WO2001042619A1

WO2001042619A1 - Apparatus and method for transferring oil and gas well drill cuttings

Info

Publication number: WO2001042619A1
Application number: PCT/GB1999/004097
Authority: WO
Inventors: Glynn Hollier; Jeffrey Reddoch
Original assignee: Apollo Services Uk Ltd.
Priority date: 1999-12-10
Filing date: 1999-12-10
Publication date: 2001-06-14
Also published as: AU1666500A

Abstract

An improved method for moving drill cuttings from point to point on a drill site utilising a vacuum system (26), a progressive cavity pump (14) and a system of conduits to selectively discharge the drill cutting in a slurry to remote containers (20, 24) and cuttings processing systems including re-injection systems and de-fluidising system (18). Improved methods are also included for extracting drill cutting slurry from the drill site cutting trough (12) by gravity feed and vacuum pump.

Description

Apparatus and Method for transferring oil and gas well drill cuttings

This invention relates generally to handling of waste materials especially particulate solids. A method of transferring such materials form one location to another, and apparatus suitable for performing the method, are described hereinafter. The invention finds particular utility in the oil and gas industry for disposal of well or drill cuttings (hereinafter "cuttings") discharged from the solids control system on a well drilling site.

Cuttings are typically pieces of rock which have been chipped, ground or scraped out of a formation by a drill bit. Various types of drill or cutting tool are in use for this purpose and the invention hereinafter described is not limited to use of any particular type. Therefore, it will be understood that the invention is concerned only with the after-treatment of the materials removed during the exploration for deposits, and winning of target materials from a geological formation. The invention will be described hereinafter with reference to current practice in the oil and gas industry on off-shore drilling installations.

The drilling operation is conducted several hundred meters below the operation control point which means that performance of the drill bit is critical to the operation. The effectiveness of the drill bit during a drilling operation relies upon the continual removal of cuttings, otherwise the drill would rapidly foul up due to accumulation of cuttings. Therefore, the cuttings are normally removed by delivery of a drilling fluid (often referred to as "drilling mud") down to and around the drill bit in a recirculated manner by use of the drill string and annulus casing well established m the industry. Recovery of the drilling fluids containing the entrained cuttings presents the need to separate the cuttings and recover the drilling fluid for recycling to the drill bit. It will be understood that the drilling fluid itself is an expensive multifunction product with a variety of roles to play m the drilling operation. Therefore, its recovery m a relatively unconta inated and re-usable form is highly desirable.

Accordingly the cuttings are commonly separated from the drilling fluid by devices such as a shale shaker, which captures cuttings and large solids from the drilling fluid during the circulation thereof. Basically, such a device has a sloping, close mesh, screen over which fluid returning from the hole being drilled passes. The screen may be typically of from 200 X 200 down to 30 X 30 mesh and is vibrated to facilitate separation of the majority of fluids from the solids. The solids captured on the screen travel down the sloping surface to be collected m the shaker ditch or cuttings trough. It is also desirable to recover as much of the expensive drilling fluids as possible. Therefore, other devices which play a role in the separation of solids from drilling fluids include cyclcne separators, and centrifuges. The cuttings discharged from me shakers, cyclones and centrifuges collected in the snaker ditch or cuttings trough are still highly contaminated with the drilling fluids and therefore form a slurry or heavy sludge. The slurry or sludge is very difficult to move or otherwise transfer m any conventional manner.

In some cases the cuttings slurry may be discharged directly into a cuttings box .vnere space permits or vacuum collected, which under current practice means that the cuttings are sucked from the cuttings ditch or trough, by an applied vacuum, directly into a cuttings box for transport to an approved disposal site for reclamation as suggested in GB-A-2 286 615. However, in some cases in order to facilitate removal of the cuttings, a collection hopper may be used which allows a particular ground clearance typically of about four meters whereby the cuttings are discharged from the hopper by free-fall into open cuttings containers.

It is also proposed there to include another trough for intermediate collection of cuttings. A screw conveyor for lateral displacement of cuttings from beneath the intermediate trough is described. The screw conveyor pushes the cuttings which fall into it from the trough towards a discharge trap door which opens under the weight of the cuttings to periodically allow the cuttings to fall into the holding tank.

