Hazardous or toxic waste destruction or containment – Containment – Solidification – vitrification – or cementation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-19
2001-11-27
Suchfield, George (Department: 3672)
Hazardous or toxic waste destruction or containment
Containment
Solidification, vitrification, or cementation
C175S066000, C210S713000, C210S747300, C405S129300, C405S129350, C405S129450, C588S259000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06322489
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a drill cuttings disposal method and system wherein the cuttings are treated to form a solidified material which in turn will be re-used to shore up wetlands with the areas stated by the Federal Wetlands Act.
2. General Background of the Invention
The disposal of drill cuttings from drilling various types of wells has become an increasingly difficult problem due to restrictions imposed by various governmental authorities and the desire to minimize environmental damage. These problems are aggravated or at least amplified in certain well drilling operations, particularly in offshore or inland waters drilling operations, wherein the disposal of drill cuttings normally requires transport of the cuttings to a suitable landfill or shore-based processing system.
One solution to drill cuttings disposal problems is disclosed and claimed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/322,585 to Edward Malachosky, et al, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,929, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In the system disclosed in the above referenced application, drill cuttings are separated from the drilling fluid and reclaimed for use as construction grade gravel. Finer particles of material are slurried and injected into an earth formation through a disposal well. However, disposal of all the drill cuttings, in many instances, is not as conveniently handled, particularly in inland well drilling operations.
It is to this end that the present invention has been developed with a view to providing a system and method for disposing of drill cuttings which are removed from the drilling fluid during the drilling process and are suitable for reuse and subsequent reclamation for recycling in the restoration of wetlands area.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a unique method for the disposal of drill cuttings produced during the drilling of wells, particularly in inland waterways well drilling operations. In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, drilling cuttings returned to the surface are separated from the drilling fluid, mixed with a suitable stabilization medium, preferably lime, cement, fly ash, gypsum, or a combination of the same, and solidified. Any harmful constituents (e.g. oil or heavy metals) that could possibly be in the drill cuttings are confined within the stabilization medium.
Those skilled in this area will recognize the above described advantages and superior features of the invention together with other aspects thereof upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawing.
Industry in general has been barraged with environmental regulations that have changed and will continue to permanently change the way in which cuttings generated during the drilling of an oil well are disposed. The process recommended in this document incorporates three parts: 1) a method to minimize the volume of waste generated, 2) ways of recycling useful components of the liquids, and 3) identification of a viable process to solidify/stabilize the drill cuttings to be used to restore valuable marshland.
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Hanson Paul M.
Richardson Timothy R.
Howrey Simon Arnold & White , LLP
M-I LLC
Suchfield George
LandOfFree
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