Liquid containing drill cuttings transport vessel

{
  "publication_number": "US10035406B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Liquid containing drill cuttings transport vessel",
  "abstract": "A transport vessel and method specifically adapted for safely transporting liquid containing unstabilized drill cuttings. Typically drilling waste is stabilized using binding agents like fly-ash, liquids absorbing pellets or sawdust. In many jurisdictions binding agents are required to stabilize the drilling waste prior to transport. A sealed transport vessel is described herein which is specifically sized and positioned over a set of axels so as to provide for safe, non-spilling transport.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A transport vessel specifically adapted for transporting liquid containing unstabilized drill cuttings comprising, a substantially rectangular shaped container body capable of holding liquid containing unstabilized drill cuttings, the body having a bottom section, connecting two side sections, a front section, and a liquid sealing end section, the body section being covered with a liquid sealing lid section, the liquid sealing end section and the liquid sealing lid section being removably attached to the rectangular body so as permit filling and emptying of the vessel with liquid containing unstabilized drill cuttings, additionally containing a mesh section positioned inside of the transport vessel at a point just below the liquid sealing lid section, wherein the mesh section has openings from about 5 centimeters to about 20 centimeters so as to permit the liquid containing unstabilized drill cuttings to freely pass through the mesh section while retaining refuse or debris on the surface of the mesh section, and additionally containing a drip guard attached to at least one side section so as to prevent drips or spills of unstabilized drill cuttings during the loading process, wherein the transport vessel provides stable transport of liquid containing unstabilized drill cuttings absent leakage, loss or spillage of liquid from the vessel in transport or when the vessel is in a position other than horizontal.",
    "2. The vessel of claim 1 having an internal volume of up to about 11cubic meters.",
    "3. The vessel of claim 1 having at least two axels attached to the bottom section and supporting the substantially rectangular body.",
    "4. The vessel of claim 3 configured to contain about 2 to about 4 cubic meters per axel.",
    "5. The vessel of claim 3 including 2 axels.",
    "6. The vessel of claim 3 including 3 axels.",
    "7. The vessel of claim 3 wherein the container body is removably attached to the axels through rails which allow the container body to slide or roll off the rails when desired after transport.",
    "8. The vessel of claim 1 capable of holding up to about 20,000 kilograms of liquid containing unstabilized drill cuttings.",
    "9. The vessel of claim 1 wherein the liquid containing unstabilized drill cuttings are oil based mud drill cuttings or water containing salt based drill cuttings.",
    "10. The vessel of claim 1 wherein the axels are positioned so as to provide a substantially equal weight distribution of liquid containing unstabilized drill cuttings on each axel during transport.",
    "11. Multiple vessels of claim 1 connected in series.",
    "12. A method of transporting liquid containing unstabilized drill cuttings comprising filling the vessel of claim 1 with liquid containing unstabilized drill cuttings, transporting the filled vessel to a pre-determined dumping location, and unloading the liquid containing unstabilized drill cuttings from the vessel, without any leakage of liquid from the drill cuttings during transport.",
    "13. The method of claim 12 comprising filling multiple vessels and transporting them in series.",
    "14. The method of claim 12 wherein the cuttings contain about 20% to about 50% liquids by volume.",
    "15. The method of claim 12 wherein the weight of the cuttings is about 10,000 kilograms to about 20,000 kilograms per transport vessel.",
    "16. The method of claim 12 wherein the unstabilized drill cuttings are oil based mud drill cuttings or water containing salt based drill cuttings."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The field of art to which this invention generally pertains is the transport and processing of drill cuttings.\n\nDuring the drilling of a well, gas or oil for example, drilling mud is typically pumped down the drill string through a drill bit. The drilling mud simultaneously cools the bit and carries drill cuttings up the well bore. Drilling mud is typically comprised of a fluid (or fluids), and mixture of additives which can be either fluids or solids, forming a useable drilling fluid. Oil based or brine based drilling fluids are often used to drill oil and gas wells because they have special characteristics that make them a better cooling/carrying fluid than other drilling muds. Additionally, such drilling muds may offer better wellbore stability and/or lubricity for the drill string in modern, horizontal wellbores.\n\nTypically, the drill cuttings which are carried up the wellbore are subjected to solids separating devices when the cuttings exit the wellbore, such as that of shale shakers or decanter centrifuges. These mechanical separators allow a substantial portion of the drilling mud to be returned to the storage tanks for reuse, while the drill cuttings portion is sent to separate storage tanks. The drill cuttings still contain residual amounts of the drilling mud that couldn't be separated through mechanical means, and this residual drilling mud is considered to be contamination.\n\nThe drill cuttings are commonly known as drilling waste, because they serve no purpose after they have been removed from the wellbore.",
  "cpc": [
    "B60J 7/00",
    "B65D 88/126",
    "B65D 90/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B60P 3/22",
    "B65D 88/02",
    "B65D 90/02",
    "B65G 67/24",
    "B60J 7/00",
    "B65D 88/12",
    "B65D 90/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Recover Energy Services Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Stan ROSS",
    "Gregory STEGER"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2016-02-03",
  "publication_date": "2018-07-31",
  "grant_date": "2018-07-31",
  "priority_date": "2015-02-25",
  "application_number": "US-201615014451-A",
  "family_id": "56741252",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US3449678A",
    "US3331433A",
    "US4476788A",
    "US4775070A",
    "US7320504B2",
    "US20140353308A1"
  ]
}