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This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of
information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as
Introduction
presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to The three main drivers for the selection of a cuttings collection
correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any
position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Papers presented at and transport system and re-injection package are regulations,
SPE meetings are subject to publication review by Editorial Committees of the Society of
Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper
logistics and cost.
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transportation of the waste. In some areas where legislations
are less stringent, transportation of generated waste to satellite
Abstract disposal sites (in land or offshore) is allowed. In highly
The development of new oilfield technologies to explore such sensitive areas in which zero discharge policies are strictly
remote areas as deep waters and environmentally sensitive enforced, all generated waste must be stored, treated and
locations brings with it increased emphasis on protecting the disposed in-situ. Because of such limitations, drilling
natural resources of the drilling area. Accordingly, many operations were often limited by the collection capacity and
regulatory agencies demanding zero discharge policies require ability of the CRI system to inject all waste concurrently. The
all generated wastes to be disposed in a responsible manner. new approach is to decouple the injection process from the
Such process requires the adequate management of wastes drilling operation, providing a totally independent cost-
generated during drilling operations including cuttings, excess effective process.
drilling fluid, contaminated rainwater, produced water, scale, For the logistics, the main limitations are determined by
produced sand, and even production and cleanup waste. Old rig configuration, availability of space, types of materials,
practices involve temporary box storage and hauling of the distance of the material transportation, and safety, which
waste products to a final disposal site. Often, these sites are ultimately translate into costs. Therefore, each operation
several kilometers away from the generation source, creating should be analyzed individually to determine compliance with
not only liabilities for the operating company but also local regulations, logistics and cost involved so proper
environmental risks such as accidental spills, gas emissions collection, transport and re-injection packages are tailored to
and eventually high operating costs. fulfill the specific needs of the project.
Over the years, waste management technologies have The best approach to provide the most reliable solution for
evolved to address environmental solutions in the most environmentally safe waste disposal has been identified as the
efficient and cost-effective processes. As such, Cutting Re- integration of cuttings collection and pneumatic transport
Injection (CRI) nowadays is considered top-of-the line system as part of the CRI package.
technology for the final disposal of drilling wastes through
sub-surface injection into an engineered-designated formation Cuttings Re-Injection
where wastes are permanently contained. Transporting the In general, CRI is a process wherein solids (cuttings) and
wastes to the final disposal well poses a challenge in large liquids (waste fluids) are gathered and conveyed to a series of
development fields, where the most cost-effective solution is components that classify, degrade, mix, and condition them
often to drill a dedicated injector and convey all produced into an stable and pumpable slurry. This slurry is then
wastes to the site. hydraulically injected into a subsurface formation that is
This paper addresses the success of integrating receptive and permanently isolated at a safe depth beneath a
methodologies for containing, handling, and transporting drill cap-rock to prevent propagation to the surface.
cuttings from several drill sites to a unique CRI well, where The main advantages of CRI are:
wastes are injected for final and responsible disposal. Case • No release to surface environment, providing full
histories of several sites around the world are presented as compliance with zero discharge policies.
they used different process configurations to achieve the • Reducing the logistical burden.
2 SPE 108912-PP
lower elevations as it is virtually impossible to move high Pneumatic Bulk Transfer and Storage System
liquid content upwards; or else, rig modifications to fit this Bulk Transfer and Storage System allow de-coupling of
requirement will be major and costly. One important aspect is the CRI injection process from the drilling operation providing
that cuttings are exposed during this type of transport, and better control over the slurry quality rather than being under
foreign materials can easily plug or jam the system. Also, it is command of the ROP. Solids and liquids can be transferred
very common that cuttings do not always fit containers with by a pneumatic system using positive air pressure and stored
100% efficiency. in tanks as shown in Figure 6. This system has a few
limitations and allows transportation for longer distances and
different heights, and adds an excellent contingency to
temporary handling during downtimes without affecting the
drilling program. By being a closed system, it can transport
wet or dry materials in a safer and efficient manner.
Coarse Tank
Once cuttings enter the slurry unit, they are mixed and
blended with water by circulating the cuttings in the Coarse
Tank using centrifugal degradation pumps. These pumps are
modified centrifugal pumps equipped with special shortened,
hard-faced impeller blades that increase the attrition in the
pumping chamber, accelerating the degradation of the solids to
quickly form slurry. The housing on the pumps also is
equipped with hardened steel to minimize erosion from the
sands. When the Coarse Tank is almost full, the modified
Centrifugal Pumps transfer the slurry to a classification
shaker.
• Removes fines that would otherwise take up valuable be able to handle and keep up with drilling operations when
mill volume, thus slowing the grinding process performed simultaneously.
