Method and System for Building Modular Structures from Which Oil and Gas Wells are Drilled

Abstract

A method and system for building modular platform structures from which oil and gas wells are drilled and maintained is disclosed, wherein a plurality of easily transportable, multifunctional platform modules are interconnected on-site to form a unitary platform structure. The interconnected platform modules are elevated above a ground surface on one or more legs coupled to at least one of the platform modules. The elevated, interconnected platform modules support both drilling and production operations in land-based, arctic, inaccessible, near-offshore and environmentally sensitive locations.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The instant application is a continuation of 11 / 366,188, filed Mar. 2, 2006, still pending, which is a continuation of 10 / 434,436, filed May 8, 2003, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 142,741, filed May 8, 2002, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,852 B2, to which application priority is hereby claimed.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to the field of oil and gas drilling and production. In a specific, non-limiting, embodiment, the invention comprises a method and system for building modular platform structures from which oil and gas wells are drilled and maintained in remote or environmentally sensitive locations while minimizing ground disturbance beneath the structures.DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART[0003]The drilling and maintenance of land oil and gas wells requires a designated area on which to dispose a drilling rig and associated support equipment. Drilling ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0024]In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the legs are removable from the ground when drilling is complete, so as to minimize ground disturbance around the drilling site. In other embodiments, the legs disassemble at a joint or fastening, etc., disposed near ground level, or in a still more preferred embodiment, beneath ground level, so that the only portion of a leg that remains when the site is evacuated is embedded in the ground and can later be covered over with cement, dirt, etc., as desired.

[0030]As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the appropriate arts, the transportable, modular platform sections disclosed herein can be connected into many shapes and sizes, and can be employed to form either an essentially unitary drilling structure or a number of smaller structures erected nearby and serviced in a hop-scotch fashion (or a combination of the two approaches), to create a movable series of land-based, semi-permanent structures that will improve the overall efficiency of drilling platforms disposed in remote or inaccessible locations, minimize the environmental impact of associated drilling and production operations, and which will later be removed without significantly disturbing the ground surface beneath the operation site(s). The multifunctional nature of the interconnectible modules encourages efficient equipment disposition between and amongst neighboring drilling sites, and reduces the impact of associated drilling operations on the environment.

Problems solved by technology

Some potential oil and gas exploration and development sites are constrained by special circumstances that make transportation of drilling equipment to the drilling site difficult or impossible.

In the case of swamps, muskegs, and tidal flats, the ground is generally too soft to support trucks and other heavy equipment.

Moreover, certain oil and gas drilling sites are disposed in environmentally sensitive regions, such that surface access by conventional transport vehicles can damage the terrain or affect wildlife breeding areas and / or migration paths.

Such environmental problems are particularly acute in, for example, arctic tundra and permafrost regions.

However, drilling in such regions presents substantial engineering and environmental challenges.

However, in the Alaskan North Slope, the tundra is closed to all traffic from May 15 to July 1 due to nesting birds.

From the foregoing, it is seen that there are several drawbacks associated with current arctic drilling technology.

Also, the ice roads can become contaminated with lube oil and grease, antifreeze, and rubber products.

In addition to the environmental impact, the economic costs associated with drilling in arctic regions are very high.

At the beginning of each drilling season, the roads and pads must all be rebuilt, and equipment must again be transported to and removed from the site, all at substantial financial and environmental cost.

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