Shale Shaker | Drilling mud Equipment

Mud De-sanding Unit will save a lot in Piling Project

BY admin 10 February 2017 Drilling Fluids shale shaker, Drilling mud system, HDD machinery, mud recycling, shale shaker, solids control, Solids Control Equipments

Vertical rotating drilling rig is the normal machine used in piling project. During the drilling process, in order to protect the inner wall of the drilling hole and speed up the process, the operator always chooses to use drilling mud. Then here comes another problem how to reduce cost of the drilling mud thereby to reduce the cost of drilling. The solution is to use mud recycling system to make the drilling mud reusable.
The purpose of the mud recycling system is to remove the large size solid particles in the drilling mud by several separation machines. In regards to the mud recycling system for piling project, it could be a very compact design as separation process is not so complex as that for oil gas drilling. GN solids control is one of the most experienced separation solution providers who could provide the mud recycling system for almost all the industries will use it. GN already developed the standard mud recycling system especially for the piling project.

De-sanding Unit

Strictly speaking, the mud recycling system used in piling should be called de-sanding unit as the drilling depth is normally shallow and most of the solid particles are sand. A de-sanding unit would be enough for processing the separation to get the expected reusable drilling mud.
GN’s de-sanding unit is a compact structure 2 steps separation system. The main equipment in this de-sanding
unit is combined with a 2 layers shaker and cyclone manifold. The double layers shaker is used for coarse solids separation by the under layers and the upper layer screen is for drying the slurry discharged from the cyclone unit. The tank under the shaker unit is used to store the drilling mud. One centrifugal pump is installed in the system for transferring the mud to the cyclone unit for sand separation.
This de-sanding unit could be connected with extra mud tank for larger capacity mud storage. The operators can also equip a jet mixing unit to make an self-contained mud recycling system for other drilling project like HDD and water drilling.

Different Tanks in the Mud Recycling System

BY admin 13 January 2017 Drilling equipments Company, Drilling Fluids shale shaker, Drilling mud system, Mud Agitator, Mud gun, Mud Mixing, shale shaker

Mud system will not work if there are no mud tanks. In the mud recycling system, the tanks are used to store the drilling mud to be a base where the solids control equipment to be installed. Normally, more than one mud tanks
will be used in the oil drilling mud system. For different purpose, the design of the mud tank is different, especially the inner structure of the mud tanks.
There are mainly 3 types of mud tanks recycling tank, intermediate tank and premixing tank. Then what are the different among these 3 types of mud tank?
The recycling tank is where to install the primary shakers and degasser unit, and also the de-sanding and de-silting unit. Each of equipment needs a compartment in the mud tank. As the recycled drilling mud is treated by the solids control equipment one by one. After treatment by each of the equipment, the drilling fluids will be cleaner than before. Thus the drilling fluids cannot be mixed. The wall between two compartments always has an overflow port for balance of the drilling mud in the tank.

Mud Tank System

For the tank to install the de-sander and de-silter unit, inner structure of the mud tank would be much complex as there are pipes for centrifugal pump to such the drilling fluids from inside of the tank and transfer to the cyclone for further treatment. Operator has to know which pipe is for de-sander and which pipe is the desilter.
On the mud tanks for installing the solids control equipment on, there always have the walkways and handrails. The walkways provide enough space for the operator to walk around the equipment for operation and maintenance. Intermediate tank is a type buffering tank, part of this tank is for mud recycling, and other parts are used for mud storage. Operators can easily tell how many compartment in this tank.
The premixing tank is used to mix drilling fluids. It always is connected with the jet mixer unit. The mixing pumps suck liquid from mud tank and send liquid back again with added mud materials from the hopper. Thus the pump should be able to suck the drilling mud from anywhere in the mud tank used for mixing and storage.
Therefore, in the mixing tank, there are two groups of pipelines, one for sucking, and the other one is for sending liquid back. Mug agitators and mud guns are always installed on the mixing tank.
Though, the inner structure of the above tanks is different, the outer dimension and design are always the same for purpose of easy transportation and assembling.

How the Double-Layers Shale Shaker Works for Mud Recycling

BY admin 28 November 2016 mud recycling, shale shaker, solids control, Solids Control Equipments

Shale shaker is very common equipment used in the drilling mud recycling system. Its function is the first stage for remove the coarse solids in the drilling mud. Sometimes, we may see the double layers shale shakers are installed in the mud system. Below we would like to share some information on how the double layers shale shaker works in the mud recycling system.
Some mud system may has limitation on the footprint, thus, the operators would like to equip a shale shaker with high treating capacity but compact structure. The double layer shaker no doubt is the ideal choice.

