A collection system for collecting materials, such as cuttings, drilling fluid, wellbore fluid, lost circulation material, hydrocarbons and mixtures thereof, from a vibratory separator in a collection trough and facilitating movement of the collected materials to a discharge conduit utilizing a squeegee member. The squeegee may be moved along a track between the discharge conduits to move the material in the collection trough to the discharge conduits. The squeegee may be moved pneumatically or hydraulically. The squeegee may also be moved along the track magnetically utilizing a magnetic piston train. Movement of the squeegee can be modulated based on the rate of material into the collection trough.

A vertical cuttings dryer (“VCD”) can be used to separate solid particulate from entrained liquid. In some examples, the VCD includes a screen mounted coaxially with an internal wiper housing that carriers a wiper sweeping out an annular space between the screen and wiper housing. The VCD may have a first motor connected through drive shaft to the screen and a second motor connect through a separate drive shaft to the wiper housing. A controller can independently control the speed of the first motor and the second motor to independently a magnitude of centrifugal force applied to material being processed as well as a residence time of the material being processed in the annular space.

A scalping insert includes a scalping surface having a plurality of scalping slots therethrough, and a vertical base portion. A shaker screen assembly includes a screen frame having at least one slot, and at least one scalping insert disposed in the at least one slot of the screen frame. A method of processing fluid includes providing a flow of fluid to a shaker screen assembly; and flowing the fluid through a scalping surface and a screen surface of a single shaker screen deck.

A system includes a mud return system. The mud return system includes a pressure exchanger (PX) configured to be installed in a body of water, to receive used drilling mud, to receive a second fluid, to utilize the second fluid to pressurize the drilling mud for transport, via a mud return line, from a first location at or near the sea floor to a second location at or near a surface of the body of water.

Stacked-plate filters may include a plurality of stacked filter plates with small gaps therebetween. The present disclosure provides a stacked-plate filter apparatus comprising a plurality of filter plates stacked along a longitudinal axis with the filter plates substantially parallel. Each filter plate has a respective outer rim, first face and second face. Each of the filter plates defines a respective opening therethrough. The outer rim forms a first peripheral edge at the first face and a second peripheral edge at the second face. The first peripheral edge is radially misaligned from the second peripheral edge to form an offset gap interface for each adjacent pair of the filter plates. For each of the filter plates, the respective outer rim may be tapered from the first face to the second face to provide the radial misalignment.

A surface rig system includes components that consume power (e.g., using electrical motors). The power consumption of the components is monitored and used to infer other operational parameters. Illustratively, power consumption (e.g., current draw) of a shale shaker is monitored and used to infer: the volume of cuttings on the screen; changes in fluid viscosity, density, or rheology; health of the shaker screen; fluid cycle times; or screen clogging/blinding. Power consumption of pumps, fluid agitators, draw works, and other devices can also be monitored and used to infer parameters such as: fluid viscosity, density or rheology; hook load, or fluid slugging. Based on inferred parameters, changes may be made or advised for operation of equipment, including a shale shaker, downhole tool, pump, shaker screen, top drive, drilling fluid, or draw works.

A method to recover drill beads from a drilling fluid used in a drilling operation comprising the steps of: directing a drilling fluid containing drill beads into a drill string positioned in a well bore, the drill beads having magnetic properties; recovering the drilling fluid containing at least a portion of the drill beads from the well bore; and magnetically separating the drill beads from the drilling fluid.

An analysis tool that use ultraviolet wavelengths of oil fluorescence to analyze drill cuttings. An oil fluorescence tool includes an ultraviolet light source which directs ultraviolet light toward drilled cuttings. The interaction of the light and cuttings results in fluorescence emanating from the oil. These wavelengths are recognized by a camera which generates an image showing the intensity of the fluorescence. A computer having image recognition software is coupled to the camera in order to interpret and display the intensity and range of the fluorescence in the image.

A process for removing free liquids from oil base mud contaminated drill cuttings waste. A process is described wherein a high gravity centripetal separator and low temperature thermal process are cooperatively used to enhance the mechanical and thermal separation methods, resulting in improved efficiency of the hydrocarbon and water removal process. A process is also described wherein the oil base mud contaminated drill cuttings waste is heated to strip volatile constituents and excess water from the oil base mud contaminated drill cuttings to further enhance the mechanical and thermal separation methods resulting in improved efficiency of the hydrocarbon and water removal process. A less expensive process is also described where the oil base mud contaminated drill cuttings waste is heated to strip volatile constituents and excess water from the oil base mud contaminated drill cuttings to further enhance the recoverable liquids phase during mechanical separation. A conventional stripping process for oil base mud is also utilized.

A device for separating and extracting suspended solids and particles from a fluid is shown. The device can include a hydro-cyclonic process unit, a variable geometry vortex process unit, a reverse coalescence and flocculation process unit and a fixed geometry vortices separator process unit. The fluid to be treated can enter the device through a fluid inlet and travel and recirculate through the several process units. The process units can collectively induce vorticose separation of the fluid and separate suspended solids and particles within the fluid. The suspended solids and particles can then be extracted from the device via one or more extraction fluid outlets. After the desired amount of suspended solids and particles has been removed, the processed fluid can be discharged from the device.