Patent Publication Number: US-2015068761-A1

Title: Subterranean Storage Assemblies and Methods for Storing Fluids in a Subterranean Room

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to subterranean storage assemblies and methods for storing fluids in subterranean rooms. In some embodiments, the method relates to modular systems that can be used to establish a subterranean fluid storage assembly, and the fluid that may be stored may be in gas or liquid form. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Petroleum products such as gas and/or liquid products may be acquired from subterranean rooms through the walls, ceilings, or surfaces of those rooms via different well drilling and pumping techniques. Storage of these liquids within these rooms can be more problematic as the rooms do not have a large amount of space and/or it is difficult to get tanks into these rooms from above ground level. The present disclosure provides subterranean storage assemblies and methods for storing fluids in a subterranean room. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Subterranean hydrocarbon recovery systems are provided with the systems including a plurality of conduit sections in fluid communication with at least some of which being aligned in parallel along at least one axis of each section. The recovery systems can also include a well head within a subterranean space with at least one of the sections being in fluid communication with the well head. Subterranean hydrocarbons systems are also provided that can include a plurality of conduit sections arranged in rows and columns. 
     Methods for recovering hydrocarbon within a subterranean space can include transferring hydrocarbon from at least part of the earth surrounding the space to a plurality of conduit sections within the space. Methods for providing hydrocarbon storage within a subterranean space can also include providing a plurality of sections of conduit to within the space, configuring the conduit to be in fluid communication and form a system of a plurality of conduit sections, and/or providing hydrocarbon from the earth surrounding the space to within the system of conduit. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the disclosure are described below with reference to the following accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a depiction of a subterranean room housing a subterranean fluid storage assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is another depiction of another room housing another configuration of a subterranean storage assembly. 
         FIG. 3  is yet another configuration of a subterranean storage assembly. 
         FIG. 4  is a depiction of yet another configuration of the subterranean storage assembly. 
         FIG. 5  is another configuration of a subterranean storage assembly. 
         FIG. 6  is yet another configuration of a subterranean storage assembly. 
         FIG. 7  is yet another configuration of a subterranean storage assembly. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     This disclosure is submitted in furtherance of the constitutional purposes of the U.S. Patent Laws “to promote the progress of science and useful arts” (Article 1, Section  8 ). 
     The assemblies and methods of the present disclosure will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1-7 . Referring first to  FIG. 1 , subterranean room  10  can be located within earth  12  and may have access tunnel  14  connected thereto. Within room  10  can be storage assembly  16 , which can be in fluid communication with well head  18  entering earth  12 , for example. As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , sections of conduit  20  may be arranged separately for future incorporation into assembly  16  as desired. In accordance with example embodiments, sections  20  can be considered individual pipe segments, and these can be configured to run parallel relative to one another in some embodiments to provide close packing and configuration of assembly  16 . These sections or segments need not be connected at their respective ends and may be stubbed off at their ends and/or connected with T-like connectors that may be displaced from the sealed, stubbed off ends. These segments may be arranged horizontally and/or vertically as desired. 
     In horizontal arrangements, the inflow may be associated with a lower portion and/or upper portion as desired. In accordance with example implementations, as gravity provides fluid to the assembly, the fluid may rise from the lower portion of the assembly towards the upper portion of the assembly. 
     In some implementations, the assembly may be static. In other implementations, the system may include a pump in fluid communication with the well head with at least a portion of the assembly therebetween. The pump can be configured to facilitate the flow of fluid from the well head into the assembly. 
     According to example configurations, the assembly may be configured to contain as much as 50 to 120 barrels of fluid. In some implementations, greater than 50 barrels of fluid is desirable. Sections  20  can be greater than 6″ in diameter to less than 2′ in diameter, and the space in between these conduits within the assembly can be about 1.5 times the diameter or greater than 1.5 times the diameter of the sections. In accordance with example implementations, these assemblies can include cleanouts or catches that may be formed at bottom portions of the vertical members. Vertical members can connect horizontal members as well. 
