US 4,639,258 A · Single pass mud rejuvenation system and method

Abstract

A method and apparatus for rejuvenating oil well drilling mud is provided by an endless filter which is supported by a pair of spaced driven drums; drilling mud is distributed onto a moving flight of the filter at spaced locations so as to provide layers of the drilling mud on the filter. Passage of the drilling mud through the filter is assisted by spraying the drilling mud with drilling mud which has passed through the system (filtrate) and by applying suction to the underside of the filter. The drilling mud, after passing through the filter is degassed in a second stage degasser. The filter is cleaned by a solution spray, and by back washing with air and either water or diesel oil.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for rejuvenating drilling mud received from a well comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an endless filter having an upper surface and a lower surface,
(b) causing said endless filter to move along a predetermined path of travel,
(c) delivering a mixture of drilling mud including cuttings solids to the upper surface of said endless filter, and
(d) applying suction to the lower surface of said filter and drawing substantially all of the drilling mud through the filter and leaving said cuttings solids on the upper surface of said endless filter to provide rejuvenated mud beneath said filter.

1 more element

Apparatus for rejuvenating drilling mud received from a well comprising:

(a) filter means including an endless movable filter means mounted for movement along a path of movement having a primarily horizontal direction component;
(b) drive means for moving said filter means along said path of movement;
(c) infeed means for depositing a mixture of cuttings and drilling mud on said filter means, said infeed means for depositing said mixture of cuttings and mud on said filter means including means for depositing said mixture of drilling mud and cuttings on said filter means at spaced locations along the path of movement of said filter means and in alignment with said hereinafter recited suction means, said means for depositing said mixture on said filter means at spaced locations along the path of movement of said filter means including a plurality of weir rollers extending horizontally transversely above said path of movement of said filter means and means for depositing said mixture on upper portions of said weir rollers, the axes of said weir rollers being uniformly spaced and at least one of said weir rollers being of lesser diameter than a weir roller adjacent to said one weir roller so as to provide relatively larger spacing between said one weir roller and the adjacent weir roller than the space between adjacent ones of other weir rollers, said larger spacing defining a down-flow opening through which said mixture flows in curtain-like manner onto said filter means;
(d) suction means for drawing substantially all of said drilling mud from said mixture through said filter means to separate said drilling mud from said cuttings to provide rejuvenated mud;
(e) receiving means for receiving said rejuvenated mud drawn through said filter means;
and
(f) delivery means for delivering rejuvenated mud from said receiving means to means for permitting reuse of said rejuvenated mud.

4 more elements

Apparatus for rejuvenating drilling mud received from a well comprising:

(a) filter means including an endless movable filter means mounted for movement along a path of movement having a primarily horizontal direction component;
(b) drive means for moving said filter means along said path of movement;
(c) infeed means for depositing a mixture of cuttings and drilling mud on said filter means;
(d) suction means for drawing substantially all of said drilling mud from said mixture through said filter means to separate said drilling mud from said cuttings to provide rejuvenated mud;
(e) receiving means for receiving said rejuvenated mud drawn through said filter means;
(f) delivery means for delivering rejuvenated mud from said receiving means to means for permitting reuse of said rejuvenated mud;
and
(g) wherein said infeed means for depositing said mixture of cuttings and drilling mud includes distribution weir means, means feeding said mixture of drilling mud and cuttings onto said distribution weir means, said distribution weir means including a group of parallel, spaced weir rollers each arranged in adjacent relationship to at least one other weir roller, each of said weir rollers being substantially transverse to and above the path of movement of said filter means and extending in side-by-side manner along and above said filter means so that said mixture of drilling mud and cuttings passes downwardly in the form of a thin curtain along a vertical flow path between selected weir rollers onto said filter means.