The intermediate trough described there remains under the influence of the suction pump to continue delivery of recovered fluid to a recycle system, whilst the screw conveyor below the trough shifts cuttings towards the trap door.

In a more recent operational system a vacuum cuttings hopper is provided including a helical screw therein on a vertically arranged shaft driven by an overhead motor which assists the delivery of the solids to the free-fall outlet for collection below the hopper. The cuttings are further subjected to compression by the helical screw prior to discharge thus extracting and recovering a substantial amount of the remaining fluids in the slurry. The extracted fluid is then withdrawn through a perforated casing around the screw under the action of a pump.

The problems associated with cuttings handling for disposal are familiar to all workers on a drilling installation and include the need for the presence of several storage containers to handle the volumes of cuttings produced and the time demands upon the installation's crane devoted to the shifting of a filled container to substitute an empty container close to the shaker station. This container

"shuttling" routine is not only absorbing useful operational time for the crane but presents additional physical hazards to workers involved in other tasks in close proximity to the cuttings containers. Furthermore, the cuttings recovery eguipment and the containers themselves are usually accessed by workers scaling ladders, or scaffolding or the like, staging up to heights often approaching five or six meters or thereabouts in order to open container lids or service the cuttings handling equipment. Of necessity, the containers themselves must be sited close to the cuttings shaker station and be accessible by the crane. These factors have an impact on use of deck space, personnel mobility, and other task completion operations around the deck.

Further, the filling and relocation of cuttings containers is dictated by the volume of cuttings being produced by the drilling operation in any given period of time. Therefore, it is essential that the cuttings handling apparatus and its methods of operation be capable of handling the volumes required to maintain production.

An object of the present invention is to provide improvements in cuttings handling for disposal. A further object fulfilled by aspects of the invention to be described hereinafter is to provide a cuttings recovery system of more compact or efficient design. A still further object is to provide a more flexible disposal method allowing the operator greater degree of freedom in the options for handling the cuttings prior to disposal.

Generally the invention seeks to provide a system and method for handling of cuttings which offers an improved alternative to current handling systems.

The invention according to a first aspect, provides a method for handling of cuttings, which method comprises providing a system utilising a screw pump to remove the cuttings from the cuttings trough and disperse them through a piping system to various disposal points.

The invention according to another aspect, provides a method for handling of cuttings, which method comprises providing a vessel adapted to sustain a reduced internal pressure with respect to external ambient atmospheric pressure, and external pumping means, said vessel and pumping means being operationally connected by means including a conduit, collecting cuttings from a drilling fluid/cuttings separation device in said vessel, removing cuttings from said vessel by means of said pumping means through said conduit whilst maintaining a reduced pressure, and selectively delivering removed cuttings by means of pumping to at least one of a variety of disposal points including a cuttings re- injection apparatus, removable transportable cuttings containers including a barge or the like for shipping to a remote disposal site. According to another aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for handling of cuttings, comprising a vessel adapted to sustain a reduced internal pressure with respect to external ambient atmospheric pressure, and further provide a means for extracting fluids, the apparatus also having operationally connected thereto, external pumping means capable of maintaining the reduced internal pressure and removing the separated fluids while discharging the cuttings to a variety of storage containers or to a cuttings re-injection apparatus.

Significantly, according to the invention, the proposed use of the pumping means for not only initially collecting the cuttings under vacuum, but also removing cuttings under reduced pressure or "vacuum" conditions, and utilising the pumping means to selectively convey the cuttings onwards via dedicated conduits to a cuttings storage container, or directly into a cuttings re-injection facility, offers several significant advantages.

Firstly, the demands on the crane are reduced because the cuttings containers do not need to be continually cycled around for filling and emptying operations. The containers can be stowed or sited in convenient locations without taking account of the shaker station position other than to ensure that suitable vacuum conduit lines are available or provided to feed the cuttings directly into the containers. The crane then becomes essentially free to fulfil other essential tasks such as handling drill pipe etc. The freedom to locate containers anywhere that a cuttings vacuum transport line can be installed and accessed immediately also provides greater freedom on the deck for operator movement, and greater flexibility in utilisation of deck space around the shaker station and elsewhere.

