Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CONTAINING SKIRT rOR
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RILLING F'LUID
The present inven-tion relates -to a con-tainmen-t skir-t
for use during well drilling or prod-uction operation.
More particularly, the present invention rela-tes to a
Elexible structure adap-ted to be wrapped around a well tool or
pipe line connection and which prevents splattering and/or loss
of well drilling fluid or mud during loosening of the connection.
Use of the wrapping skirt of -the invention also assis-ts in keep-
ing the well site clean, increasing worker efficiency and reduc-
ing the possibility of acciden-t and injury.
The use of well drilling fluid or mud or water during
drilling operations is used -to increase the life of the drilling
components and to flush the bore hole of crushed rock chips, sand,
and the like. It is frequently necessary to connect and cliscon-
nect various drill tools and ~rill pipe lengths and as -the drill-
ing fluid or mud is often present under pressure within -these com-
ponents, each loosening or disconne~-tion of the various components
can result in a spla-ttering and/or loss of the drilli.ng mud and
this is to be avoided i.E possible because of cost. ~nother :factor
is that splattering of drillincJ fluid aro~nd a dr:ill site makes the
area very slippery and -this increases worker accident and in~ury
while at the same time lowering worker production. It is common
practice to clean around a well site by using water but this
procedure has a double disadvan-tage - it requires worker time,
and in freezing conditions, a layer of ice builds up on the dri].l-
ing platform making it even more difficult for the workers to eff-
iciently perform their job. The presence of ice requires the ap-
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pl ication of sawdust or o-ther fric-tion .increasiny material and
~his increases cost and requires further worker eE~ort.
DESCRIPI'ION OF PRIOR ART
Present attempts to avoid this splat-tering and/or
loss of drilling fluid involves the use of so-called "mud cans"
which are of solid metal construction which are placed around the
pipe joint and which function to minimize splattering and loss of
the relatively expensive drilling mud. A disadvantage of mud cans,
however, is that they are large and heavy and cumbersome and the
positioning and removal of these mud cans from around the pipe
lengths is a time-consuming and strenuous job and when the mud cans
are not required, they clutter up the drilling platform.
P~a~ .
The present invention avoids the difficulties inherent
in the prior art devices by providing a flexible wrapping skirt which
is lightweight in construction and which can easi.ly be handled by
one or at most two men (depending upon the pressures involved)
and which may be kept readily at hand for use.
The skirt wrapping according to the present inven-tion is
preferably rnoldec1 of suitably .re.inforc~d rubber or p:Lastic compo5-
itions which are durable in use and WhiCtl .retain their f:Lexibili-ty
during freezing conditions.
The device of the invention has a flexible body portion
which is provided on its outer surface with two handles which fac-
ilitate positioning of the structure around a pipe tool joint.
When drilling fluid pressure within the drill line is minimal
-the device can simply be held in positi.on by one worker duriny loos-
ening and removal of the connection, but when greater pressures
are involved one embodiment of -the present device includes suit-
able locking means to securely position the wrapping around the
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pipe connectiorl before the joint is loosenecl and separated. Thispositioning can quite easily be accomplishe~ in a minimum o -time
by two workers, one worker by simpl~ using the handles provided
b~ holding the wrapping in position an~ thei other worker securing
-the locking means.
In one embodiment, the device is provided around the
upper portion of its inner surEace with pipe contacting sealing
means to pre~ent passage of pressurized drilliny mud upwardly
between the wrapping and the pipe connection. This corltacting and
sealing means will be positioned around the connection above the
joint, and the downward skirting provided on the device will then
direct drilling fluid or mud issuing from the joint downwardly
-through the slip and flow nipples around the bore hole and thus
back into the bore hole. This alone results in a saving of expen-
sive drilling fluid or mud.
In the embodiment discussed above, channels or grooves
are molded into the skirt enabling the drilling fll]id or mud under
pressure to pass downwardly into the clrill hole.
