The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 04, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 27, 1996
Edwin Daryl Homan, Chestermere, Alberta, CA;
Other;
Abstract
A system for separation of fluids and drill cuttings received-from a borehole during an under-balanced drilling procedure. The system is designed to cope with significantly varied pressures and flow rates, particularly in relation to gas content of drill fluids returned to the surface during the drilling process in a production zones and to provide effective separation and to reduce the detrimental effect due to the presence of the drill cuttings in the returned drill fluids. In the present invention there is utilized a first stage, high pressure vessel in which a major portion of the gases ad drill cuttings are separated, and a second stages horizontal low pressure vessel, preferably of greater volume than the high pressure vessel, in which further separating is achieved, including the separate removal of the drilling liquid to be returned to the drill tube. Because in under-balance drilling, the most serious variation in the pressure of the returning fluid is due to rapid increases in the proportion of gases in the drill fluid, the system of the present invention includes features allowing the control of the operating pressure in the high pressure vessel by way of the flow control of the gases exiting the high pressure vessel while the remaining separating procedure continues to provide effective results.