is adapted to be contained, the vessel comprising:
 a bottom segment, 
 a top wall vertically spaced from the bottom segment, and 
 an exit port formed through the top wall and via which waste gas is adapted to flow out of the vessel; 
   a flare stack in fluid communication with the exit port of the vessel and adapted to burn off the waste gas at the wellsite;   a vent line in fluid communication with each of the flare stack and the vessel;   a trap carried by the vent line and adapted to capture a volume of residual mud;   a catch tank in fluid communication with the vessel; and   a first drain line extending between the bottom segment of the vessel and the catch tank, the first drain line providing, at least in part, the fluid communication between the vessel and the catch tank, the first drain line being configured so that at least a portion of the mud-gas mixture is adapted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the first drain line;   wherein the first drain line comprises a first valve, the first valve having:
 an open position in which the at least a portion of the mud-gas mixture is permitted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the first drain line; and 
 a closed position in which the at least a portion of the mud-gas mixture is not permitted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the first drain line. 
   
     
     
         38 . The mud-gas containment system of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 a vessel flare stack feed line connected to the exit port; and   a joint connected to the vessel flare stack feed line;   wherein the flare stack is connected to the joint and extends in an upward direction; and   wherein the vent line is connected to the joint and extends in a downward direction.   
     
     
         39 . The mud-gas containment system of  claim 37 , further comprising a second drain line fluidically positioned between the trap and the catch tank;
 wherein the second drain line is configured so that at least a portion of the residual mud is adapted to flow from the trap to the catch tank via the second drain line and independently of the first drain line.   
     
     
         40 . The mud-gas containment system of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 an overflow line providing in part the fluid communication between the vessel and the catch tank;   wherein the overflow line is configured so that, when a volume of the mud-gas mixture reaches a pre-determined level within the vessel, another portion of the mud-gas mixture is adapted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the overflow line and independently of the first drain line.   
     
     
         41 . The mud-gas containment system of  claim 40 , wherein the overflow line comprises:
 a first segment extending within the vessel,   a second segment disposed within the vessel and extending downward from the first segment, and   an intake located at the end of the second segment opposite the first segment, wherein the intake of the overflow line is positioned within the vessel and near the bottom segment of the vessel.   
     
     
         42 . The mud-containment system of  claim 41 , wherein the overflow line further comprises an overflow outlet positioned outside of the vessel;
 wherein the overflow outlet is in fluid communication with the first segment;   and   wherein at least a portion of the overflow outlet extends downward towards the catch tank.   
     
     
         43 . The mud-containment system of  claim 42 , wherein the overflow line further comprises a second valve fluidically positioned between the first segment and the overflow outlet. 
     
     
         44 . The mud-containment system of  claim 40 , wherein the overflow line comprises a second valve;
 wherein the second valve is configured to permit fluid flow from the vessel to the catch tank; and   wherein the second valve is configured to prevent fluid flow into the vessel via the overflow line.   
     
     
         45 . The mud-gas containment system of  claim 37 , further comprising a backflow prevention valve fluidically positioned between the exit port and the flare stack;
 wherein the backflow prevention valve is configured to permit fluid flow from the exit port to the flare stack; and   wherein the backflow prevention valve is configured to prevent fluid flow from the flare stack to the exit port.   
     
     
         46 . The mud-gas containment system of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 a second drain line fluidically positioned between the trap and the catch tank;   and   an overflow line providing in part the fluid communication between the vessel and the catch tank;   wherein the second drain line is configured so that at least a portion of the residual mud is adapted to flow from the trap to the catch tank via the second drain line and independently of each of the first drain line and the overflow line; and   wherein the overflow line is configured so that, when a volume of the mud-gas mixture reaches a pre-determined level within the vessel, another portion of the mud-gas mixture is adapted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the overflow line and independently of each of the first drain line and the second drain line.   
     
     
         47 . A mud-gas containment system for use at a wellsite, the mud-gas containment system comprising:
 a vessel in which a mud-gas mixture is adapted to be contained, the vessel comprising:
 a bottom segment, 
 a top wall vertically spaced from the bottom segment, and 
 an exit port formed through the top wall and via which waste gas is adapted to flow out of the vessel; 
   a flare stack in fluid communication with the exit port of the vessel and adapted to burn off the waste gas at the wellsite;   a vent line in fluid communication with each of the flare stack and the vessel;   a trap carried by the vent line and adapted to capture a volume of residual mud;   a catch tank in fluid communication with the vessel; and   a first drain line fluidically positioned between the trap and the catch tank, the first drain line being configured so that at least a portion of the residual mud is adapted to flow from the trap to the catch tank via the first drain line;   wherein the first drain line comprises a first valve, the first valve having:
 an open position in which the at least a portion of the residual mud is permitted to flow from the trap to the catch tank via the first drain line; and 
 a closed position in which the at least a portion of the residual mud is not permitted to flow from the trap to the catch tank via the first drain line. 
   
     
     
         48 . The mud-gas containment system of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 a vessel flare stack feed line connected to the exit port; and   a joint connected to the vessel flare stack feed line;   wherein the flare stack is connected to the joint and extends in an upward direction; and   wherein the vent line is connected to the joint and extends in a downward direction.   
     
     
         49 . The mud-containment system of  claim 47 , further comprising a second drain line extending between the bottom segment of the vessel and the catch tank, the second drain line providing, at least in part, the fluid communication between the vessel and the catch tank,
 wherein the second drain line is configured so that at least a portion of the mud-gas mixture is adapted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the second drain line and independently of the first drain line.   
     
     
         50 . The mud-gas containment system of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 an overflow line providing, at least in part, the fluid communication between the vessel and the catch tank;   wherein the overflow line is configured so that, when a volume of the mud-gas mixture reaches a pre-determined level within the vessel, at least a portion of the mud-gas mixture is adapted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the overflow line and independently of the first drain line.   
     
