Mud tank is a basic device for drilling mud solids control system. Drilling mud tank looks sample. It seems easy for fabrication. The difficulties lie in design and pipelines to allocate all equipment. It is difficult to design the mud tanks to suit for clients demands on requested separation equipment and mixing system.
As every jobsite has different request for mud tank size, the number of mud tanks, mud tank usable capacity, the layout of mud tanks, and most clients have different request on separation equipment and mixing equipment, they request different models and numbers of shale shaker, desander, desilter, decanter centrifuge, jet mud mixer, pumps, etc… In this case, nearly every mud system is different. It is a big work to make the mud tank system designs and drawings, and need to change the designs and drawings again and again during the communication with clients. It is a huge work to make full package mud tank systems. It has high request on the manufacturers’ capability.
Shale shaker is a basic separation equipment. There are various types of shale shakers, like 3-panel shale shaker, 4-panel shale shaker, single deck shale shaker, double deck shale shaker, etc… Shale shaker is nearly used for all separation system. And it is the 1st stage solids control separation equipment in mud systems.
There is normally a sand trap under the shale shaker. The drilling fluid enters the drilling fluid mud tank system after passing through the shale shaker screen. The sand trap plays a very important role in the daily use of 80 mesh screen cloth or coarser screen cloth.
The bottom of the sand trap should be inclined by 45 ° to promote the sedimentation of large sand particles and rapid discharge outside the tank. The bottom inclined by 45 ° or more has a self-cleaning effect. The sand trap shall not be stirred, but shall enter the lower tank through overflow. Both linear and balanced elliptical motion drilling fluid shale shakers have this technology. Fine cobalt chips generally do not have enough residence time to precipitate. When cheap drilling fluid is used, the grit pump shall pump 1 ~ 2 times every 1H. At present, ultra-fine mesh screen cloth is widely used. Due to the expensive waste treatment cost and environmental concerns, such discharge is not allowed and the cost is limited.
After shale shaker, there are various types of separation equipment, clients can choose per jobsite demands and jobsite situation, like 3-in-1 mud cleaner, desander, desilter, vacuum degasser, middle speed decanter centrifuge, high speed decanter centrifuge, jet mud mixing unit, etc…