Secondly it offers the possibility of directly off- loading cuttings to a barge or bulk transport ship standing on station close to the drilling facility.

Thirdly, health and safety aspects are enhanced due to reduced contact between workers and the cuttings, who need longer clamber over the cuttings containers to access them thereby reducing contamination hazards and risks of personal injury by falls. The conduit network may be a fixed installation or arranged so as to permit re-deployment of a selected or each conduit at will. The conduits are designed sufficiently to permit transfer of the particulate solids constituting the cuttings and avoid blockages, and pump overloading but are also sized to avoid loss of vacuum transfer velocity.

It will be understood that the pumping means referred to herein in relation to the various aspects of the invention may consist of one or more pumps having the necessary functions of generating a pressure differential to move cuttings in the desired way and combinations of pumps can be adopted.

Preferably, the pumping means comprises, at least, (i) gas pumping means e.g. a vacuum generating unit capable of creating the desired pressure reduction in the vessel and (ii) a solids displacement means, which may be one of several types suitable to the purpose, including positive displacement pumps, e.g. a piston pump, or paddle devices e.g. using rubber paddles, or a progressive cavity pump capable of continuous displacement of solids, preferably at about twenty five tons per hour or more. Advantageously, location of the pumping means external to the vessel is such that solids displacement is so primarily lateral rather than vertical as required for the known solids free-fall under gravity system, which reduces height requirements. The vessel can then be installed at ground (deck) level with no height elevation requirements which improves safety for operatives.

In this way equipment provided in accordance with the invention can exhibit a relatively low profile compared with prior art systems and is more easily installed and maintained by operatives with less risk of injury due to falls. Furthermore in contrast with the prior art operational system described above where the vertically arranged helical screw is within the cuttings hopper itself, the pressure vessel arrangement described herein is less complicated in structure and provides for easier care and maintenance operations.

Overall, the system proposed herein results in more efficient use of space in the installation, and reduces hazards associated with earlier systems.

The vessel and pumping means described herein are operationally connected so as to maintain a reduced pressure or vacuum within the system, which may be achievable by fastening arrangements satisfying usual industry pressure vessel standards, including flanged connections and dedicated hard conduits of adequate strength. The reduced pressure can be maintained by a pump of a suitable type known in the industry or custom built for this system. It will be understood that primarily the invention addresses solids handling, and the precise nature of the vacuum unit or gas pump is not critical. The arrangement of the invention is such that the pumped cuttings can either be directed from the reduced pressure vessel into appropriate storage facilities such as containers or directly into a cuttings re-injection device enabling the cuttings to be returned to the drilled formation. Furthermore the cuttings can be "piped" off the installation into a barge or similar bulk cargo transporter.

Cuttings re-injection under high pressure back into an earth formation is described in principle in US 4,942,929, US 5,129,469, and US 5,109,933, and treatment of drill cuttings is discussed in the following US 4,595,422, US 5,129,468, US 5,361,998 and US 5,303,786. However, these early proposals have not been easy to implement in the field for those lacking the appropriate skill and understanding, and this has resulted in cuttings re-injection not gaining wide acceptance amongst operators, especially in offshore drilling installations in the North Sea.

The present invention arises from developments following on from proven re-injection techniques successfully employed by APOLLO Inc. in offshore drilling operations.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration arrangement for the preferred embodiment of the materials handling system; Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration arrangement for an alternate embodiment of the preferred system; Fig. 3 is a schematic illustration arrangement for an alternate vacuum system; Fig. 4 is a schematic arrangement and an optional discharge receptacle for the system shown in Fig. 3 system ; Fig. 5 is a schematic arrangement and an optional discharge receptacle for the system shown in Fig. 3 system; Fig. 6 is a cutaway side elevation of a low profile reduced pressure vessel and associated pumping means in accordance with the invention; Fig. 7 is side elevation of a low profile reduced pressure vessel and associated pumping means in accordance with the invention: Fig.- 8 is a schematic arrangement for the system shown in

Fig. 2 adding an optional surge tank. Fig. 9 is a schematic arrangement for the system shown in

Fig. 1 with addition of an optional surge tank and pump combination; Fig. 10 is a schematic arrangement for the system shown in

Fig. 5 with separator discharging into a surge tank. Fig. 11 is a top view of the surge tank; and Fig. 12 is a cross section view of the surge tank.

