US 2003/0192439 A1 · Drilling fluid recovery and cuttings processing system

Abstract

A drill cuttings slurry process system is disclosed for defluidizing earth drill cuttings, thereby extracting valuable drilling additives and returning them to the drilling system while producing a dense, drier material which may be discharged directly in the environment at or near the well being drilled or chemically treated for distillation and/or better dissolution into the environment, thereby reducing, cost in transportation and environmental treatment chemicals thus reducing environmental contamination. The system comprising a cuttings press having solids/fluids separation a dryer and/or a retort for flashing off any residual petroleum residue and moisture, a fines grinder and a chemical injection system. The retort including an analyzer system for weighing and determining rate of throughput and analyzing the cuttings for residual petroleum residue content prior to discharge to environment or further refinement prior to reinjection into the well or transport to environmental depository sites.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A drill cuttings processing system comprising:

a) a conveying and holding system for collecting and receiving a drill cuttings slurry comprising drilling fluids and earth solids developed while drilling a well;
b) a press having a screen means for compressively separating said solids in excess of 50 micron from said cuttings slurry and recovering said drilling fluids said press being in fluid communication with said conveying and holding system;
c) a dryer, having means for receiving said solids, capable of flashing off any residual petroleum residue, and moisture;
d) a conveying means for transporting said solids from said press to said dryer;
e) a receiving tank capable of receiving said solids discharged from said dryer having means for continuous weighing and computer analyzing said solids for residual petroleum content;
and
f) a means for selecting between discharge of said solids from said receiving tank directly into the environment adjacent said well, further processing prior to transport to environmental deposit sites and reinjection into said well being drilled.

4 more elements

A drill cuttings slurry processing system comprising:

a) a defluidizing screw press comprising:
i) a housing including an inlet for receiving a drill cuttings slurry;
ii) a cylindrical strainer extending forwardly from said housing, said strainer having apertures for passage of fluids being separated from said cuttings and a vibrator for assisting in separation of said fluids from said cuttings;
iii) a reducing flange extending forwardly from an outlet end of said strainer and defining a solids discharge opening at a terminal end thereof, an internal diameter of said reducing flange being less than an internal diameter of said strainer;
iv) a press screw member disposed in a space defined by said housing and said cylindrical strainer, said press screw member including a shaft and a screw affixed to an outer periphery of said shaft, said screw beginning in said housing at a location rearwardly of said strainer and terminating within said strainer, said shaft extending forwardly beyond said reducing flange;
v) a motor for driving said press screw member thus advancing said slurry forwardly within said space and through said discharge opening, whereby entrained solids are separated from said fluids by compaction at a controlled rate;
vi) a conical mouth piece, slidable and rotatable relative to said screw, fixed to said shaft for effecting closure of said reducing flange;
and
vii) means for slidably positioning said mouthpiece relative to said reducing flange;
b) a fine grinding means for receiving said defluidized drill cuttings and further particle sizing said cuttings;
c) a means for transferring solid defluidized drill cuttings discharged from said screw press to said grinding means;
and
d) a mixer attached to said grinding means having a chemical additive means for mixing chemicals with said cuttings prior to discharge for conveyance to environmental deposit sites.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Drilling fluid recovery and cuttings processing system

Life of this patent

Drilling fluid recovery and cuttings processing system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13