Drilling mud Equipment

It is known that the solids control system is part of the complete drilling rig system. So, always we see the drilling mud solids control equipment is equipped for the drill rig at wild field where the working condition would be various. Some places the weather is four-spring like, while some other places very cold. When finished the drilling job at one well, all the equipment would be disassembled and transported to next well. It always takes few months to move all parts of the drilling rig system. Solids control system is only small part of the drill rig system. However, if the solids control equipment could be moved easily, that would be also benefit for the whole transportation of the drill rig.

With the rich experience on solids control management and job working, some customers came to GN Solids Control and talked about their idea to build a drilling mud system which could be easily transported and all equipment could be operated and repaired indoor. What they preferred are two options: Containerized and Frame Supported.

For the containerized design, all the equipment would be located inside a container or a same size mud tank, which is completely closed and with doors for operator in and out. The advantages of this design the all operation would be completed indoor, especially for some area with bad climate condition. With air conditioner installed inside the container, winter to prevent cold and summer avoid hot sun. On the other hand, this containerized design may not have sufficient space left for the operator to move do maintenance job freely. For the big size equipment, it is also difficult to be put into the container. Once GN provided Russia customer 2 units containerized drilling waste cuttings management system. To lift out the huge cuttings dryer out from the container, the container was opened a door on top and use a crane to get the rotation part of the dryer out.

For the frame supported idea, the solids control equipment like shale shaker and decanter centrifuge would be installed in a strong steel frame, the frame size is same with standard container. When assemble the system, the equipment could be easily positioned. For the operation and maintenance, there is enough space as there will be walkways surrounded the frame. The operator could make a thick canvas cover to cover the whole system to make it a closed unit.

Both the containerized and frame supported system are easy for transportation as no equipment need to be disassembled before moving. The frame is design same fixing point with the container that makes the system trailer available.
Welcome contact with GN Solids Control to get a solution for drilling mud recycling.

Verti G cuttings dryer is specially used in drilling fluids solids control system to recover the waste cuttings out from the primary shale shaker and mud cleaner. At present, the company CSI is the world accepted most famous manufacturer for the Verti G cuttings dryer unit. No matter on quality and production series, CSI is the No. 1.

GN Solids Control has been dedicated to design and manufacture the Verti G cuttings dryer in the past three years, and now GN 2nd generation cuttings dryer have been tested successfully and already applied on site. GN’s verti G unit is workable for both the water based drilling mud and oil based mud which makes GN Solids Control occupy the first seed in China solids control market. To ensure the smooth performance of the verti G dryer, GN equipped on the unit with flushing and blowing system.

GN Verti G dryer flushing system

The flushing system on GN second generation verti G cuttings dryer is consisting of a screw pump and relative hoses. Usually the material getting into the Cuttings dryer would be high viscosity and dry. With the rotating of the dryer bowl, the fine solids and liquid would be sprayed on to the inner surrounded wall of the bowl and stick on it. To clean the inside of the cuttings dryer, the screw pump would feed clean water into the bowl. Under the high pressure of the flushing water, the fine solids and dirty liquid would be flushed down from the wall and get out from the dryer vessel.

GN Verti G Air Knife System

One of GN first generation Verti G cuttings dryer defects is that the discharged solids out from dryer unit is not dry enough for easy transportation. The air knife design could solve the problem of the block on the rotating screen opening. GN’s vertical cuttings dryer has 3 types screen for option, the opening is 250 microns, 350 microns and 500 microns. Under high pressure of the blowing air, the blocked opening of the screen would open and the solids would be blow to much dryer. This greatly enhances the working efficiency and makes the transportation of the discharged solid very easy.
Besides the verti G dryer, there would be another important equipment called decanter centrifuge which would remove the much fine solid particles in the drilling mud.

Decanter Centrifuge is one of the most common and well known equipment in drilling mud solids control project. It is often used as the fourth stage solids control equipment to remove the ultimate fine solids. To some extent, the performance of the centrifuge determines the success of the project.

How to define the capacity of the horizontal sedimentation decanter centrifug

Most of the oilfield application decanter centrifuge manufacturers worldwide claim the capacity which is tested by using the water. Take the GNLW363BG small bowl centrifuge as an example, the nominal capacity is 132GPM, this capacity is for water and the actual treating capacity would be various according to the drilling mud condition or other factors. That is why when customer asks how is the capacity of the centrifuge, GN always asks the user to provide as much information of the drilling mud as possible. Usually, the solid content percentage and distribution, the mud density and viscosity is necessary required.