5 more elements

Apparatus for rejuvenating drilling mud received from a well comprising:

(a) filter means including an endless movable filter means mounted for movement along a path of movement having a primarily horizontal direction component;
(b) drive means for moving said filter means along said path of movement;
(c) infeed means for depositing a mixture of cuttings and drilling mud on said filter means;
(d) suction means for drawing substantially all of said drilling mud from said mixture through said filter means to separate said drilling mud from said cuttings to provide rejuvenated mud;
(e) receiving means for receiving said rejuvenated mud drawn through said filter means;
(f) delivery means for delivering rejuvenated mud from said receiving means to means for permitting reuse of said rejuvenated mud;
and
(g) wherein said infeed means includes means for delivering said mixture to said filter means at spaced relatively narrow down-flow locations along the path of movement of said filter means including a plurality of horizontal weir rollers extending transversely above said path of movement of said filter means and means for depositing said mixture on upper portions of said weir rollers, the axes of said weir rollers being spaced and parallel and at least two of said weir rollers being spaced from adjacent weir rollers to provide a larger spacing between said two weir rollers and their adjacent weir rollers than the space between adjacent ones of other weir rollers, said larger spacings defining down-flow openings contiguous with said down-flow locations through which said mixture flows in thin curtain-like manner onto said filter means, roller drive means for rotating said weir rollers so that their upper surfaces move in the same direction that said filter means moves along said path of movement when said filter drive means is operated, said receiving means including vacuum table means positioned beneath the path of movement of said endless moving filter and the portion of the filter means on which the mixture is deposited, said vacuum table means including support roller means for supporting said horizontally extending upper flight for permitting the passage of mud through the horizontally extending upper flight, and said vacuum table having an outlet in the bottom thereof, degasser means comprising degasser housing means enclosing a disk positioned below said outlet for receiving mud therefrom, means for supporting said disk for rotation in a substantially horizontal plane, drive means for rotating said disk, wall means in spaced surrounding relationship to said disk for receiving drilling mud centrifugally slung from said disk against said wall means and means for receiving drilling mud flowing from said wall means, said filter means comprising a filter assembly in the form of a closed filter belt loop and a closed rubber-like support belt loop underlying said closed filter belt loop a pair of spaced drums supporting said closed support belt loop and said closed filter belt loop so that said closed belt loops have a generally horizontally extending upper flight extending between said drums and defining said path of movement wherein said vacuum table means and said degasser housing are positioned within the confines of said support belt loop.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

06/541,923Filed 14 Oct 1983

Granted

27 Jan 1987

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

E21B 21/066
Separating solids from drilling fluids: with further treatment of the solids, e.g. for disposal
B01D 33/044
Filters with filtering elements which move during the filtering operation: with filtering bands or the like supported on cylinders which are…
B01D 33/275
With rotary filtering surfaces, which are neither cylindrical nor planar, e.g. helical surfaces: using contiguous impervious surfaces
B01D 33/42
In series connection: concentrically or coaxially

Abstract

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for rejuvenating drilling mud received from a well comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an endless filter having an upper surface and a lower surface,
(b) causing said endless filter to move along a predetermined path of travel,
(c) delivering a mixture of drilling mud including cuttings solids to the upper surface of said endless filter, and
(d) applying suction to the lower surface of said filter and drawing substantially all of the drilling mud through the filter and leaving said cuttings solids on the upper surface of said endless filter to provide rejuvenated mud beneath said filter.

1 more element

Apparatus for rejuvenating drilling mud received from a well comprising:

(a) filter means including an endless movable filter means mounted for movement along a path of movement having a primarily horizontal direction component;
(b) drive means for moving said filter means along said path of movement;
(c) infeed means for depositing a mixture of cuttings and drilling mud on said filter means, said infeed means for depositing said mixture of cuttings and mud on said filter means including means for depositing said mixture of drilling mud and cuttings on said filter means at spaced locations along the path of movement of said filter means and in alignment with said hereinafter recited suction means, said means for depositing said mixture on said filter means at spaced locations along the path of movement of said filter means including a plurality of weir rollers extending horizontally transversely above said path of movement of said filter means and means for depositing said mixture on upper portions of said weir rollers, the axes of said weir rollers being uniformly spaced and at least one of said weir rollers being of lesser diameter than a weir roller adjacent to said one weir roller so as to provide relatively larger spacing between said one weir roller and the adjacent weir roller than the space between adjacent ones of other weir rollers, said larger spacing defining a down-flow opening through which said mixture flows in curtain-like manner onto said filter means;
(d) suction means for drawing substantially all of said drilling mud from said mixture through said filter means to separate said drilling mud from said cuttings to provide rejuvenated mud;
(e) receiving means for receiving said rejuvenated mud drawn through said filter means;
and
(f) delivery means for delivering rejuvenated mud from said receiving means to means for permitting reuse of said rejuvenated mud.

