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US 8,997,896 B2Granted
Oil-based drilling fluid recovery and reuse
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsDavid E. Clark, Lirio Quintero, Anuradee Witthayapanyanon, Alexander John McKellar, Martin Gilbert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and related systems are configured to treat a drilling fluid to cause water droplets to coalesce. One or more phases are thereafter separated from the treated drilling fluid. The oil and/or solids separated from the treated drilling fluid may be added to a base fluid.
Claims32
A method for treating a drilling fluid, comprising:
- determining an amount of a demulsifier needed to cause water droplets to coalesce from the drilling fluid without reducing a size of particles in the drilling fluid, wherein the drilling fluid is an invert emulsion;
- treating the drilling fluid with the determined amount of demulsifier to cause the water droplets to coalesce from the drilling fluid;
- and
- separating at least one phase from the treated drilling fluid.
1 more element
A system for treating a drilling fluid, comprising:
- a tank receiving the drilling fluid, wherein the drilling fluid is an invert emulsion;
- a source configured to supply a water droplet coalescing agent to the tank, wherein the water droplet coalescing agent is a demulsifier, wherein the source is configured to supply the demulsifier in an amount determined to cause the water droplets to coalesce without reducing a size of particles in the drilling fluid;
- and
- a separator configured to receive the drilling fluid from the tank.
1 more element
A method of forming a drilling fluid, comprising:
- causing water droplets to coalesce from the drilling fluid without reducing a size of particles in the drilling fluid by treating the drilling fluid with a sufficient amount of a demulsifier to cause the water droplets to coalesce, wherein the drilling fluid is an invert emulsion;
- separating at least one phase from the treated drilling fluid;
- and
- adding to a base fluid at least one of:
- (i) an oil phase recovered from a treated drilling fluid, and (ii) a functional material recovered from a treated drilling fluid.
2 more elements
A method for treating a drilling fluid, comprising:
- treating the drilling fluid with a sufficient amount of a demulsifier to cause water droplets to coalesce, wherein a size of particles in the drilling fluid are not reduced to cause the water droplets to coalesce, and wherein the drilling fluid is an invert emulsion;
- and
- separating at least one phase from the treated drilling fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.