Drill Waste

 

 

Drilling mud is used to control subsurface pressures, lubricate the drill bit, stabilize the well bore, and carry the cuttings to the surface, among other functions.  Mud is pumped from the surface through the hollow drill bit string, exits through nozzles in the drill bit, and returns to the surface through the annular space between the drilling string and the walls of the bore.  As the drill bit grinds rocks into drill cuttings, these cuttings become entrained in mud and are carried to the surface.  When the mud becomes too dense, it needs to be replaced and because the mud uses synthetic or diesel oil, this causes the cuttings to be contaminated.  The North Sea regulations are 1.0 percent and The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) 6.9 percent for cuttings.    

 

GRC

Experiments demonstrate that the GRC process can clean the cuttings and reduce the contamination level to as low as .01 percent.  We are also capable of separating the synthetic or diesel oil from the mud without changing the molecular structure in the oils and leaving no hydrocarbons in the mud which also results in clean dirt.  This is a big environmental discovery which can offer substantial cost savings for oil companies and their customers.