How to select the suitable decanter centrifuge according the purpose

The decanter centrifuge is classified as middle speed and high speed, GN team recommended to select the decanter centrifuge rotation speed according the project purpose.
a. For barite recycling, the G force 700-1000, RPM around 2000
b. For High gravity solid separation, the G force 1000-2000, RPM 2500
c. For low gravity solids separation, the G force 1800-2300, RPM 3200

How to adjust the centrifuge technical parameters for proper operation

There are some parameters of the centrifuge during operation need to be given more attention for smoothly working and specified performance result. The parameters here involved would be the bowl speed, the differential speed, the feeding flow rate and liquid discharge port plate adjustment.

• If you want a large treating capacity, then you need raise the differential speed by raising the bowl speed.
• If you want the liquid as clean as enough, you need raise the bowl speed, reduce the differential speed, and raise the liquid discharge plate to a high position, thus the mud would stay in the bowl for longer time, and the liquid pool would be deep. More solids would be sediment towards the bowl wall. Then liquid discharged out would have less solid particle.
• If you want to the discharged solid material much dryer, you can raise the bowl speed, reduce the differential speed, and lower the liquid discharge part plate position. Then the liquid would be discharged quickly, and the solid may have a long distance for dewatering when getting out through the cone slope at the small end of the bowl.
• A proper feeding flow rate is also important for well performance of the centrifuge. Always, the operator would try several times with different flow rate to choose a best one. This can be implemented only by the variable speed control pump.

GN Solids Control could provide decanter centrifuge for both fixed speed and Variable speed. For more information, please feel free to contact with us.

At the end of the Past August, GN Solids Control attended the Shanghai CIPPPE 2014 and shown there 1 unit GNLW363BG-VFD decanter Centrifuge. The visitors from oil industry paid much interest on this unit and awarded the unique design of the structure.
The model GNLW363BG is the second generation of GN decanter centrifuge. This unit is with the main drive motor and back drive motor located on the same side. Thus more space is saved to locate the fixed speed control box and for operator standing. The main motor is connected with rotation bowl directly, and the screw propeller inside the bowl is driven by the back motor through belt pulley. Comparing with GN first generation centrifuge, 1 set belt is saved.

GNLW363BG centrifuge has 2 models of fixed speed and variable frequency drive. For the common drilling fluids solids control, GN always propose to use the fixed speed model for barite recovery. The normal fixed speed of GNLW363BG is 3200 RPM, and it could be adjusted to 2600RPM by changing the belt pulley. GN could provide the belt pulley for both speeds. To change the belt pulley may take some time, and then a better way is to use the VFD model.

The GNLW363VFD is equipped with 1 unit positive pressurized design PLC control panel, which make the speed is ranging from zero to 3200RPM, the operator could adjust the speed as per the actual working and mud condition. The rotation bowl assembling unit is seen as the key part for the decanter centrifuge. Beside the material of SS2205 of the main body of the bowl, the screw is protected by bolting the tungsten carbide tiles. And to avoid the solid accumulation at the solid discharge port, the GNLW363 has the design of solids plow at the discharge port, which could effectively reduce the settlement of the solids. And at the big end of the bowl where the liquid is discharged out, the liquid discharging plates are adjustable to adjust the humidity of the discharging solid cuttings. The operator could also reduce the solids accumulation by increasing the humidity.

Now, the GN third generation decanter centrifuge is under fabrication processing, this generation would much better solve the problem for solids accumulation and extent the critical part life time. GN sincerely appreciate the support and trust coming from the customers.

In last article, we gave a brief introduction on how GN layouts the mud suction and mixing pipeline in the mud circulation system. On the mud tank, there are also other functional pipelines that would be designed and laid properly for complete the mud circulation system utility and enhance the working efficiency. Today we would like to gave a explanation on how GN engineer team design the mud gun pipeline and cleaner water line.

