Drilling operation shelter

Claim 2

An enclosed system providing a shelter large enough to permit unhampered drilling operations comprising: a base support, anchoring means secured to the base support for anchoring said base support to the ground, an air inflated structure of foldable, gastight, waterimpervious material surrounding a drilling site and drill rig of a drilling operAtion having an opening in the roof thereof through which the upper part of the mast of the rig extends, the air-inflated structure subjected to flexing movement responsive to wind loading applied thereto, a flexible cable secured around the edge portions of the opening in the structure, the cable being under tension on inflation of the structure, a boot of flexible, airtight, water-impervious material surrounding the mast and detachably secured thereto in airtight relation and extending into connection around the opening in the structure to close the opening through which the mast extends, the boot adapted to flex relative to the cable and air-inflated structure without transfer of substantial loads to the mast, means for detachably securing the lower edges of the airinflated structure to the base support in airtight relation, means enclosing the mast to prevent air loss from the interior of the structure, and means for inflating and keeping inflated the structure.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 including access means for men and equipment extending thereinto.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1 including venting means for continuously removing noxious gases generated during the drilling operation from the interior of the air-inflated structure.

Claim 5

The enclosed system of claim 1 wherein the means for enclosing the mast comprises sheathing secured in airtight relation around the upper portion of the mast extending from the boot connection to the mast to the top thereof. 5 The enclosed system of claim 1 wherein the means for enclosing the mast comprises an air-inflatable boot of flexible, gastight, water-impervious material having its lower edges secured in airtight relation to the structure around the opening through which the mast extends, the boot completely covering the portion of the mast extending through the opening, and guy means for securing the boot to absorb wind loading.

Claim 6

The enclosed system of claim 1 wherein the means for enclosing the mast comprises an enclosure secured in airtight relation around the lower portion of the mast between the drilling platform and the boot surrounding the opening in the air-inflated structure, and access means in the enclosure for entry and exit of equipment and personnel.

Claim 7

The enclosed system of claim 1 wherein the base support comprises structural I-beam sections butted together to form the outer perimeter of the area to be enclosed by the air-inflated structure.

Claim 8

The enclosed system of claim 7 wherein the means for detachably securing the lower edges of the air-inflated structure to the base support comprises (1)channel members having external grooves therein rigidly secured to the upper surfaces of each of the I-beam sections, (2) an elongated locking key for each of the channel members adapted to fit in the external groove of the channel member, the lower edges of the air-inflated structure trained within the external grooves of the channel members and held in place by the locking key.

Claim 9

The enclosed system of claim 1 including an emergency venting system for venting large volumes of noxious gases from the interior of the structure without deflation thereof.

Claim 10

The enclosed system of claim 9 wherein the venting system includes sealing means operable to isolate the area around the wellhead from the remainder of the structure, thereby allowing the noxious gases to be vented to the atmosphere in the area where the mast extends through the roof of the air supported structure.

Claim 11

The enclosed system of claim 10 wherein the sealing means includes an elongated hollow cylinder of flexible gastight material secured in airtight relation at one end around the opening in the structure and extendible to the drilling platform to isolate the wellhead from the remainder of the structure, the sealing means normally suspended above the drilling area and adapted to extend to the drilling platform on release by gravity, means for suspending the sealing member above the wellhead, release means for releasing the sealing member on the receipt of a signal, and signal means signaling release of the sealing member.

Claim 12

The enclosed system of claim 1 wherein the air-inflated structure includes walls and roof formed of a plurality of mating panels of foldable, gastight, water-impervious material joined together along their edges, means detachably interconnecting the joined edges, said means comprising reinforced looped portions on each of the edges joined together, the looped portions of each of the edges arranged to alternately overlap and underlap, and flexible cables extending through the mated overlapped and underlapped looped portions to interconnect them.

Claim 13

The enclosed system of claim 2 wherein said access means includes a double-door air lock comprising (1) a pair of sidewalls hinged together at the apex thereof detachable secured in airtight relation at one end to the air-inflated structure, (2) end walls having closable openings therein detachably secured in airtight relation to the opposite ends of the sidewall, and (3) means anchoring the air lock structure to the ground.

Claim 14

An enclosed system providing a shelter large enough to permit unhampered drilling operations comprising: a base support, anchoring means secured to the base support for anchoring said base support to the ground, an air-inflated structure of foldable, gastight, water-impervious material surrounding a drilling site and drilling rig of a drilling operation having an opening in the roof thereof through which the upper part of the mast of the rig extends, the air-inflated structure subjected to flexing movement responsive to wind loading applied thereto, a flexible cable secured around the edge portions of the opening in the structure, the cable being under tension on inflation of the structure, a boot of flexible, airtight, water-impervious material surrounding the mast and detachably secured thereto in airtight relation and extending into connection around the opening in the structure to close the opening through which the mast extends, the boot adapted to flex relative to the cable and air-inflated structure without transfer of substantial loads to the mast, means for detachably securing the lower edges of the air-inflated structure to the base support in airtight relation, means providing and directing pressurized air across the opening created by the mast extending through the roof of the structure in amounts sufficient to prevent air loss through the opening so as to maintain a predetermined positive pressure within the structure and means for inflating and keeping inflated the structure.

Claim 15

An enclosed system providing a shelter large enough to permit unhampered drilling operations comprising: a base support, anchoring means secured to the base support for anchoring said base support to the ground, an air-inflated structure of foldable, gastight, water-impervious material surrounding a drilling site and drilling rig of a drilling operation having an opening in the roof thereof through which the upper part of the mast of the rig extends, the air-inflated structure subjected to flexing movement responsive to wind loading applied thereto, a flexible cable secured around the edge portions of the opening in the structure, the cable being under tension on inflation of the structure, a boot of flexible, airtight, water-impervious material surrounding the mast and detachably secured thereto in airtight relation and extending into connection around the opening in the structure to close the opening through which the mast extends, the boot adapted to flex relative to the cable and air-inflated structure without transfer of substantial loads to the mast, means for detachably securing the lower edges of the air-inflated structure to the base support in airtight relation, means providing and directing pressurized air across the opening created by the mast extending through the roof of the structure in amounts sufficient to prevent air loss through the opening so as to maintain a predetermined positive pressure within the structure and means for inflating and keeping inflated the structure.

Claim 16

The system of claim 1 wherein the means providing and directing pressurized air includes blower means adapted to draw in air external to the air-supported structure, compress the indrawn air, and discharge the compressed air through louvers oriented to direct the air stream.