Open pit mine (OPM) structures are modified or built new for use in disposing of low-level radioactive/nuclear waste (LLW). A drainage system is added to the OPM to drain water, such as, but not limited to, rain water, out of a volume of the OPM and to a particular geologic zone located far below the OPM that is isolated away from the local water table. Cells are formed within the volume of the OPM that are configured to receive the LLW. Cells are added to the OPM from a bottom towards a top of the OPM. Void spaces around the LLW materials within the cells are filled in with a protective-medium to mitigate against radionuclide migration away from the LLW materials within the cells. The protective-medium may be a blend of carbon nanotubes and a foam cement slurry. The carbon nanotubes may be made from reacting ethylene with vermiculite.

Self-loading systems and methods for disposal of waste materials in a deep underground formation may include at least one wellbore that runs from the Earth's surface to the deep underground formations, wellbore viscous fluid within that at least one wellbore, and at least one waste capsule, wherein the at least one waste capsules houses some waste and is configured to fall within both the at least one wellbore and the wellbore viscous fluid. The systems and methods may also include at least one human-made cavern located in the deep underground formation and connected to the at least one wellbore, wherein the at least one human-made cavern may be configured to receive the at least one waste capsule. The systems and methods may also include a counter for counting waste capsules and/or a robot for dropping waste capsules into a wellhead leading to the at least one wellbore.

Systems and methods for long-term disposal of nuclear and/or radioactive waste materials, in liquid, solid, and/or other physical forms, using an array deeply located human-made caverns (caverns), wherein the array of caverns are within a deep geologic rock formation and below a grid pattern on a surface of the Earth. Each cavern is made from a substantially vertical wellbore, by drilling and under reaming operations upon a distal portion of the substantially vertical wellbore. At least some of the caverns may be connected by intersecting substantially lateral wellbores that may facilitate injection of protective materials into the caverns that are so intersected. The nuclear and/or radioactive waste may be preprocessed from original surface storage site(s), transported, temporarily surface stored, and then finally further processed at a selected wellsite before injection into a given of the subterranean deep caverns within the deep geologic rock formation.

Methods and apparatus are provided for optimizing operations for a fracturing injection waste disposal well especially where the formation is damaged or tight such that pressure fall-off tests are impractical due to extended leak-off rate times. Formation closure pressure and formation stress are calculated using Instantaneous Shut-in Pressure rather than traditional methods requiring actual fracture closure.

A downhole tool system may include one or more containers to hold waste product and a tractor to convey the one or more containers to a storage location within a wellbore. The downhole tool system may also include an anchor to seal against the wellbore and secure the containers at the storage location. Additionally, the downhole tool system may include a disconnect tool to separate the tractor from the containers such that the tractor may be removed from the wellbore while leaving the containers at the storage location.

A self cleaning leak containment apparatus for an oil drilling rig includes nozzles to direct jets of cleaning fluid into the apparatus. The self cleaning leak containment apparatus can include a tray with nozzles fed by pumps that also serve to drain the tray. A sheet-form around the tray and draining into the tray can also have nozzles directed into it.

Self-loading systems and methods for disposal of waste materials in a deep underground formation may include at least one wellbore that runs from the Earth's surface to the deep underground formations, wellbore viscous fluid within that at least one wellbore, and at least one waste capsule, wherein the at least one waste capsules houses some waste and is configured to fall within both the at least one wellbore and the wellbore viscous fluid. The systems and methods may also include at least one human-made cavern located in the deep underground formation and connected to the at least one wellbore, wherein the at least one human-made cavern may be configured to receive the at least one waste capsule. The systems and methods may also include a counter for counting waste capsules and/or a robot for dropping waste capsules into a wellhead leading to the at least one wellbore.

A method of recovery of rich gas where the rich gas is a hydrocarbon gas comprising less than 50 mole % methane is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of gathering the low pressure gas, compressing the gathered gas, cooling the compressed gas in a condenser so that a portion of the compressed gas condenses to form a liquefied gas and liquefied gas vapour in the condenser, and discharging the liquefied gas and liquefied gas vapour from the condenser, in which the cooling of the compressed gas is performed using at least one heat exchanger (40).

Elongate capsules for housing waste are configured for disposal (placement) into wellbore(s) that are located in particular deep underground geologic formation(s). These capsules have opposing structures for physically linking multiple capsules together in an end-to-end fashion. These opposing end structures may include a stinger with pins at a top end of the capsule; and a J-slots structure at the bottom end of the capsule. The stinger with pins of a first capsule may be (removably) attached to the J-slots of a second capsule. Further, a retrieval-tool also has the J-slots structure at one end. The J-slots structure of the retrieval-tool may be configured to (removably) attach to a stinger with pins of a given capsule (which may be linked to other capsule(s)); and then the retrieval-tool may be used to retrieve the given capsule(s) from a given wellbore. Capsule retrieval systems and/or method may utilize such capsule(s) and the retrieval-tool.

Self-loading systems and methods for disposal of waste materials in a deep underground formation may include at least one wellbore that runs from the Earth's surface to the deep underground formations, wellbore viscous fluid within that at least one wellbore, and at least one waste capsule, wherein the at least one waste capsules houses some waste and is configured to fall within both the at least one wellbore and the wellbore viscous fluid. The systems and methods may also include at least one human-made cavern located in the deep underground formation and connected to the at least one wellbore, wherein the at least one human-made cavern may be configured to receive the at least one waste capsule. The systems and methods may also include a counter for counting waste capsules and/or a robot for dropping waste capsules into a wellhead leading to the at least one wellbore.