Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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IMPACT PANELS
BACKGROUND
[00011 In many well related operations, a variety of devices and systems are
used
in performing oilfield services. Some applications utilize the devices and
systems in
simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) at a given well site. The well site may have
multiple
wellheads with various operations being performed simultaneously. For example,
well
stimulation operations can be performed concurrently with perforation
operations and
drilling operations.
[00021 The multiple wellheads at which simultaneous operations are performed
often are in close proximity to each other. Additionally, the simultaneous
operations can
be performed by several different service companies. Because of the concurrent
service
operations and the close proximity of wellheads, the simultaneous operations
potentially
can create hazards. For example, breakages, ruptures, or other failures at one
wellhead
can create detrimental effects at adjacent wellheads. Attempts have been made
to create
a barrier between operations by erecting panels of steel. However, such panels
are heavy,
difficult to move from one position or location to another, and the
installation of such
panels proves labor and time intensive.
SUMMARY
[00031 In general, the present invention provides a system and method for use
in
performing oilfield service operations. A safety shield is formed with a
portable stand
and at least one lightweight impact panel. The stand and the at least one
lightweight
impact panel enable easy movement of the safety shield from one well site
location to
another as needed during well service operations, e.g. during multiple
simultaneous
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operations. The safety shield can be used to provide protection during
individual
operations and/or to segregate and protect independent operations from each
other.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method for using a safety
shield while performing oilfield service operations, comprising: providing a
safety
shield comprising a fabricated stand and at least one impact panel comprising
a
material substantially lighter than steel; positioning the safety shield at a
first location
at a wellsite without covering a well of the wellsite, the first location
comprising a
position between a first operation and a second operation therefore
segregating a
first group of workers for the first operation from a second group of workers
for the
second operation; and moving the safety shield to a second location at the
wellsite
without covering a well of the wellsite, the second location comprising a
position
between a third operation and at least one of a first operation and a second
operation
therefore segregating a third group of workers for the third operation from at
least one
of the first group of workers and the second group of workers.
A further aspect of the invention provides a method, comprising:
forming a plurality of impact panels comprising a material substantially
lighter than
steel; mounting the plurality of impact panels to a portable stand with at
least one
quick connect fastener, the panels and stand able to be hand carried;
positioning the
portable stand and the impact panels at a well site adjacent a well undergoing
an
operation comprising an operation selected from the operations consisting of:
a
drilling operation, a well stimulation operation, a fracturing operation, and
a
perforating operation; and orienting the impact panels to segregate a first
group of
workers conducting the operation from a second group of workers in the area
without
covering the well.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Certain embodiments of the invention will hereafter be described with
reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote
like
elements, and:
[0005] Figure 1 is a perspective front view of one example of a safety shield
having a plurality of lightweight impact panels, according to an embodiment of
the
present invention;
[0006] Figure 2 is a back view of the safety shield, according to an
embodiment
of the present invention;
[0007] Figure 3 is an overhead schematic view of a well site undergoing
simultaneous operations with a safety shield deployed in one example
configuration,
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0008] Figure 4 is an overhead schematic view of a well site undergoing
simultaneous operations with a safety shield deployed in another example
configuration,
according to another embodiment of the present invention; and
[0009] Figure 5 is an overhead schematic view of a well site undergoing
simultaneous operations with a safety shield deployed in another example
configuration;
according to another embodiment of the present invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00101 In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide
an
understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by
those of
ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without
these details
and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments
may be
possible.
[00111 The present invention generally relates to a lightweight portable
safety
shield useful in oilfield service operations and very well suited for
simultaneous
operations. The safety shield comprises a portable stand, such as a fabricated
stand, fitted
with one or more impact panels. The impact panels are made of a lightweight
material
that is easy to move. In one embodiment, the lightweight impact panels can be
hand
carried to facilitate quick and easy movement of the safety shield from one
well site
location to another. Depending on the size of the safety shield, the impact
panels can be
moved while joined with the portable stand or separated from the portable
stand.
[00121 The lightweight nature of the portable safety shield enables rapid and
inexpensive set up and tear down to facilitate deployment and movement of the
portable
shield from one location to another. By way of example, the lightweight panels
can be
constructed from a non-metallic material that is substantially lighter than
steel. In one
embodiment, the lightweight panels are constructed from a Kevlar material,
such as a
sheeted Kevlar material.
[00131 The lightweight portable safety shield provides short-term impact
protection at the well site to provide well site workers with enough time to
get out of
harms way in the event of a problem at one of the wells. The safety shield can
be used
for an individual operation, e.g. a maintenance operation, or it can be used
in a
simultaneous operations field to segregate and protect the independent
operations from
each other.
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[0014] Referring generally to Figure 1, one embodiment of a lightweight,
portable
safety shield 20 is illustrated. In this embodiment, shield 20 comprises a
stand or
framework 22, such as a fabricated stand. One or more lightweight impact
panels 24 are
mounted to the stand 22. The impact panels 24 can be mounted to stand 22 via a
plurality
of fasteners 26 which may take a variety of forms depending on the
construction of stand
22 and impact panels 24. For example, fasteners 26 may comprise hooks, pins
and
corresponding recesses, bolts, and other suitable fasteners. The fasteners 26
can be
selected to enable quick connection and disconnection of the impact panels 24
and stand
22 to further facilitate movement, transport, and/or storage.