What are the Functions of the mud gun line and clean water line

It is well known that in the mud tank, the mud agitator would be installed to agitating the drilling mud to prevent the solids particle sedimentation down to bottom of the mud tank, thus the drilling mud would be transferred or flow to next stage process as the suspension form. That would be benefit for subsequent equipment to work on the drilling mud. Mud agitator is high efficiency device. However, the mud agitator still can not get to the dead corner of the tank inner. For the issue, the solids control engineer always use the mud gun to solve the problem, the mud gun would be injected with drilling mud, high pressure mud out from the mud gun nipple would be jetted to the mud tank corner, by adjusting the angle of the mud gun, almost all the corner would be reached. During the mud recycling operation, the spraying mud would defile the equipment and lead to low efficiency. Moreover, the drilling mud would loss when separating. The mud engineer would have to add water into the mud tank to mix new drilling mud. The laying of the clean water pipeline would be necessary for these purpose, it should be very easy for the engineer to get the water.

How GN design the mud gun line and clean water line

GN’s mud tank are always rectangular, the top of the tank structure is applying the 4” tube steel. GN’s engineer would used this tube steel as the channel of the drilling mud and clean water. Only the seamless steel tube would be chosen in case of leakage of the liquid under high pressure. The mud gun line would be laid on every mud tank in the mud system so that the mud could be transferred to every mud tank compartment. Always, the mud gun line would occupy 1 length and 1 width of the tank top structure steel tube, between different tanks, the mud gun line would be connected by hose. To avoid confusion, the mud gun line would be laid at same side of the mud tank, while the clean water line is chosen as the counter sides.
The mud gun is installed inside the mud tank, thus the opening of the mud gun line would be inner the tank for easy connecting with mud gun terminals. While, the clean water line has several opening on mud tank top surface, the mud engineer would connect the water line by using a tap and control by a valve.

Regarding the power, the mud gun line is connecting with the mixing pump or high pressure mud tank. The clean water would be pumped into the water line with sufficient power. GN’s design on the mud gun line and clean water save cost on additional pipeline and effectively use the mud tank existing structure.

A complete drilling mud recycling system always includes 2 parts, the mud recovery and cleaning system part, the other part is mud mixing system. Just as the name implies, the mud mixing system is functioned to mix the chemicals with the mud base and make it usable for the rig drilling.

How many pipeline channels needed for mud mixing

As we know, the processing of mud mixing is consisting of mud suction from every mud tank compartment in the system and again pumping the mud back. There we will know we need design 1 mud suction line and 1 mud mixing line. Both of these 2 pipelines would be laid to each compartment for mud storage. Under the centrifugal force of the mixing pump, the mud would be sucked to the mud mixer unit; here the mud chemicals would be added into the mud and get to the mud tank for fully mixing with the flow of mud through the mud mixing pipeline. In order to produce the sufficient pressure for driving the mud, the inlet of the pump is larger than outlet. Accordingly, the mud suction line diameter is bigger than the mixing pipeline.

What is the location of the mud mixing pipeline inside the tank

Due to different functions of the mud suction line and mixing line, the location of the 2 pipelines are different either. For the suction line, to make sure it would be maximally suck the mud inside the tank, it always is designed to locate at the bottom of the mud tank. Thus, even very low liquid level; the pump could suck the mud for mixing. The mud mixing pipeline is connecting with the centrifugal pump outlet with extended steel pipeline which would be located on upper part of inside tank. The mud gets out from the mixing pipeline with high pressure and when dropping down, it would also stirs the existing mud for mixing, here the mud agitator would definitely is the main equipment for mud agitating.

As per the request capacity of the mud storage, the quantities of the mud tank would be different; we need design the connection parts among these tanks for the mud suction and mixing line to make all the tanks a communicating vessels so that the pump could suck from and delivery to each mud tank.

GNLW223 Series decanter centrifuge is a main product of GN Solids Control, different from the centrifuge used in oil drilling and drilling cuttings management system. The GNLW223 centrifuge is more compact structure and has a relative small treating capacity which determines this series decanter centrifuge is always be used in diamond drilling mud recycling.