• Eliminate fines before they are ground too fine, thus
consuming extra time and energy Data Acquisition and Monitoring System
Material not reduced to specified size by the centrifugal One of the key elements for ensuring safe and seamless
pumps will be further reduced by a grinder. Particles that do CRI operations is continuously monitoring injection
not meet the size specifications are transferred through the parameters with regular in-depth injection pressure analysis.
grinder then pumped back over the classification shaker. This Historical injection data from other CRI projects proves that
process is a complete close loop system with the sand, which even the most detailed and comprehensive geo-mechanical
greatly helps to minimize the extreme wear on the centrifugal model created during the initial design stage has to be
degradation pumps. The capability of a grinding system to validated and updated as injections progress.
perform its task effectively depends on the size reduction of Monitoring of injection parameters provide the best risk
the coarse material, and the removal fines from the circuit mitigation and management tool. This process starts with
detailed assessment of all of the injection parameters and
Fines Tank events recorded during injection on a daily basis. These
Particles that meet the required specifications fall through parameters include Injection rate, Injection Pressure, Injection
the screen and enter the Fines Tank where the quality control time, Shut-in time, and Fluid rheology.
and quality assurance process is verified. Conditioned slurry
is prepared by mixing the correct ratio of solids to liquids, and CRI Configurations
proper chemical treatment to assure homogeneity and stability. Endless possibilities for cuttings collection and transport
Once the CRI operator is satisfied that the slurry meets the during CRI are available. Some of the most popular will be
required criteria for re-injection the slurry is transferred to the described below.
Holding Tank, which is part of the Re-Injection package. Figure 9 and Figure 10 show some of the simplest
configurations using augers, one connected directly to the CRI
Re-Injection Package slurrification system, and the other filling cuttings boxes to be
Each Re-Injection Package is designed to fit the project transported to a different location.
needs and limitations, while tailoring slurry parameters, Figure 11, illustrates a combination of auger and vacuum
injection well, and required hardware for monitoring. Overall, transport systems, while Figure 12 shows a typical vacuum
the three main components of this package include: system for CRI operations.
1. Holding Tank When regulations permit, transport to shore or inter-field
2. Injection Pump can be achieved by using vacuum systems for skip and ship
3. Data Acquisition and Monitoring System transport as shown in Figure 13.
Figure 14 shows Pneumatic Bulk Transfer and Storage
Holding Tank System used for CRI operations. Notice that the number of
Holding Tanks receive slurry only from the Fines Tank via tanks required, will de different depending on the type of job,
the classification shaker. The classification shaker ensures all storage capacity required, and availability of rig space.
oversized material is discharged from the end of the shaker
and returned for further processing. An agitator in each tank Case 1
ensures the cuttings are kept dispersed and in suspension until Case 1 represents one of the few CRI dedicated platforms
the CRI operator determines the time for injection. At that in the world. In two and a half years of operation, nearly 1.3
stage, the slurry is transferred using the centrifugal pump on million Bbls of waste have been injected into this platform.
the CRI skid, to the HP Injection Pump low-pressure manifold For this massive job, cuttings are collected in boxes and
to the selected HP re-injection pump, then down hole and into transported by boat from dozen of neighbor offshore wells.
the chosen host formation. Once cuttings arrive to the dedicated CRI platform, cuttings
Holding tanks have a dual function, one is to store slurry are emptied by a hydraulic tipper that fills blower units for
batch for injection, and also in many cases these are used as a easier transport within the platform as shown in Figure 15. In
second quality control and quality assurance point. In the addition, 12 specially designed tanks are used for additional
event slurry is found out of specifications, it is possible to re- storage and improved transport capacity in the platform.
condition the slurry thanks to its design. The tank is Although hydraulic tippers have improved the overall
partitioned to include a higher volume of quality slurry and process, delays and equipment failure are often encountered
smaller volume for pill mix tank. The pill mix tank has a jet due to foreign material and trash dumped into the cutting
hopper located above it where a high viscous pill can be pre- boxes as illustrated in Figure 16and Figure 17.
made and introduced into the slurry as required to meet the
required slurry characteristics. Case 2
Case 2 is an example for an area with strict zero discharge
Injection Pump policies, by which no cuttings disposal overboard for water
The high pressure pump is designed to fit the base mud is allowed. Cuttings are collected in boxes through
characteristics of each job based on volumes, rates and a lifting crane to the supply vessel as shown in Figure 18.
pressures. It is important to specify proper injection pump to Even though regulations are fulfilled, the risks for spillage
and personnel injuries are imminent.
6 SPE 108912-PP
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank for their unconditional help and
support:
• Gary Woolsey: CRI Operations Manager Technical
Support, M-I SWACO.
• Jan Thore Eia: Cuttings Handling and Transportation
Business Development Manager, M-I SWACO.
• Slava Anokhin, Julio Ronderos, and Said Benelkadi:
GeoMechanics Engineers, CRI Sub-Surface, M-I
SWACO.
SPE 108912-PP 7
Figure 15. CRI Dedicated Platform
Figure 16. Cuttings Boxes with Trash Figure 17. Equipment Failure due to Trash
SPE 108912-PP 11
Figure 18. Lifting Crane for Cuttings Boxes Transport Figure 19. Specially Designed Tanks Installed on the Rig
Figure 20. Pneumatic Bulk Transfer from Rig to Boat Figure 21. Specially Designed Tanks in Boat