This article mainly introduces the concept of “Oil-Based Drilling Mud Treatment” in the field of oil drilling, the generation and harms of oil-based drilling mud treatment, the four steps of oil-based drilling mud treatment and on-site cases.
1.What is Oil-Based Drilling Mud Treatment？
Oil-based mud is a substance composed of organic solid particles such as oil, water, asphalt, inorganic solid particles such as drill cuttings, high molecular compounds, and other impurities. The oil-based drilling mud treatment is a set of solutions or equipment for oil-based mud treatment. The main goal of the oil-free mud treatment is to achieve the harmless treatment of waste and reuse of base oil.
2.The generation, harm and function of oil-based mud
The generation and harm of oil-based mud: In oil and gas drilling, water-based mud is generally used in shallow wells, and oil-based mud is used in deep wells. Conventional solid-control equipment can effectively recover barite and useful drilling fluid items. If these solid phases containing heavy metals and compounds (probably oil content is about 12% to 18%) are discharged randomly without treatment, long-term precipitation will cause harm to the natural environment of nearby vegetation, soil and groundwater.
The function of oil-based mud: The use of drilling waste treatment and purification system can solve the environmental problems on site, meanwhile, it can recycle the waste generated by the on-site solid control system and carry out centralized solidification treatment of the reprocessed drill cuttings.
3.Composition of oil-based drilling mud treatment
The main equipment of oil-based drilling mud treatment include: vertical cutting dryer, decanter centrifuge, screw conveyor, screw pump, electronic control system, etc.
4.Four steps of oil-based drilling mud treatment
A. Oil-based mud demulsification: Use chemical agents, sonic waves, mechanical force to destroy the emulsion state in the waste oil-based drilling fluid to achieve the oil-water layer or evaporation away from the solid phase.
B. Three-phase separation of oil-based mud: the three-phase separation of oil, water and solids is achieved by centrifugation, flocculation, extraction or evaporative condensation.
C. Oil-based mud purification: Purify the substances in each phase separately to make them clean and reusable or directly discharged.
D. Reuse of oil-based mud: Select the appropriate recycling method according to the degree of purification, such as drilling cuttings to make bricks, drilling cuttings paving, etc.
5.Cases of Oil-Based Drilling Mud Treatment
Brightway is an integrated solution provider for oilfield environmental protection problems. The project cases are mainly distributed in UAE, Saudi Arabia，Malaysia，Thailand，Indonesia and India. The following scenes are photos of Brightway ‘Oil-Based Drilling Mud Treatment’ case.
For more technical solutions on ‘Oil-Based Drilling Mud Treatment’, please visit: http://www.solidscontrolsystem.com/drilling-waste-management-brightway-mud-system/