Dewatering system
AssigneeM-I L.L.C.
InventorsJohn O. Pruett, Gary E. Fout
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for processing drilling mud, the system including a primary separation tank having an inlet for receiving drilling waste and an outlet in fluid communication with a feed line, and an injection pump in fluid communication with a polymer tank and the feed line. The system also includes a clarifying tank in fluid communication with the feed line and a first collection tank, wherein effluent from the clarifying tank is discharged into the first collection tank, and a centrifuge in fluid communication with the clarifying tank and a second collection tank, wherein effluent from the centrifuge is discharged into the second collection tank.
Claims14
A method of processing drilling waste, the method comprising:
- providing drilling waste from a primary separation device to a primary separation tank;
- producing a drilling mud from the primary separation tank;
- injecting a polymer into the drilling mud to produce a treated drilling mud;
- directing the treated drilling mud down the inside of a pipe disposed in a clarifying tank, allowing fine particulates to drop out of the treated drilling mud into a settling zone from which a first effluent is drawn, directing the treated drilling mud out of the pipe and up the outside of the pipe from which a second effluent is drawn;
- removing the fine particles from the clarifying tank by directing the first effluent out of the clarifying tank wherein the first effluent comprises the fine particles;
- transferring the first effluent into a first collection tank;
- and
- transferring the second effluent into a second collection tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.