[0015] Additionally, stand 22 can be constructed in sections 28 to enable
selective
changing or adjustment of the stand configuration and the relative orientation
of the
lightweight impact panels 24 to accommodate a variety of wellhead and space
constraints. The individual sections 28 can be connected together by
appropriate
connectors 30. By way of example, connectors 30 may comprise hinges that
enable the
sections 28 of stand 22 to be pivoted relative to one another. A variety of
securing
devices 32, such as bolts, pins, or other fasteners, also can be used to
secure stand 22 to a
desired surface 34, such as a surface of the earth or a platform.
[0016] The stand 22 can be fabricated in a variety of sizes and configurations
depending on the environment and applications in which it is used to provide
protection.
As illustrated in Figure 2, for example, the stand 22 can be fabricated with a
variety of
vertical elements or legs 36 that are connected by transverse structural
members 38. The
transverse structural members 38 may be arranged horizontally or at other
angles selected
to achieve a desired structural strength.
[0017] In Figure 3, one embodiment of a well site at which safety shield 20
can
be implemented is illustrated. In this embodiment, the safety shield 20 is
deployed at a
simultaneous operations field 40. By way of example, field 40 has multiple
wellheads
42, 44, 46, 48, 50 at which various well related operations are being
performed
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concurrently. For example, a well stimulation operation, e.g. a fracturing
operation, can
be conducted at wellhead 42 while wellhead 44 is in production. Additionally,
a
perforating operation can be performed at wellhead 46, and a drilling
operation can be
conducted from a drilling platform 52 at wellhead 50.
[00181 In this particular example, one embodiment of safety shield 20 is
deployed
in proximity to wellhead 42 where well stimulation operations are being
performed.
Safety shield 20 is deployed in a configuration that segregates wellhead 42
from the
adjacent wellheads 44, 46, 48, 50 and provides protection for any
workers/personnel that
are active by these other wellheads. In the event of a problem, such as a
failure in
treating lines at wellhead 42, safety shield 20 protects the surrounding area
from
potentially impacting materials.
[00191 It should be noted that the simultaneous operations field 40 is
provided as
one example. The number of wellheads, placement of the wellheads, type of
operations,
actual services being conducted simultaneously, and other well related factors
can vary
from one application to another. Additionally, the configuration and the size
of safety
shield 20 can vary according to environment, topography, wellhead and
operations being
conducted. Additional safety shields 20 also can be deployed around other
wellheads, or
the sequence of service operations can be selected to accommodate movement of
one or
more safety shields 20.
[00201 Also, the geometry, orientation and number of safety shield sections 28
can be changed according to the environment, operations being performed, and
orientation of the wellheads at a particular well site. As illustrated in
Figure 4, for
example, safety shield 20 can be installed around an entire wellhead, such as
wellhead
42. In the illustrated embodiment, safety shield 20 establishes a
circumference around
the wellhead undergoing fracturing operations. The safety shield also can be
used to
create a circumference around wellhead 46 undergoing perforation operations or
around
other wellheads as suited for a given application. In the embodiment
illustrated in Figure
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4, safety shield 20 comprises four sections 28, however other numbers of
sections can be
utilized to create the circumference or other shield configuration.
[0021] The use of safety shield 20 is not limited to simultaneous operations.
As
illustrated in Figure 5, for example, an embodiment of safety shield 20 is
deployed in an
individual oilfield service operation. In the example illustrated, safety
shield 20 is used
in a well stimulation operation at a well stimulation site 54. The equipment
used at site
54 can vary from one service application to another. In this example, however,
the well
stimulation site may utilize frac tanks 56, a PCM (precision continuous mixer)
58, a
blender 60, a chemical tank or hopper 62, a sand tank or hopper 64, and
multiple frac
pumps 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76. The frac pumps are connected with high-pressure
treating
iron 78.
[0022] The safety shield 20 can be set up and/or moved quickly and easily to
provide desired protection at a variety of locations throughout well
stimulation site 54.
If, for example, one of the frac pumps requires maintenance during the well
stimulation
operation, personnel generally service the subject frac pump, e.g. frac pump
70, while
well stimulation operations continue. The safety shield 20 provides impact
protection for
the personnel working on frac pump 70 by segregating them from the neighboring
treating iron 78 and the surrounding frac pumps. The safety shield 20 provides
protection
that gives workers time to move away from potential harm. Additionally, the
safety
shield 20 is easy to move from one location to another to accommodate, for
example,
maintenance of other frac pumps. In many applications, the lightweight impact
panels 24
and stand 22 enable the safety shield 20 or safety shield components to be
hand carried
from one location to another. This portability and ease of setup/tear down
greatly
reduces the cost and improves the efficiency of providing a safety shield at
desired
locations throughout a given well site.
[0023] One or more safety shields 20 can be deployed in a variety of
configurations for use at many types of well sites. The actual size and
configuration of
each safety shield can be selected according to the parameters of a given well
site
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environment or well site application. The one or more safety shields also can
be
integrated with individual or simultaneous operations and can be used in
cooperation with
many types of well equipment.
[0024] Accordingly, although only a few embodiments of the present invention
have been described in detail above, those of ordinary skill in the art will
readily
appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing
from the
teachings of this invention. Such modifications are intended to be included
within the
scope of this invention as defined in the claims.
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