Drilling waste receiving assembly

Abstract

A drilling waste receiving assembly includes a container having an opening in the base sized for receiving a pipe and a sidewall coupled to the base; and an annular sealing assembly for sealing an interface between the opening of the base and the pipe, a first component of the annular sealing assembly coupled to the base and aligned with the opening, the annular sealing assembly movable into a sealing position by axially advancing a second component toward the first component to compress a seal located between the first component and the second component; wherein the drilling waste receiving assembly is for receiving and containing drilling waste from a drilling operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drilling waste receiving assembly comprising:
 a container comprising:
 a base comprising an opening, the opening sized for receiving a pipe; and 
 a sidewall coupled to the base; and 
   an annular sealing assembly for sealing an interface between the opening of the base and the pipe, a first component of the annular sealing assembly coupled to the base and aligned with the opening, the annular sealing assembly movable into a sealing position by axially advancing a second component toward the first component to compress a seal located between the first component and the second component,   wherein the drilling waste receiving assembly is for receiving and containing drilling waste from a drilling operation.   
     
     
         2 . The drilling waste receiving assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base and the sidewall are formed from a single piece of material. 
     
     
         3 . The drilling waste receiving assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base and the sidewall are coupled to one another by a weld. 
     
     
         4 . The drilling waste receiving assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base and the sidewall are at least one of: steel, wood, composite and plastic. 
     
     
         5 . The drilling waste receiving assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base is one of: square, rectangular, round and oval. 
     
     
         6 . The drilling waste receiving assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base is flat. 
     
     
         7 . The drilling waste receiving assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the container is sized for receiving a pump. 
     
     
         8 . The drilling waste receiving assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the annular sealing assembly comprises a threaded connection between the first component and the second component. 
     
     
         9 . The drilling waste receiving assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the annular sealing assembly is a mud tank union. 
     
     
         10 . The drilling waste receiving assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base is rigid to support the drilling waste and a pump when the drilling waste receiving assembly is used at a drilling site having unstable ground. 
     
     
         11 . The drilling waste receiving assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the unstable ground is unfrozen muskeg. 
     
     
         12 . The drilling waste receiving assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the pipe is a conductor pipe. 
     
     
         13 . A method of managing drilling waste, the method comprising:
 locating a drilling waste receiving assembly at a drilling site, the drilling waste receiving assembly comprising a container having an annular sealing assembly surrounding an opening of the container, the annular sealing assembly being in a loosened position;   receiving a pipe through the annular sealing assembly and advancing the pipe until refusal;   tightening the annular sealing assembly to form a seal between the drilling waste receiving assembly and the pipe; and   performing a drilling operation, p 1  wherein the drilling waste receiving assembly is for receiving and containing waste generated by the drilling operation.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein locating the drilling waste receiving assembly comprises placing the drilling waste receiving assembly on a ground surface of unfrozen muskeg. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the pipe is advanced into the ground by coupling a drill string and the pipe to a common drive mechanism of a drilling rig. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the waste is removed from the container by a pump. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the pump is located in the drilling waste receiving assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the base is rigid to support the waste and a pump when the drilling waste receiving assembly is used at a drilling site having unstable ground. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the unstable ground is unfrozen muskeg. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the pipe is a conductor pipe.