GN now could provide this GNLW223 centrifuge electric drive fixed speed GNLW223G and Variable Speed GNLW223-VFD.
Both of the two models are driven by one unit electric motor. Regarding the motor and control panel, GN could also provide IEC explosion proof standard which could be used in hazardous area. Some customer may prefer the fully hydraulic drive model, at this time, GN hydraulic driven centrifuge for GNLW223 still under research process. But GN could provide the Decanter Centrifuge without motor and control panel, the customer could get the hydraulic driven unit locally and assembly together with the mechanical part. The unit which was sent to Canada is like that.
GNLW223 series decanter centrifuge has a normal treating capacity of 6 cubic meters per hour. The designed maximum rotating speed is 4900RPM. If variable frequency drive, the speed would be 0~3800RPM. Under general condition, the solid particles size in diamond drilling is very fine, however, sometimes, there would be large size drilling cuttings. Thus, one unit shale shaker maybe needed as first stage cleaning equipment to remove the large size solid particles. GN has a mini model shale shaker GNZS752 is especially for this job.
The mud system for diamond drilling is very simple; always it is consisting of mini shale shaker, GNLW223 decanter centrifuge, and mud tank and mud agitators.
Diamond drilling is very popular in Canada, there are more than 50 diamond drilling company in Canada right now. GNLW223 series decanter centrifuge has already been used in Canada for diamond drilling and performance proved very good.

Every year, GN Solids Control would have a sales promotion in order to return the profit to customer. What GN would do is to sell the equipment with very special discount. The equipment on sale is also proved performance very good and with positive feedback from the customer.

The Parameters and features of the on sale 18 inch decanter centrifuge GNLW454:
1. 18 inch bowl diameter and 61 inch bowl length, nearly 4:1 length and diameter ration which would make the separation performance much better.
2. Bowl material of stainless steel 2205 even much better than the 316L guarantee the long life time. While the screw propeller is made of SS316L, comparing with other China manufacturer using the SS304, GN’s centrifuge is more qualified.
3. Complete importing SKF bearing application make sure the operation stability and easy for maintenance.
4. Tungsten carbide tiles protection on the screw propeller and solids discharge port further make sure long time no shutting down running.

This unit is designed the Max. speed of 2800RPM that could cut solids size down to 2~7 microns. 30% discount, absolutely, it is a real a hard to get opportunity for drilling contractor or the oilfield mud service provider. Please no hesitate to contact with GN solids control for more information on that.

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Lots of GN’s solids control equipment has been used in Turkey project and the feedback is good. This time, GN again got order for 2 sets solid control equipment for 1000HP rig from Turkey customer.

The ordered equipment in this project are 2 units GNZS594 shale shaker and 1 unit GNZJ594-2S12N mud cleaner for each rig. Total 4 units shale shaker and 2 mud cleaner. The shale shaker is designed 4 screens panel that would be interchangeable with Mongoose screen.
Worth to mention is that the customer is manufacturing the mud tank in Turkey and uses our equipment. To make sure the better matching of GN equipment and the mud tank, GN would provide the drawing and technical support to the customer. GN Solids Control will also dispatch engineer to customer site for installation instruction and training when the time of assembling the mud recycling system.

GN Solids Control would like very much to cooperation the customers who could fabricate the mud tank by themselves and get GN’s equipment. This cooperation method would greatly reduce the cost of delivery on large size mud tank and make sure prompt delivery of order equipments.

Applications of Dewatering unit

Dewatering unit is the necessary unit for drilling waste management in oil and gas drilling field. It can also be used for many other applications, like: oily sludge separation system, dredge slurry separation, waste water separation, etc…

Specifications of GN 1500 20ft dewatering unit

1) Chemical enhancing speed: 1500 liter / h, it is the most important parameters

2) Dewatering unit size: 20ft containerized

3) Components: 2 components / 3 components, depends on customer’s request

4) Chemical enhancing trough: normally Quality from 1 to 3, to enhance 1 kinds of chemicals, or 2 or 3 kinds of chemicals, depends on customer’s request.

GN standard 1500 20ft containerized dewatering unit is put into a 20 ft container, while the decanter centrifuge GNLW363 for the dewatering unit can be put into the container, on the top or the container or just out side the container, depends on customers’ jobsite.

In case the dewatering unit mounted on a container, the complete unit cannot be shipped by container but need to be shipped by bulk vessel, shipping cost relative higher and shipping time longer. In order to save cost, customer can choose only the dewatering unit, can mounted it into a container or something similar locally to save cost.

For other kinds of dewatering unit, contact GN group freely.