Shale Shaker

For shale shaker application – when the unit is used as primary shale shaker, it is located at the very beginning of the mud system. As we know, the shale shaker unit has buffer box for mud feeding into the shaker unit. The mud overflow out from the buffer box would flow into the upper shaker screen panels with coarse screen for larger size solids separation. The lower screen panels would be much finer for small solids separation. Double layer shale shaker will have a relative larger capacity; in the meanwhile, it can remove out smaller
solids.
For Mud Cleaner application – Shale shaker can also be used as underflow drying shaker by combining with hydro cyclone unit. This type mud cleaner functioned as both shale shaker and cyclone unit. The lower screen with coarse mesh is for larger solids separation, and the upper screen with fine mesh is for drying the slurry discharged from the cyclone.
GN now has main two models of double layers shale shaker. One is coming from the shaker model of GNZS703. Its deformation GNZS706 double layer is for larger capacity shaker and GNZS705 for mud cleaner unit. The other is GNZS752; it can be upgraded to GNZS753 double layers. These double layer shale shakers are widely used in GN’s compact design mud recycling/de-sanding unit for area limitation project.

One Machine Does Jobs as both Shaker and Mud Cleaner

BY admin 27 June 2016 Drilling Fluids shale shaker, Drilling mud system, mud recycling, shale shaker, shale shaker screen, solids control, Solids Control Equipments

The persons who know solids control equipment may know well on the shale shaker and mud cleaner unit. These 2 machines are very common in solids control system that do solids separation job from the first to forth stage. The shale shaker is located at the very beginning of the mud recycling system for primary solids control; the coarse cuttings could be removed by the shale shaker. While after treated by the shale shaker, the drilling fluids would be transferred to the mud cleaner for further treatment.
For the purpose of easy maintenance, in the same solids control system, the mud cleaner is equipped with under drying shaker that is same model as the primary shale shaker. Mud cleaner is just a machine on which the cyclone frame was fixed above. The mud cleaner unit is only able to be used to separate the solids via the hydrocyclone units. Why the mud cleaner unit cannot be used as a shale shaker even if it has the under drying shaker? This is really a good question. GN’s engineer equipped a logging tank to the mud cleaner unit and the mud cleaner unit becomes a shale and mud cleaner composition unit.

GN Shaker & Mud Cleaner Composition Unit

Normally, GN’s shaker unit has back type logging tank that is used to collect the drilling fluids coming out from the drilling hole. The drilling fluids accumulated in the logging box firstly and then overflow into the shaker deck, thus the shaker screen will not be damaged by the high pressure drilling fluids. This unit could be used as a shale shaker unit.
De-sanding and de-silting cyclone are installed on the mud cleaner for finer solids separation. The solid discharged out from the bottom nozzle of the cyclone also has high pressure that will shorten the screen life if directly dropped onto the screen surface. To avoid this situation, there is a hopper collection box that is used as buffer between the cyclone and screen. To make this machine compact, GN’s engineer designed to insert the buffer box into the logging box, which means the logging box is also used as second buffer box for the cyclone unit. This is the function of mud cleaner.
One thing need to be noted is this shaker and cleaner machine can only be used for one function one time: either shaker or mud cleaner. This is a cost saving unit with small footprint, for some project not very urgent, this unit could be a very ideal choice. GN ever showed this unit at Beijing CIPPE, much attention was attracted there.

Vertically Installed Submersible Slurry Pump in Solids Control System

BY admin 17 March 2016 Decanter Centrifuge, drilling mud centrifuge, shale shaker, solids control, Solids Control Equipments

In drilling mud solids control system, pumps are used to transfer the drilling fluids from one machine to another. Submersible slurry pump is one type pump installed vertically on mud tank or mud pit. In GN designed solids control system, this type slurry pump is often used in HDD project and feeding to centrifuge wherever it is used.

hdd mud system

Submersible pump used in HDD mud system

GN has standard model of HDD mud system ranging from 200GPM to 1500GPM. All the models are compact structure. The used drilling fluid in this horizontal drilling comes out from the drilling hole and accumulates in a mud pit. It requests a pump to transfer the drilling mud to the mud system. Above picture perfectly shows the how the submersible slurry pump is installed vertically on the mud pit to transfer the drilling mud to the shale shaker in the HDD mud system. As this pump is installed out of the mud system, when making the quote to clients, GN always recommends an independent submersible slurry pump as an option.

slurry pump

Submersible pump used as centrifuge feeding pump

In an oil and gas drilling mud system, after treated by the de-silter cyclone, the drilling mud will be pumped to decanter centrifuge for fine solids separation. Vertically installed in mud tank will ensure a larger tank compartment capacity for more drilling mud storage.
GN’s submersible slurry pump is single stage single suction type pump that is usually used to transfer the slurry with larger solids content. There is no bearing and gland seal between impeller and pump body; hence the slurry pump is maintenance-free and high temperature resistance. Submersible slurry pump is an ideal equipment to transfer the mud to centrifuge and HDD shale shaker. Besides, it can also be used to feed the de-sander and de-silter.

