While drilling through mudstone, sandstone, lutite, and multiple geologic faults, the operator wanted to reduce the volume of OBM waste disposed in a location with a small physical footprint.
SLB recommended the SCREEN PULSE separator, which recovers drilling fluid directly from primary solids control equipment and enables drilling fluid to be reintroduced into the active circulation system while drilling.
Using the SCREEN PULSE separator in the 14¾-in and 10 5/8-in sections enabled a 14% recovery of drilling fluid. The separator reduced oil on cuttings by 6.78% in the 14¾-in section and by 5.95% in the 10 5/8-in section. During testing, the operator recovered an average of 20 bbl/d of drilling fluid, eliminating 31.8 round trips of 1,942.47 km [1,207 mi] for treatment and reducing 2.22 metric tons of CO2 emissions.
The SCREEN PULSE separator recovered a total of 923.47 bbl of drilling fluid, which was reincorporated into the active system without altering the drilling fluid properties. This transformed a linear process into a circular economy model and converted waste into a resource. The reduction of waste and manufacturing of drilling fluid saved USD 156,000. The recovery of drilling fluid reduced logistics operation costs. The drilling fluid was not impacted by low-gravity solids, which was proved by laboratory testing.
