Patent ID: 8641811
Filing Date: 2014-02-04
Classification: E21B,F23G

Abstract:
1. A mobile mud-gas containment system for use at a wellbore at a wellsite, the mobile mud-gas containment system comprising: a skid; a flare stack carried by the skid; a vessel in which a mud-gas mixture is adapted to be contained, wherein the vessel is mounted upon the skid, wherein the vessel is adapted to receive fluid communication from the wellbore and is fluidly communicating with the flare stack, and wherein the vessel comprises: 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; wherein the flare stack is in fluid communication with the exit port of the vessel and is adapted to burn off the waste gas at the wellsite; a vessel flare stack feed line connected to the exit port; 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; a vent line mounted upon the skid and connected to the joint, the vent line fluidly communicating with each of the flare stack and the vessel, wherein the vent line extends in a downward direction from the joint, and wherein the vent line carries a trap adapted and sized to capture a volume of a residual mud; a catch tank mounted upon the skid, the catch tank in fluid communication with the vessel, wherein the vessel, the flare stack, the vent line, and the catch tank are transportable from a first well site to a second well site upon the skid; and a drain line, the drain line providing fluid communication between the trap and the catch tank; and 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; 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.