Air drilling solids control system and method

A method for separating solids from a first slurry recovered from a hydrocarbon well, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a first tank including a V-shaped compartment with sloping side walls, a bottom, and a top, the compartment having a front section, a mid-section, and a rear section;
• one or more second tanks coupled to one or more mixer devices configured to mix contents of the one or more second tanks, the one or more second tanks being located adjacent the rear section of the compartment;
• a shaftless auger operatively positioned on the bottom of the compartment, the shaftless auger configured for rotation to cause a second slurry containing first solids to move to the front section of the compartment;
• a suction pump in fluid communication with a first conduit, the first conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of the first conduit being operatively positioned within the compartment at its front section adjacent the shaftless auger, the suction pump configured to pump the second slurry containing the first solids through the first conduit;
• one or more hydrocyclone units in fluid communication with the outlet of the first conduit, the one or more hydrocyclone units receiving and processing the second slurry to produce an underflow comprising the first solids and an overflow comprising a first clean fluid flowing through a second conduit;
• a third conduit having an inlet and an outlet, the third conduit receiving the first slurry recovered from the hydrocarbon well at the inlet and flowing the first slurry through the outlet;
• a fourth conduit configured to receive the first clean fluid from the one or more hydrocyclone units and the first slurry flowing through the outlet of fourth conduit, the first clean fluid enveloping gas and second solids included in the first slurry to create a third slurry;
• a diffuser enclosure having a target plate, a bar screen positioned at an angle, a wear liner, and one or more perforated air diffuser baffles, wherein the diffuser enclosure receives on the target plate the third slurry from the fourth conduit, the target plate dispersing the third slurry onto the bar screen passing a fourth slurry through grates in the bar screen leaving third solids from the third slurry on a top surface of the bar screen, the bar screen passing a fifth slurry through the bar screen and into the compartment, wherein a first portion of entrained gas from the fourth slurry passes up through the one or more perforated air diffuser baffles;
• a linear shaker operatively positioned underneath the one or more hydrocyclone units, the linear shaker configured to receive the underflow from the one or more hydrocyclone units and third solids from the bar screen causing a dewatering of the first solids and of the third solids to produce a dried fourth solids, the linear shaker further configured to convey the dried fourth solids to a conveyor device for disposal, the linear shaker producing an underflow of a sixth slurry comprising a fifth solids, the linear shaker configured for depositing the sixth slurry into the compartment at its front section;
• a perforated plate baffle placed in the compartment between the midsection and the front section, the perforated plate baffle causing a second portion of entrained gas from the fourth slurry to pass up to the linear shaker via a perforated plate bottom portion of the linear shaker;
• a first series of baffles operatively positioned within the compartment between the midsection and the rear section, wherein a seventh slurry containing unsettled fine solids flows over the first series of baffles and over an overflow weir at the rear section of the compartment and into the one or more mixing tanks for processing via the one or more mixers;
• (b) moving a second slurry containing first solids to the front section of the compartment by rotation of the shaftless auger;
• (c) pumping the second slurry containing the first solids through the first conduit to the one or more hydrocyclones;
• (d) processing the second slurry in the one or more hydrocyclones to produce an underflow comprising the first solids and an overflow comprising a first clean fluid flowing through the second conduit;
• (e) receiving the first slurry recovered from the hydrocarbon well at the inlet of the third conduit and flowing the first slurry through the outlet of the third conduit;
• flowing the first clean fluid from the one or more hydrocyclone units and the first slurry flowing through the outlet of fourth conduit into the diffuser enclosure, the first clean fluid enveloping gas and second solids included in the first slurry to create a third slurry;
• (g) dispersing the third slurry on the target plate and onto the bar screen to pass a fourth slurry through grates in the bar screen leaving third solids from the third slurry on a top surface of the bar screen, wherein a first portion of entrained gas from the fourth slurry passes up through the one or more perforated air diffuser baffles;
• (h) passing a fifth slurry through the bar screen and into the compartment;
• (i) depositing the underflow from the one or more hydrocyclone units and the third solids from the bar screen on the linear shaker;
• (j) dewatering the first solids and the third solids on the linear shaker to produce a dried fourth solids for conveyance to a conveyor device for disposal;
• (k) depositing an underflow of a sixth slurry comprising a fifth solids by the linear shaker into the compartment at its front section;
• (l) causing a second portion of entrained gas from the fourth slurry to pass up to the linear shaker via the perforated plate bottom portion of the linear shaker;
• and
• (m) flowing a seventh slurry containing unsettled fine solids over the first series of baffles over an overflow weir at the rear section of the compartment and into the one or more mixing tanks for processing via the one or more mixers.