In a further embodiment of the invention, pipe contact-
ing and sealing means are provided on the inner sureace of the skirtin both the top and bo-ttom portions so -that sealincJ of -the skirt-
ing around the connection occurs both above ancl helow the connec-
tion joint. In this embodimen-t, tubing extends cen-trally from the
skirt to convey drilling fluid or mud to suitable storage and/or
reuse.
Vertical edges of the skirt wrapping may be provided
with surfaces in the form of ribs and grooves or the like which
when the skirt is wrapped around the drilling string, provide for
further secure closure of the skirt around the connec-tion.
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Oi::~JECTS OF THE PR:ESENT INVENTI(:)N
The principle object of the present invention is to
provide a drilling fluid skir-t for use during well clrilling and
production and which consists of a flexible skirt body portion
adapted to be wrapped around a pipe eonneetion to eontained pres-
surized spray of drilling fluid or mud during loosening OL the
connection and whic.h is durable and of li.ght weight while provid-
ing ease of use and convenience of storage.
A further more speci.fic object of the invention is to
provide a drilling fluid skirt for well drilling use, and which
is wrapped around a drill pipe or well tool connection having
upper and lower connecting parts prior to loosening of the conneet-
ing parts to contain pressured spray of drilling fluid, mud or
wa-ter and minimize loss thereof.
The skirt comprises a flexible body portion of length
greater than the circumference of -the conneetion a~out which it
is adapted to be wrapped -to cover adjacen-t portions of the con-
necting parts.
The skirt has an outer surface and handles provided
on the outer suxface to faciLi-tate posi-tioning, -the skirt having
an inner surfaee with at leas-t the upper po:rtion oE the inner
surface being provided with sealing means for contact with Lhe
upper connecting part to prevent passage of drill.ing fluid or
mud or water therebetween, and discharge means for discharging
drilling fluid or mud or water from within the skir-t.
In one embodiment the ski.rt is provided with upper and
:Lower sealing means and a central discharge opening with associated
connections and tubing to convey drilling fluid or mud to storage
and/or re-use.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
. . .
The presen-t inven-tion will now be defin~d in greater
detail with reference -to the accompanying drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspec-tive view showing the par-tial
positioning of the present wrapping skirt around a pipe
joint;
Figure 2 is a side view of the outer surface of
the present skirt;
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line
III~III of Figure 2,
Figure 4 is a side view of -the inner surface of
the present invention;
Figure 5 is a sec-tional view taken along line
V-V of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a view of one end of the structure as
shown in Figure 2;
Figure 7 is a side view of a fur-ther embodiment
of the present invention showing -the oute:r surface of the
skirt;
20Figure 8 is a side view o:E the inner surface of
the embodiment as shown in Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the embodiment
shown in Figure 7;
Figure 10 is a view of one end of the embodiment shown
05~
in Figure 7;
Figure 11 illustrates in perspective view a further
embodiment of the present invention partially positioned around
a dril:L pipe joint;
Figure 12 is a side view o~ the outer surface of the
embodiment as illustrated in Figure 11; and
Figure 13 is a partially sectioned view showing the pre-
sent skirt in position around a drill stem connection and in accord-
ance with the embodiment as shown in Figure 11.
1 l) DETAILED DISCUSSION OF DRAWINGS
Reference will now ~e had to the accompanying drawings
in detail, and wherein like re~erence numerals re~er to like parts.
The present invention is shown in Figure 1 by the num-
eral 2 where it i.s partially wrapped around a drill pipe connec-
tion consisting of upper 4 and lower 6 component parts. The upper
and lower parts 4 and 6 may be drill pipe or drill pipe/pipe tool
connections which as understood are threadedly secured together.
Figure 1 clearly shows the positioning oE the presen-t skirt arouncl
the connection so that the joint 8 between the component parts 4
and 6 is covered by the skirting.
As will clearl.y be understood from accompanying Figures
2 through 6, the wrapping skirt 2 has a generally rectangular con-
figuration having outer (Figure 2) and inner (~igure 4) surfaces,
the outer surface being provided with handles 10 and 12 to facil-
itate positioning of the structure around the pipe joint. The
handles 10 and 12 may conveniently be of metallic cons-truction
such as wire rope having a covering of vulcanized rubber or the
like and the skirt itself is preferably of molded reinforced con-
struction.