Specific Description

As shown in Fig. 1, the preferred embodiment of the invention is a system by which cuttings leaving the shaker 10 may be collected from the cuttings trough 12 by gravity feed into a progressive cavity pump 14 and then pumped through a system of conduits to one or more of the possible disposal points located around the drilling site or platform. Such disposal points may selected by opening valves 16 as needed to disperse the cuttings to a cuttings/fluid separator 18, a barge 20 a cuttings container 22 or other transport means such as a truck 24 for further disposition.

De-fluidised cuttings discharged from the separator 18 maybe collected in various containers such as a cuttings box 22 seen in Fig. 3, a truck 24 as seen in Fig. 5 or into a slurry processing unit 26 for injection into the earth formation around the well as also seen in Fig 1.

By adding a vacuum pump unit 28 and vacuum chamber 30 as seen in Fig. 2 to the pump 14 and its associated system shown in Fig. 1 the system is then capable of extracting the cuttings from the cuttings trough by vacuuming them directly into the chamber 30 which serves as a hopper for feeding the cuttings to the pump 14. As discussed herein this arrangement is useful when space under the cutting trough is insufficient to accommodate the pump 14. Since the cuttings are still in a slurry they can be pumped to the various discharge points. However, once the fluids have been extracted by the separator 18 it is much more difficult to move the materials without adding more fluid. Therefore, the de-fluidised cuttings are discharged from the separator 18 directly to the containers 22,24 or to the injection processing unit 26 as disclosed in Figs 3-5.

Turning now to Fig. 3, we see that the previously known fluid separator 18 may also be used as the vacuum chamber for extracting the cuttings directly from the cuttings trough 12. However, the separator has the distinct advantage of being capable of efficiently removing and reclaiming most of the remaining fluids from the cuttings thereby reducing the weight and volume of the cuttings to be transported.

As shown in Fig. 6, the previously known operational fluid separator system 18 collects cuttings 15 from the cuttings trough 12 that collects solids falling via gravity from inlet suction line 32 as a result of the separator having a reduced internal pressure created by the gas suction pump system 28 seen in Fig. 2 attached to the separator by line 34. The separator 18 is generally diametrical in shape having cylindrical side walls 35 and a top 40 with a sloping mid portion 110 and a smaller cylindrical lower portion 52 culminating at an open discharge port 85 . The interior is divided into an upper chamber 38 bound by side wall 35, top 40 and inclined partition 45, a mid chamber 105 bound by the inclined partition 45, sloping side wall 110 and partition 56 and a lower chamber 58 within the smaller cylindrical lower portion 52 serving as the housing for an adjustable valve assembly 75.

The upper chamber communicates with the mid and lower chambers 105, 58 with screen assembly 50. Positioned substantially central along the vertical axis of the screen member 55 is a shaft 60 which supports a screw conveyor driven by a motor drive 90. The screw flight portion 65 extending from the upper chamber through the screen assembly 50 and culminating at the screen discharge end portion 70 which is substantially blocked by valve assembly 75.

Cutting being conveyed from the upper chamber 38 to the discharge port 70 must force the valve open to allow the cuttings to 15 to communicate with lower chamber 58 and be discharged through the discharge chute 80. Chute 80 empties into opening 85 which disposes cuttings into a container as seen in Figs 3-5.

