Reclamation of components of wellbore cuttings material

• US 8,316,557 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varco I/P Incorporated (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Varco I/P Incorporated (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burnett, George Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/469,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20090227477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 343/10, 343/11, 343/14, 343/20, 343/21, 343/23, 343/26, 344/13, 344/97, 507/100, 507/199, 507/244, 210/300.1, 210/787, 210/804, 210/806, 175/66, 175/207
• US Class Current: 34/314
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/066 with further treatment of the solids, e.g. for disposal
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 7/00 Drying solid materials or objects by processes using a combination of processes not covered by a single one of groups F26B3/00 and F26B5/00 F26B1/005, F26B5/04, F26B23/026 take precedence

Abstract

A screen assembly for a shale shaker comprising a panel (500) and a support structure (600), the panel (500) having an area provided with a multiplicity of apertures and at least one layer of screening material arranged over the multiplicity of apertures, wherein said panel (500) is removable from said support structure (600).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

flowing a drill cuttings mixture comprising drilling fluid and cuttings material to a dryer, wherein said dryer is adapted to dry said cuttings material below a preselected moisture content level;

producing dried cuttings material from said drill cuttings mixture with said dryer;

sensing a moisture content of said dried cuttings material;

conveying said dried cuttings material to a cuttings reinjection system with a conveyor system comprising a positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus; and

reinjecting said dried cuttings material into a well bore using said cuttings reinjection system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising diverting said dried cuttings material away from said positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus when said sensed moisture content exceeds said preselected moisture content level.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein diverting said dried cuttings material comprises reversing a reversible conveyor comprising said conveyor system to prevent said dried cuttings material from flowing to said positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

producing a drilling fluid mixture comprising some solids material from said drill cuttings mixture with said dryer; and

flowing said drilling fluid mixture from said dryer to a holding system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising flowing said drilling fluid mixture from said holding system to a rig mud system.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising flowing said drilling fluid mixture from said holding system to a centrifuge, wherein said centrifuge is adapted to produce centrifuged solids and centrifuged drilling fluid.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising flowing said centrifuged drilling fluid to said holding system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising treating said dried cuttings material with a thermal treatment system.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising feeding said dried cuttings material from said positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus to said thermal treatment system prior to reinjecting said dried cuttings material into said well bore.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a primary control system to adjust a rate of feed of said dried cuttings material to a mixer, wherein said primary control system is adapted to control said conveyor system; and

feeding mixed material from said mixer to said cuttings reinjection system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting said feed rate of said dried cuttings material to said mixer comprises using a secondary control system to provide density measurements from a density meter to said primary control system, wherein said secondary control system is adapted to control said cuttings reinjection system.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising reducing a size of material pieces comprising said cuttings material with said dryer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein reducing said size of said material pieces comprises reducing said material pieces to powder.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting said preselected moisture content level to approximately 10% by weight.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing said moisture content of said dried cuttings material comprises using a moisture meter to measure said moisture content prior to conveying said dried cuttings material to said cuttings reinjection system.