     In accordance with example implementations, assembly  16  can include a plurality of conduit sections in fluid communication. At least some of the sections can be aligned in parallel along at least one axis of each section. As an example, sections  22  of assembly  16  are aligned in parallel along at least one axis of each section. In accordance with example implementations, section  24  may be lowest in elevational relation to the remaining sections of assembly  16 , for example, and this section may be connected with well head  18 . As can be seen, at least some of the sections of assembly  16  are cylindrical, in that they have the traditional pipe configuration. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , for example, system  12  can include a plurality of conduit sections arranged in rows and columns. As shown in  FIG. 2 , assemblies can be discrete yet in fluid communication with one another. As an example, subassemblies  32 ,  34 , and  36  can be arranged with spacing therebetween. Individual ones of these subassemblies may or may not have conduit sections arranged in rows or columns as shown. Referring to subassembly  32 , rows of conduits can include rows  32 A- 32 E, and columns of conduits can include  32 F and  32 G, for example. In accordance with example implementations, room  10  can include well head  18  and at least one of the sections of one of the subassemblies can be connected to well head  18 . In accordance with example implementations, the columns  32 F and  32 G may or may not be offset from one another and in elevational relationship and/or in at least one cross section. The columns and/or rows of these sections may be in fluid communication. As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , subassemblies  32 ,  34 , and  36  may be connected by additional sections  38  providing fluid communication between each. 
     Referring next to  FIG. 3 , system  12  can include a laddered plurality  40  of conduit sections in fluid communication. Again, the well head may be coupled to this configuration within a subterranean space at, for example, section  24 . The laddered plurality may include rung sections as well as rail sections. Rail sections  42  and  44  can be connected by rung sections  46 , for example. 
     In accordance with example implementations, rung sections  42  and/or  44  can include a monitoring system that may be utilized to determine the fluid level within the assembly. This monitoring system can take the form of a viewing level and may be at one or more points along rung  42  or  44 , for example. An upper ladder section may also include this monitoring system as well. The monitoring system may be a certain gas indicator and/or simply a fluid viewing portal, for example. 
     The monitoring system may be operationally coupled to a pump, and the pump may be configured to operate providing fluid to the assembly and/or ceasing fluid flow to the assembly. 
     In accordance with example configurations, the rail sections might also include cleanout portals  48 , which may be used to remove material from the assembly upon multiple uses and/or as desired. As can be seen, the rail sections can include monitoring systems  50 . System  12  may also include a pressure gauge associated therewith. In accordance with example implementations, system  12  can include a vent  52 , and the pressure gauge may be associated therewith. In accordance with example implementations, at least one of the rail sections may terminate in vent  52 . 
     Referring next to  FIG. 4 , a plurality of sections may be transferred to a subterranean space  10 , and these sections assembled to form assembly  16 .  FIG. 4  demonstrates at least two assemblies within room  10 , a portion of one assembly configured in one longitudinal direction, and a portion of another assembly configured in another longitudinal direction. As can be seen, these assemblies can include supports  60 . These supports can be utilized to support the conduit within room  10 , for example. 
     Referring next to  FIG. 5 , as can be seen, according to another embodiment, assembly  16  can be configured to be juxtaposed with individual subassemblies juxtaposed from one another, and allowing for compaction of the assemblies within one another. As can be seen in detail here, sections  20  can be substantially normal to sections  26 , for example. While some of these sections are aligned vertically in columns in one cross section, for example, sections  70  and  72 , other sections are aligned in rows in the same cross section such as sections  74  and  76 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , another embodiment of system  16  is shown demonstrating angled differences between sections of conduit within the same system. For example, section  80  terminating in ends  82  and  84  has a substantially non-parallel relation to section  90  terminating in ends  92  and  94 . According to example implementations, this relation can facilitate close packing of the sections. 
     Referring lastly to  FIG. 7 , yet another configuration of assembly  12  is shown that includes multiple rows  110 ,  112 ,  114 , and columns  120 ,  122 ,  124 , and/or ladders of rungs  110 ,  112 ,  114  and rails  120 ,  122 ,  124  of conduit arranged in substantially a racked assembly having multiple interconnections in between forming different subassemblies of the conduit, thereby providing more space for fluid to be stored in the assembly. 
     In compliance with the statute, embodiments of the invention have been described in language more or less specific as to structural and methodical features. It is to be understood, however, that the entire invention is not limited to the specific features and/or embodiments shown and/or described, since the disclosed embodiments comprise forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.