The side walls 35, inclined walls 45, and screen assembly 50 communicate and form a seal with the screw flighting 65 and the mid chamber 105 so that when a vacuum is applied using suction line 34 , cuttings can be suctioned from trough 12 to the upper chamber 38 of the separator, then conveyed through the screen assembly 50 towards the closed valve assembly 75, thereby compressing the cuttings 15 and forcing fluids and solids less than 20 micron through the screen 55 and apertures in screen sleeve member 100. Fluids accumulated in the mid chamber 105 are then drawn off by pump 115 to a fluids recovery container 120 via discharge line 95. The remaining solids are disposed of via discharge valve assembly 75 and travel down the discharge chute 80 under gravity and are emptied into containers via the opening 85 where they await disposal or re-injection.

The reduced pressure vessel 30 first illustrated in Fig. 2 and further detailed in Fig 7, illustrating this aspect of the invention, there is shown a relatively low profile reduced pressure vessel 205 and associated pumping means 210 in accordance with the present invention. The apparatus 200 for handling of cuttings comprises a vessel 205 adapted to sustain a reduced internal pressure with respect to external ambient atmospheric pressure, and operationally connected thereto, external pumping means 210 capable of both operations of maintaining the reduced internal pressure and removing cuttings from the vessel 205, and means including a conduit 215 for selectively delivering cuttings to either a storage facility or to a cuttings re-injection apparatus (not shown) .

The illustrated vessel 205 has four generally rectangular sides 225 which communicate with an opening 230 via inclined walls 235 and a delivery chute 245. The vessel 205 also has a rectangular top cover 245. The vessel 205 is supported by a framework 250 to which it is attached, e.g. by welds .

However it will be appreciated that other shapes of sealed pressure vessel can be adopted in the invention. The system described here is designed to fully satisfy current industry pressure vessel standards.

The pumping means 210 illustrated comprises a progressive cavity pump 220 capable of continuous displacement of solids, here at about 25 tons per hour or more. Other positive displacement pumps may also be used.

Location of the pumping means 210 external to the vessel 205 is such that solids displacement is primarily lateral rather than vertical as required for the known solids free-fall under gravity system which provides for low height requirements. The vessel 205 is installed at ground level with no height elevation requirements. In this way the equipment has a low profile and is more easily installed and maintained with less risk to maintenance technicians or other operatives of falling.

rurthermore in contrast with the prior art operational system described above where the vertically arranged helical screw is within the vessel itself, the arrangement described herein is less complicated in structure and provides for easier care and maintenance operations.

The vessel 205 and pumping means 210 described herein are operationally connected so as to maintain a reduced pressure be low atmosphere or vacuum within the system, which may be achievable by fastening arrangements satisfying usual pressure vessel standards, including flanged connections 240 and dedicated hard conduits of adequate strength. The reduced pressure can be maintained by a vacuum pump of any suitable type, and although illustrated here as having both gas and solids pumping means together, the gas (vacuum) pump could be remote from the solids pump. The arrangement of the invention is such that the pumped cuttings can either be directed from the reduced pressure vessel 205 into appropriate storage containers or directly back into a cuttings re-injection device as a matter of operator's choice, as is apparent from the flow illustration seen in Figs 1 and 2.

As seen in Fig. 8 the cuttings handling system may also be configured to include a surge or holding tank 300 whereby the cuttings slurry being discharged from the pump 14 is received and held for selective redistribution and pumping to the various containers and systems around the drill site. This surge tank 300 may be necessary to ensure that the system does not become blocked and back up as a result of an inability to discharge the cuttings freely to a container. As seen in Fig. 9, the surge tank 300 which includes an integral progressive cavity pump 310 may also be used as the prime pump system whereby the cuttings are received directly from the shaker screens 10 or from the shaker trough 12 by gravity feed. The cuttings are then agitated and maintained in solution until being pumped down stream to the site containers or other systems.

As seen in Fig. 10 it is also possible to locate the surge tank 300 in position to receive cuttings directly from the cuttings fluid separator 18. In this case the cuttings have been stripped of their valuable drilling fluids and recovered. Therefore, the cutting may be discharged into the surge tank where water or other environmentally adaptable fluids maybe added through conduit 312 which help prepare the cuttings for earth reclamation prior to discharge to the cuttings container and systems.

