Apparatus and method for separating solids from a solids laden drilling fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9364777-B2
Application number	US-201214233123-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2012
Priority date	Jul 15, 2011
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus for separating solids from solids laden drilling fluid, the apparatus comprising a skid and a basket resiliently suspended thereto and a vibratory mechanism to vibrate the basket, the basket having at least one screen deck for receiving at least one screen, the basket having a feed end at which solids laden drilling fluid is introduced and a discharge end at which solids are discharged through a solids discharge opening, the apparatus further comprising a hood encompassing at least a discharge end of the basket and at least one extraction outlet arranged at the discharge end to remove fume laden air from the basket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for separating solids from solids laden drilling fluid, the apparatus comprising:
a skid;
a basket resiliently suspended to the skid, the basket having at least one screen deck for receiving at least one screen, the basket having a feed end at which the solids laden drilling fluid is introduced and a discharge end at which the solids are discharged through a solids discharge opening,
a vibratory mechanism to vibrate the basket;
a hood encompassing at least the discharge end of the basket;
at least one extraction outlet arranged at the discharge end at one end of the hood to remove fume laden air from the basket; and
a sump arranged beneath the basket, the sump having a sump discharge opening at an opposite end of the hood from the discharge end to draw in the fume laden air from the basket;
wherein replacement air discharged through the at least one extraction outlet is passed through the sump discharge opening and the solids discharge opening to supply the replacement air to replace the fume laden air removed through the at least one extraction outlet.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hood is a complete housing having at least one replacement air opening sized to facilitate control of flow of the replacement air to replace the fume laden air removed through the at least one extraction outlet.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the at least one replacement air opening is arranged underneath the at least one screen deck and at the feed end of the basket.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a solids removal apparatus for conveying the solids away from the discharge end of the basket, wherein the at least one extraction outlet is arranged above the solids removal apparatus.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the solids removal apparatus comprises a ditch.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one extraction outlet is arranged in a top of the hood, drawing the fume laden air vertically through a duct extending from the at least one extraction outlet.

7. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hood extends over the entire basket to inhibit the fume laden air from escaping the apparatus for separating the solids from the solids laden drilling fluid.

8. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hood comprises an opening about a base of the vibratory mechanism.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a seal is arranged between the base of the vibratory mechanism and the hood.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hood is fixed to the skid, allowing the basket to vibrate relative thereto.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the basket comprises a scalping deck and two primary decks spaced vertically one above the other.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a ventilation system for drawing the fume laden air through the at least one extraction outlet.

13. A bank of shale shakers each shale shaker comprising
a skid;
a basket resiliently suspended to the skid, the basket having at least one screen deck for receiving at least one screen, the basket having a feed end at which solids laden drilling fluid is introduced and a discharge end at which solids are discharged through a solids discharge opening;
a vibratory mechanism to vibrate the basket;
a hood encompassing at least the discharge end of the basket and at least one extraction outlet arranged at the discharge end at one end of the hood to remove fume laden air from the basket; and
a sump arranged beneath the basket, the sump having a sump discharge opening at an opposite end of the hood from the discharge end to draw in the fume laden air from the basket;
wherein replacement air discharged through the at least one extraction outlet is passed through the sump discharge opening and the solids discharge opening to supply the replacement air to replace the fume laden air removed through the at least one extraction outlet, each of the at least one extraction outlets linked by a duct with a ventilation system for drawing the fume laden air from each of the baskets of each of the shale shakers.

14. A method of separating solids from solids laden drilling fluid, comprising:
providing a shale shaker comprising:
a skid;
a basket resiliently suspended to the skid, the basket arranged over a sump, the basket having at least one screen deck having at least one screen, the basket having a feed end at which the solids laden drilling fluid is introduced and a discharge end at which the solids are discharged through a solids discharge opening;
a vibratory mechanism to vibrate the basket;
a hood encompassing at least the discharge end of said basket and at least one extraction outlet arranged at said discharge end;

drawing fume laden air from the basket through the at least one extraction outlet at one end of the hood; and
drawing replacement air through a sump discharge opening of said sump at an opposite end of the hood from the at least one extraction outlet and through the sump discharge opening and the solids discharge opening to supply the replacement air to replace the fume laden air removed through the at least one extraction outlet.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising vibrating the basket with the vibratory mechanism.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising introducing the solids laden drilling fluid into the feed end and discharging the solids through the solids discharge opening.

Assignees

• Burnett George Alexander
• Nat Oilwell Varco Lp

Inventors

• Burnett George Alexander

Classifications

• B01D33/0376

  supported · CPC title

• E21B21/065 Primary

  Separating solids from drilling fluids · CPC title

• B08B15/02

  using chambers or hoods covering the area {(B08B15/002 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E21B21/063

  by separating components · CPC title

• E21B21/06 Primary

  Arrangements for treating drilling fluids outside the borehole · CPC title