National Oilwell Varco, L.p.

Neil P Mackley

Dean M Bird

Rennie K Zazula

Mike R Olson

Floyd Wilder

Nicholas Kasunic

Carlos Garza Gutierrez

A decanter centrifuge includes one or more nozzles through which a slurry may be discharged from a feed chamber into a separation zone within a centrifuge bowl. A scroll conveyor may be coaxially aligned in the separation zone within the centrifuge bowl around the circumference of the feed chamber. In the separation zone, the slurry can be separated into at least a light phase and a heavy phase by centrifugal acceleration generated by rotation of the centrifuge bowl, the feed chamber, and/or the scroll conveyor. Each separated phase can discharge from the centrifuge bowl via respective discharge ports. Each nozzle may include a rectangular aperture and differentiated profiles of its leading edge and trailing edge. In some embodiments, the leading edge of the aperture comprises a rounded profile, while the trailing edge comprises an abrupt edge or a less-rounded edge.

Decanter centrifuge nozzle

A system and method for recovering drilling fluid from shaker tailings includes a hopper and a cover that is pivotable between a first position in which the hopper is uncovered and a second position in which the hopper is covered. In the first position, the hopper receives the tailings, which are pumped via a low shear pump to a centrifuge. The drilling fluid extracted in the centrifuge is stored in a holding tank. In the second position, the cover is angled with respect to the direction of gravity so as to divert shaker tailings from being received in the hopper. Some fluid from the holding tank is sprayed into the hopper through nozzles to convey the deposited tailings toward the pump. A level detector senses the level of the mixture in the hopper, and an associated control system controls the pump speed and the cover position to control the operation.

Method and apparatus for the recovery of drilling fluid from shaker tailings during active drilling

Growing community of inventors

Edmonton, Canada

Neil P Mackley