As seen in Fig. 11 and 12, the surge tank 300 includes a rectangular vessel having a bottom 314 and side and end walls 318, 316. A progressive cavity or other such large volume positive displacement type pump is integrated into one end wall as best seen in Fig. 12. A partition 320 having a central gate portion 322 with removable portions 324 is provided to allow for control of fluid/sediment levels within the vessel. An agitation system 326 is also provided which is trackable on wheels along rails attached to the upper sides of the tank walls 318. The agitator includes a bridge 328 supported by wheel assemblies. A drive 332 is also provided for moving the bridge 328 from one end of the tank to the other. A pair of telescopic cylinders 334 are provided for extending and retracting a centralising screw conveyor auger 336 . The auger serves to move the cuttings toward the centre of the tank and help maintain them in solution so that they will flow over the partition gate 322.

The cuttings handling system proposed herein offers remarkably higher levels of safety due to the reduced number of handling operations such as interventions by operatives to hook up containers to the crane, transfers of containers around the shaker station, etc. Furthermore, the sealed vacuum pressure vessel and associated network of vacuum conduits provides for delivery of cuttings to a container, re-injection equipment or transport for shipping to a remote disposal site.

The full significance of the capabilities of the system proposed here, and variants thereof, will be apparent to those appropriately skilled in this art who will recognise that the scope of the invention is not limited to the illustrative embodiment specifically described above.

Claims

1. A method for moving heavy drill cuttings from point to point about a drill site comprising the step of providing a central pumping means located adjacent the drill site shaker and cuttings trough for receiving drill cuttings entrained in a fluid slurry by gravity feed from said trough and discharging said cuttings slurry by way of a conduit network to selected containers and processing systems.

2. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of providing a vacuum means for collecting said cuttings slurry from said cuttings trough and discharging said cuttings slurry into said central pumping means.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said method further comprises the steps of: a) providing a means for de-fluidising said cuttings; b) de-fluidising said cuttings; c) recovering said fluid for reuse; and d) discharging de-fluidised cuttings into transportable containers .

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said method further includes the steps of:

a) providing a separator means for de-fluidising said cuttings; b) de-fluidising said cuttings; c. recovering said fluid for re-use; and d) discharging de-fluidised cuttings into a re- injection cuttings processing system.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said separator means for de-fluidising said cuttings slurry further comprises the steps of: a) receiving said cuttings slurry containing fluids and solids into an upper chamber by reducing pressure below atmosphere in said chamber; b) conveying said cuttings slurry through a central strainer towards a blocked pressure adjustable discharge port; c) compressing said cuttings slurry within said strainer; d) expressing said fluids and solids less than 20 micron through said strainer; e) collecting and recovering said fluids; f) forcing said blocked discharge port to open against a pre-set pressure; and g) discharging de-fluidised cuttings.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising the step of pumping the recovered fluids and solids under 20 micron from said separator means to a remote location.

7. A drill cuttings distribution system comprising: a) a progressive cavity pump having a sealable hopper attached to inlet of said pump; b) a means attached to said hopper for reducing interior pressure within said hopper; c) a means connected to said hopper for remotely conducting drill cuttings by suction into said hopper, and e) a means for discharging and conducting said cuttings from said pump to remote containers and systems.

8. The drill cuttings system according to claim 7 wherein said hopper is a pressure vessel capable of withstanding a desired reduced pressure differential sufficient for moving drill cuttings.

9. The drill cuttings system according to claim 7 wherein said means for reducing interior pressure within said hopper is at least one gas pump.

10. A drill cuttings distribution system comprising:

a) a solids displacement pump having a receiving vessel attached to inlet of said pump; b) a vacuum pump attached to said vessel; c) a suction line connected to said vessel for remotely collecting and conducting drill cuttings into said vessel, and e) a means for selectively discharging and conducting said drill cuttings from said pump to remote containers and systems.

11. The drill cuttings distribution system according to claim 10 wherein said solids displacement pump is a progressive cavity type pump.

12. The drill cuttings distribution system according to claim 10 wherein said solids displacement pump is a piston type pump.

13. The drill cuttings distribution system according to claim

10 wherein said solids displacement pump is a positive displacement type pump.