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After the skirt is wrapped around the pipe joint as
shown in Fiyur~ 1, it may be secured in position by sui-table lock-
ing means as shown in Figures 2 and 3. In the specific embodiment
shown in these Figures, the locking means consists of a pivotally
mounted locking arm 14 which is adapted to be received in any of a
number of receiving holes provided in me-tallic band 16, the actual
hole which will be selected will of course be dependent upon the
diameter of the pipe connection about which the skirt is positioned.
However, it will be appreciated that various types of locking ar-
rangements could conveniently be used.
In the embodiments according to Figures 2 through 6, theupper portion of the skirt 2 has a molded protruding portion 18
aclapted to contact pipe part 4 during wrapping of the skirt to
provide for a positive sealing connection. A slight variation
of this molded protruding portion is shown in Figures 4 and 5 by
numeral 20 but the purposes of portions 18 and 20 are the same.
To permit for the downward escape of pressurized drill-
ing fluid or mud the inner surface o~ the skirt is provided with
a number o-f vertical grooves or channels shown by ~umeral 22 ancl it
will be appreciated that when the skirt is wrapped around the
pipe connection that any fluid or mud issuiny from the joint will
pass downwardly within the skirt to disch~rge back into the well
bore.
Sealing means may also be provided along the vertical
edges of the skirt so that these edges provide sealed mating when
the skirt is positioned around the pipe connection. With reference
to Figures 2 and 3, the outer surface of the skirt body may be
provided with vertical ribs 24 which upon wrapping become engaged
in groove 26 provided on the inner surface of the skir-t adjacen-t
the other vertical edge.
S~
In the embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5, this ver~
tical sealing arranyement may be accomplished by the p.rovision o~
sharpened ridges 28 adapted to meet with corresponding grooves 30
as shown clearly in Figure 5.
The embodiment as illustrated in Figures 7 through 10
inclusive is generally similar to the embodiment discussed above,
but the upper sealing means in this embodimen-t differs somewhat
from the sealing means discussed earlier. More specifically, the
inner surface of the body portion 2 has a molded inwardly extending
protrusion portion 32 which, when the skir-t is wrapped around the
pipe is in sealing contact with the pipe connection. The outer
surface of the skirt may then be provided with a molded indentation
34 to receive the end 36 of the protrusion 32 when the skirt is
wrapped around the pipe connection to ensure a positive seal.
Although not specifically shown in Figures 7 through 10, suitable
vertical sealing means such as 24, 26, 28, and 30, as shown in
Figures 2 through 5 may conveniently be provided.
The embodimen-ts as discussed above with reference to
Figures 2 through 10 inclusive all show -the use of the present skirt
to direct a dri:Lling fluicl o:r mud downwarclly so that i-t :is direc-ted
back into the drill hole.
Accompanying Figures 11 through'l3 show an embodiment
of the invention wherein upper and lower seals are provided so
that the drill. mud or fluid issuing from the connection is conveyed
back -to storage and reuse.
The skirt as shown in Figu.re 11 is similar to the ar-
rangement discussed earlier but in this embodiment a nipple 40 is
centrally provided in the skirt body and suitable tubing connec-tion
42 and 44 convey drilling fluid to storage and/or re-use.
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In -the embodiment as shown in E~'igures 11 and 12, seal-
ing means are ~rovided cllong the upper and lower edges of -the skirt
body. As shown in ~iguxe 12 r upper and lower protrusion por-tions
32 similar to -the arrangement shown in Figures 7 to lO may be
used. Alternatively, and as shown in Figure 13, rubber seals 48
may be molding integrally with the skirt body on the inner sur-
face of the skirt and which contact and seal against the pipe
portions upon wrapping of the skirt in position.
A lower anti-life flange 50 may be provided a distance
along the lower edge of the skirt body to assist in holding the
skirt in position.
The vertical edge 52 of the skirt 2 may be bevelled
as shown in Figure 12; and as shown in Figure 13 an elbow 46
may be p.rovided on nipple 40 to direct drilling fluid downwardly.
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