De-sander with Double Layers Screen Panels Drying Shaker

BY admin 22 February 2016 Drilling equipments Company, Drilling Fluids shale shaker, Drilling mud system, mud recycling, shale shaker, shale shaker screen, solids control, Solids Control Equipments

De-sander is very popular equipment used in solids and liquid separation processing. It always contains cyclone unit and steel frame. With different diameter of the cone body, this cyclone unit could separate the solid particles with different sizes. GN’s de-sander is using 10 inch cyclones which could remove the solids size down to around 45 microns.
GN’s de-sander unit is used in drilling industry to separate the drilling cuttings from the drilling fluids. Traditional de-sander units don’t have the under drying shaker for maximum recovery of the drilling fluids liquid, thus a large amount of valuable drilling fluids was lost. However, this type de-sander and even the de- silter unit are very simple structure and cost effective.

GN De-sander Cleaner

To make the discharged solids much dryer, GN prefer to suggest choosing the de-sander unit with a under drying shaker which could recycle much more drilling fluids. This could reduce the waste discharges to environment and the cost on drilling fluids materials. GN has a de-sander model with under drying shaker of 2 layers screens panel. This unit is functioning as both primary shale shaker and de-sander unit. The drilling fluids gets into this de-sander unit via the mud distributor pipe and then flow on the bottom layer screen firstly for primary solids control. Liquid gets through the screen mesh and falls down to the under located mud tank. Large size particles will be discharged out of the shaker. And then the liquid will be transferred by a centrifugal pump unit to the de-sander cyclone unit for fine solids separation. The mixture of liquid and solids discharged from the cyclone will come to the upper layers screen for drying processing. Here, to prevent the damage of screen mesh resulted by the strong impact force of solids discharged out from the cyclone unit, GN designs small buffer box to cover the outlet of the cyclone. This buffer box is small enough to make the unit more compact.
GN’s double-layer screen panel shale shaker can also be used as only primary shaker for much fine solids separation. Besides de-sander unit, de-silter unit can also use this type shaker as drying shaker.

Pre-installed Shaker in Framework for easy Assembling and Transportation

BY admin 17 February 2016 Decanter Centrifuge, Drilling mud system, shale shaker, solids control, Solids Control Equipments

All persons who ever been a drilling site will know that the solids control equipment like shale shakers are located on top of the mud tank. The shakers are fixed directly by bolts onto the mud tank top, if you want disassemble the system, you need loose the bolt and take off all the shakers units one by one which will cost much time.
GN Solids Control ever made several mud systems in which the primary solids control equipment are pre-installed on a framework, and then the framework whole package is put on the mud tank top. Just like below picture shows 2 unit GN’s double layers shale shakers in installed in a 20 ft container size framework, under the shaker base and on the frame skid, there are opening through where the drilling fluids could flow down to the mud tank.

20160217 gn frame installed shale shaker

GN Shakers Pre-installed in Framework

What benefit this design would brought to the operator
1. Preinstalled shakers on the frame greatly save the time for assembling and disassembling, not bolt will be lost during the procedure of many times installation.
2. Container sized frame with container fixing point at all 8 corners of the bottom skid and top beam. This frame could be put directly on the flat bed trailer for easy transportation.
3. The horizontal and vertical beams and legs could be used as support of rain cloth to cover outside the frame for bed weather.
Actually, not only shale shakers could be pre-installed in this type framework, the decanter centrifuge unit can also be put in it. On the frame, there will be enough space for wire cables laying.

Framework is simple but it could bring convenience to operators. Besides this type frame, GN could also provide telescopic skid frame used to put decanter centrifuge and vertical cuttings dryer on that for waste cuttings management application. That type frame is little complex, however, it could make the equipment a modular package to meet customers’ requirements better.

How Pyramid Type Screen Makes Larger Capacity

BY admin 21 January 2016 Drilling Fluids shale shaker, shale shaker, shale shaker screen, solids control, Solids Control Equipments

Shaker screen users may know that there are flat type screen and pyramid type screen used very often on the shale shakers to separate the cuttings from the used drilling fluids.
The flat type shaker screen are very common in screen application, with 3 layers wire mesh stacked and closely connected with the steel back frame. Always there are hook strip type and steel tube frame type screen. Different from the flat type screen with a flat shape screen panel, the pyramid type screen is designed three dimensions screen panel like a wave. This pyramid screen design firstly issued by the world No. 1 solids control equipment manufacturer of Derrick Equipment. And they do have patent for this design.