     
         51 . The mud-gas containment system of  claim 50 , wherein the overflow line comprises:
 a first segment extending within the vessel,   a second segment disposed within the vessel and extending downward from the first segment, and   an intake located at the end of the second segment opposite the first segment, wherein the intake of the overflow line is positioned within the vessel and near the bottom segment of the vessel.   
     
     
         52 . The mud-containment system of  claim 51 , wherein the overflow line further comprises an overflow outlet positioned outside of the vessel;
 wherein the overflow outlet is in fluid communication with the first segment;   and   wherein at least a portion of the overflow outlet extends downward towards the catch tank.   
     
     
         53 . The mud-containment system of  claim 52 , wherein the overflow line further comprises a second valve fluidically positioned between the first segment and the overflow outlet. 
     
     
         54 . The mud-containment system of  claim 50 , wherein the overflow line comprises a second valve;
 wherein the second valve is configured to permit fluid flow from the vessel to the catch tank; and   wherein the second valve is configured to prevent fluid flow into the vessel via the overflow line.   
     
     
         55 . The mud-gas containment system of  claim 47 , further comprising a backflow prevention valve fluidically positioned between the exit port and the flare stack;
 wherein the backflow prevention valve is configured to permit fluid flow from the exit port to the flare stack; and   wherein the backflow prevention valve is configured to prevent fluid flow from the flare stack to the exit port.   
     
     
         56 . The mud-containment system of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 a second drain line extending between the bottom segment of the vessel and the catch tank, the second drain line providing in part the fluid communication between the vessel and the catch tank;   an overflow line providing in part the fluid communication between the vessel and the catch tank;   wherein the second drain line is configured so that at least a portion of the mud-gas mixture is adapted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the second drain line and independently of each of the first drain line and the overflow line; and   wherein the overflow line is configured so that, when a volume of the mud-gas mixture reaches a pre-determined level within the vessel, another portion of the mud-gas mixture is adapted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the overflow line and independently of the each of the first drain line and the second drain line.   
     
     
         57 . A system, comprising:
 a separator adapted to receive a mud-gas mixture from a wellbore, and to collect at least a portion of the mud from the mud-gas mixture; and   a mud-gas containment system in fluid communication with the separator and adapted to receive the mud-gas mixture after the collection of the at least a portion of the mud by the separator, the mud-gas containment system comprising:
 a vessel in fluid communication with the separator and in which the mud-gas mixture is adapted to be contained after the collection of the at least a portion of the mud; 
 a flare stack in fluid communication with the vessel and adapted to burn off waste gas from the mud-gas mixture; 
 a vent line in fluid communication with each of the flare stack and the vessel; 
 a trap carried by the vent line and adapted to capture a volume of residual mud; and 
 a catch tank in fluid communication with the vessel and adapted to receive at least a portion of the mud-gas mixture when a volume of the mud-gas mixture reaches a pre-determined level within the vessel. 
   
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the vessel comprises:
 a bottom segment;   a top wall vertically spaced from the top wall; and   an exit port formed through the top wall and via which the waste gas is adapted to flow out of the vessel and towards the flare stack;   and   wherein the mud-gas containment system further comprises:   a vessel flare stack feed line connected to the exit port; and   a joint connected to the vessel flare stack feed line;   wherein the flare stack is connected to the joint and extends in an upward direction; and   wherein the vent line is connected to the joint and extends in a downward direction.   
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the vessel comprises:
 a bottom segment;   a top wall vertically spaced from the top wall; and   an exit port formed through the top wall and via which the waste gas is adapted to flow out of the vessel and towards the flare stack;   wherein the mud-gas containment system further comprises an overflow line providing, at least in part, the fluid communication between the vessel and the catch tank, the overflow line comprising:
 a first segment extending within the vessel, 
 a second segment disposed within the vessel and extending downward from the first segment, and 
 an intake located at the end of the second segment opposite the first segment, wherein the intake of the overflow line is positioned within the vessel and near the bottom segment of the vessel; 
   
       and
 wherein the overflow line is configured so that, when the volume of the mud-gas mixture reaches the pre-determined level within the vessel, the at least a portion of the mud-gas mixture is adapted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the overflow line. 
 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the vessel comprises:
 a bottom segment;   a top wall vertically spaced from the top wall; and   an exit port formed through the top wall and via which the waste gas is adapted to flow out of the vessel and towards the flare stack;   wherein the mud-gas containment system further comprises a drain line extending between the bottom segment of the vessel and the catch tank, the drain line providing, at least in part, the fluid communication between the vessel and the catch tank, the drain line being configured so that the at least a portion of the mud-gas mixture is adapted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the drain line;   and   wherein the drain line comprises a valve, the valve having:   an open position in which the at least a portion of the mud-gas mixture is permitted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the drain line; and   a closed position in which the at least a portion of the mud-gas mixture is not permitted to flow from the vessel to the catch tank via the drain line.   
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the vessel comprises:
 a bottom segment;   a top wall vertically spaced from the top wall; and   an exit port formed through the top wall and via which the waste gas is adapted to flow out of the vessel and towards the flare stack;   wherein the mud-gas containment system further comprises a drain line fluidically positioned between the trap and the catch tank, the drain line being configured so that at least a portion of the residual mud is adapted to flow from the trap to the catch tank via the drain line;   and   wherein the drain line comprises a valve, the valve having:   an open position in which the at least a portion of the residual mud is permitted to flow from the trap to the catch tank via the drain line; and   a closed position in which the at least a portion of the residual mud is not permitted to flow from the trap to the catch tank via the drain line.