4 more elements

Apparatus for rejuvenating drilling mud received from a well comprising:

(a) filter means including an endless movable filter means mounted for movement along a path of movement having a primarily horizontal direction component;
(b) drive means for moving said filter means along said path of movement;
(c) infeed means for depositing a mixture of cuttings and drilling mud on said filter means;
(d) suction means for drawing substantially all of said drilling mud from said mixture through said filter means to separate said drilling mud from said cuttings to provide rejuvenated mud;
(e) receiving means for receiving said rejuvenated mud drawn through said filter means;
(f) delivery means for delivering rejuvenated mud from said receiving means to means for permitting reuse of said rejuvenated mud;
and
(g) wherein said infeed means for depositing said mixture of cuttings and drilling mud includes distribution weir means, means feeding said mixture of drilling mud and cuttings onto said distribution weir means, said distribution weir means including a group of parallel, spaced weir rollers each arranged in adjacent relationship to at least one other weir roller, each of said weir rollers being substantially transverse to and above the path of movement of said filter means and extending in side-by-side manner along and above said filter means so that said mixture of drilling mud and cuttings passes downwardly in the form of a thin curtain along a vertical flow path between selected weir rollers onto said filter means.

5 more elements

Apparatus for rejuvenating drilling mud received from a well comprising:

(a) filter means including an endless movable filter means mounted for movement along a path of movement having a primarily horizontal direction component;
(b) drive means for moving said filter means along said path of movement;
(c) infeed means for depositing a mixture of cuttings and drilling mud on said filter means;
(d) suction means for drawing substantially all of said drilling mud from said mixture through said filter means to separate said drilling mud from said cuttings to provide rejuvenated mud;
(e) receiving means for receiving said rejuvenated mud drawn through said filter means;
(f) delivery means for delivering rejuvenated mud from said receiving means to means for permitting reuse of said rejuvenated mud;
and
(g) wherein said infeed means includes means for delivering said mixture to said filter means at spaced relatively narrow down-flow locations along the path of movement of said filter means including a plurality of horizontal weir rollers extending transversely above said path of movement of said filter means and means for depositing said mixture on upper portions of said weir rollers, the axes of said weir rollers being spaced and parallel and at least two of said weir rollers being spaced from adjacent weir rollers to provide a larger spacing between said two weir rollers and their adjacent weir rollers than the space between adjacent ones of other weir rollers, said larger spacings defining down-flow openings contiguous with said down-flow locations through which said mixture flows in thin curtain-like manner onto said filter means, roller drive means for rotating said weir rollers so that their upper surfaces move in the same direction that said filter means moves along said path of movement when said filter drive means is operated, said receiving means including vacuum table means positioned beneath the path of movement of said endless moving filter and the portion of the filter means on which the mixture is deposited, said vacuum table means including support roller means for supporting said horizontally extending upper flight for permitting the passage of mud through the horizontally extending upper flight, and said vacuum table having an outlet in the bottom thereof, degasser means comprising degasser housing means enclosing a disk positioned below said outlet for receiving mud therefrom, means for supporting said disk for rotation in a substantially horizontal plane, drive means for rotating said disk, wall means in spaced surrounding relationship to said disk for receiving drilling mud centrifugally slung from said disk against said wall means and means for receiving drilling mud flowing from said wall means, said filter means comprising a filter assembly in the form of a closed filter belt loop and a closed rubber-like support belt loop underlying said closed filter belt loop a pair of spaced drums supporting said closed support belt loop and said closed filter belt loop so that said closed belt loops have a generally horizontally extending upper flight extending between said drums and defining said path of movement wherein said vacuum table means and said degasser housing are positioned within the confines of said support belt loop.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Single pass mud rejuvenation system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19

Single pass mud rejuvenation system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19