GN replacment pyramid creen

Comparing with flat type screen, the pyramid type screen has below several advantages.
1. Make a larger effective screen area. Due to the wave type with top and troughs, in fact, the screen panel has a larger screen area than the flat type if the screen panels have same width and length. The pyramid screen let more drilling fluids distribute on the screen and more fluids will with solids less than the mesh will go through the screen.
2. Under the G force and gravity, the solids will accumulate at the troughs of the screen. Comparing with the flat type screen with solids distribute uniformly on the whole screen panel which will impede the go though the screen, the pyramid screen has the wave top and slopes at both sides will let drilling fluids come through.
3. The pyramid screen will make the fluids distribute as a much thinner layers which also helps to increase the flow rate and make the solids much dryer. And it can also separate solids around 3 meshes finer than the flat type screens.
These advantages pyramid screen will especially appear more clear when fed with larger volume drilling fluids that can submerge the screen panel. Thus the full screen effective area will be fully used.

Cost Effective Shaker Screen for Sale 20-30% Off

BY admin 14 January 2016 Drilling mud system, shale shaker, shale shaker screen, solids control, Solids Control Equipments

Shaker Screen is one of the very often uses wear parts for drilling process. When starting the drilling process, the shaker screen is installed on the shale shaker unit to separate the solid particles in drilling fluids. The fine holes on screen panel could block the solids larger than the hole size, while the liquid could go through easily. On oil field, most of the shale shaker unit is using 3 or 4 panel screens. According to different condition of the drilling fluids and usage, the driller need make some inventory of the spare shaker screen.

gn shaker screen on sale

It will be good to get the shaker screen from the original shale shaker supplier so long as you are willing to spend much money on it. There is another way to get the replacement screen from the OEC screen manufacturer. This would save a lot on the cost of spare screens, so that the drilling cost would be greatly reduced.
GN Solids Control, definitely, is one of the manufacturers of the shaker screens. With nearly 10 years experience in manufacturing the solids control equipment and shaker screens, GN now could provide the replacement shaker screen for Derrick FLC 500 and 48-30 series, replacement screen for Swaco Mongoose and ALC series. No matter hook strip or frame type, pre-tensioned or non-pretensioned. Many positive onsite level performance feedbacks proved the GN’s screen quality.
It is well known GN is a manufacturer who is keeping improving the technology. After several years’ research and kindly feedbacks from customer, GN has improved the technology on shaker screen fabrication, which greatly increases the shaker screen life time and reduce the processing cost. This directly leads to the reduction of the screen price. GN is willing to share the benefit with all the clients by quoted the full line screens with a 20-30% unit price reduction. That is really good news for the shaker screen requester.
GN is also able to provide the replacement shaker screen used on Cobra shaker, VSM300 shaker and FSI shakers. Besides, GN’s does have the screens for own shale shaker unit. If you have any request on the shaker screen, just call us to get more information.

How Overflow Line Works in a Solids Control System

BY admin 7 January 2016 Drilling equipments Company, Drilling Fluids shale shaker, Drilling mud system, shale shaker, solids control, Solids Control Equipments

Generally a solids control system will have all the 4 stages separation equipment for drilling cuttings and fluids. However, not all the equipment would have to be used when drilling. Hence, it will be better to design an overflow line for the drilling fluids on the mud tank to let the drilling fluids could flow bypass the equipment will not be used in some specific process.
In generally condition, the overflow line is designed as a U type slot on one side of the mud tank top. It is starting from the sand trap compartment of the mud tank to at least the suction tank where the high pressure mud pump could suck the active drilling fluids and transfer to the rig. As per customers’ requirements, this overflow line could extend to the drilling fluids mixing tank and storage tank.

solids control system on site layout

Shale shaker, de-sander, de-silter and decanter centrifuge are seen as the 4 stages of solids control equipment which can finally separate out the cuttings with size down to 2-5 microns. In some solids control system, there will also have vacuum degasser located between the shale shaker and cyclone units. This degasser is used to remove the entrapped gas in the drilling fluids like CO2. However, this degasser unit is not used very often.
When the time no need start this machine, we can close the gate on the overflow line to the degasser sucking compartment, and then the drilling fluids could flow directly to the de-sander compartment after treated by the shale shaker. Even, sometimes then no need the cyclone unit, the drilling fluids could flow into the centrifuge feeding compartment. This always happens at the beginning time of the drilling as there is not much cuttings in the drilling fluids.
By opening or closing the gate between the overflow line and each compartment of the mud tank. The mud engineer could guide the drilling fluids flow so than do a better control of the solids control system. You know, turn off the equipment will not be used temporally will save a lot when drilling, and that is also a protection on the machine.
Knowing how the overflow line works would be much helpful for us to design the drilling fluids solids control system. Once the system arrives at the drilling site, this could greatly help to increase the working efficiency.