14. The drill cuttings distribution system according to claim 10 wherein said receiving vessel is located below cuttings collection points

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a surge tank having an integral pump for receiving drill cuttings directly from said shaker prior to discharge of said cuttings to said selected containers and processing systems.

16. The method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of providing a surge tank having an integral pump for receiving drill cuttings discharged from said vacuum means prior to discharge of said cuttings to said selected containers and processing systems.

17. The method according to claim 5 further comprising the step of providing a surge tank having an integral pump for receiving drill cuttings discharged from said separator.

18. A drill cuttings distribution system comprising: a) a solids displacement pump having a receiving vessel attached to inlet of said pump located adjacent a cuttings discharge apparatus said receiving vessel comprising; and i)a partition for selectively controlling fluid/sediment level within said vessel; ii) a means for agitating and conveying and urging said cuttings toward said means for selectively controlling fluid/sediment level and said pump; iii) a means for driving said means for agitating in a to and from manner between a first position to a second position along said vessel ;and iv) a means for raising and lowering said for agitating within said vessel. b) a means for selectively discharging and conducting said drill cuttings from said pump to remote containers and systems.

19. A method for moving heavy drill cuttings from point to point about a drill site, according to claim 1, and substantially as hereinbefore described.

20. A drill cuttings distribution system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings .

AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 4 January 2001 (04.01.01); original claims 7-9 and 18 amended; remaining claims unchanged (4 pages)]

7. A central pumping means when used in the method according to claim 1 comprising: a) a progressive cavity pump having a sealable hopper attached to inlet of said pump; b) a means attached to said hopper for reducing interior pressure within said hopper; c) a means connected to said hopper for remotely conducting drill cuttings by suction into said hopper, and e) a means for discharging and conducting said cuttings from said pump to remote containers and systems.

8. The central pumping means accordmg to claim 7 wherein said hopper is a pressure vessel capable of withstanding a desired reduced pressure differential sufficient for moving drill cuttings .

9. The central pumping means according to claim 7 where said means for reducing interior pressure withm said hopper is at least one gas pump.

10. A drill cuttings distribution system comprising:

a) a solids displacement pump having a receiving vessel attached to inlet of said pump; b) a vacuum pump attached to said vessel; c) a suction lme connected to said vessel for remotely collecting and conducting drill cuttings into said vessel, and e) a means for selectively discharging and conducting said drill cuttings from said pump to remote containers and systems .

11. The drill cuttings distribution system according to claim 10 wherem said solids displacement pump is a progressive cavity type pump.

12. The drill cuttings distribution system accordmg to claim 10 wherem said solids displacement pump is a piston type pump.

13. The drill cuttings distribution system according to claim 10 wherem said solids displacement pump is a positive displacement type pump.

14. The drill cuttings distribution system according to claim 10 wherem said receiving vessel is located below cuttings collection points

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a surge tank having an integral pump for receiving drill cuttings directly from said shaker prior to discharge of sa d cuttings to said selected containers and processing systems .

16. The method accordmg to claim 2 further comprising the step of providing a surge tank having an integral pump for receiving drill cuttings discharged from said vacuum means prior to discharge of sa d cuttings to said selected containers and processing systems.

17. The method accordmg to claim 5 further comprising the step of providing a surge tank having an integral pump for receiving drill cuttings discharged from said separator

18. A central pumping means when used in the method according to claims 1 further comprising: a) a receiving tank located ad acent a drill cuttings discharge apparatus m a manner for receiving said cuttings from said cuttings discharge apparatus said receiving tank comprising; l) a partition for selectively controlling fluid/sediment level withm said tank; ii) a means for agitating, conveying and urging said cuttings toward said means for selectively controlling fluid/sediment level; iii) a driving means for moving said means for agitating, conveying and urging said cuttings in a to and from manner between first and second positions along length of said tank; iv) a means for raising and lowering said means for agitating, conveying and urging said cuttings within said tank; and v) a solids discharge pump attached to said receiving tank; b) a means for selectively discharging and conducting said drill cuttings from said solids discharge pump to remote containers and systems.