MXPA06006207A - An apparatus and process for removing liquids from drill cuttings - Google Patents

Abstract

Drill cuttings associated with drilling fluid are thermally cleaned. The wet cuttings are fed into a vessel chamber having mechanical mixers, such as ribbon blenders, extending lengthwise of the chamber. Direct heating is applied to the chamber contents by introducing hot combustion gas from a heater. A combination of direct heating and mechanical back mixing of wet colder cuttings with drier hotter cuttings results in conditioning and conduction heating of the wet cuttings. The drilling fluid is evaporated and removed as gas. Dried cuttings are separately recovered. Caking and agglomeration of the solids is reduced.

Description

APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR REMOVING LIQUIDS FROM DRILLING DETRIT FIELD OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention is the thermal removal of associated liquids, such as drilling fluids and water, from drilling debris generated in the drilling of oil and natural gas wells, with the objective of recovering detritus separately. dry and gases derived from the evaporation of liquids. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Drilling for oil and gas produces drilling debris which is carried to the earth's surface in the circulating drilling fluid. The drilling debris is substantially separated from the drilling fluid using various combinations of shale agitators, centrifuges and slurry tanks. However, some liquid or moisture remains associated with the solid "detritus" as a surface layer and, in some cases, inside them. The terms "wet debris" or "contaminated debris" are used herein interchangeably to denote this mixture. In cases where the drilling fluid is based on hydrocarbons, debris is usually associated with oil, water, and chemical additives from drilling fluids. Ref .: 173438 • The elimination of wet debris is often problematic, because the associated liquids are of environmental concern. The humidity associated with debris also presents problems in handling and treatment. There is a well-known propensity for these debris to form a cake or undesirable agglomerations when heated and due to mechanical handling and transport operations. This tendency is affected by the amount of liquid present and the nature of the solids and liquids. The trend can be very variable. Current methods for treating wet debris are generally not integrated into the drilling operation, but are administered "after the fact". The focus is on how to clean the dirt once the drilling ends, rather than how to avoid its occurrence from the beginning. With most of the methods currently employed, little, if any, liquid is recovered. On land, the current methods used for the removal of wet debris are: transport to landfills; compost production; bioremediation; thermal desorption; and combustion. Maritime applications normally require 'transporting the debris to the coast for processing or injection of deep wells, because the new regulations limit the capacity for disposal by the sea.

Disposal in sanitary landfills has long-term environmental responsibility; composting and bioremediation methods consume time and often require mixing with uncontaminated soil before final coverage; and the known thermal methods are not directed to that related to salt and other contaminants. An additional issue is the loss of drilling fluid. The loss of fluid results in higher costs for the drilling operator as well as the high disposal costs. Thermal processes are attractive for use in debris cleaning associated with hydrocarbon-based drilling fluid, because they can theoretically reach a residual hydrocarbon level of zero. The thermal desorption processes currently employed focus on the removal of liquids after the drilling is completed. The processing units are large and usually involve two-stage processes that first remove and then burn or recover liquids. More particularly, known thermal processes typically involve the use of heated screws, rotary kilns, fluidized bed combustion reactors. The equipment used tends to be large scale, fixed capacity units that require a speed of substantially constant feed and a uniform feed composition. They are not well adapted to handle changes in debris generation speeds or vary the composition while drilling. They are also of limited scale due to large capital costs. The formation of cake and the agglomeration tendencies described above of debris are a significant problem in the application of these known thermal processes. When the agglomerates or cakes are formed, the exterior can be initially heated and dried, forming a hard insulating layer. The interior of the cake remains moist and it is difficult to dry due to the insulating effect. It is therefore desirable to reduce the formation of these cakes or agglomerates in this context of the treatment of wet debris using thermal processes. The thermal techniques of the prior art techniques for cleaning drill debris are exemplified by the following: The sample (US 4,139,462 and 4,208,285) employs indirect heating of a bolted chamber and screw mechanism to heat detritus as it is transported progressively through the camera, venting the gases. The heating is indirect, through the contact of debris with the screw and the walls of the container which in turn are heated by a medium such as thermal fluid circulating in jackets separating the heating medium from the material being heated. Another application employing similar transport and heating methods is taught by DesOrmeax (U.S. 4,606,283). McCaskill (U.S. 4,387,514) teaches a process that uses convective heating with a dry, oxygen-rich fixed gas to evaporate liquids from the detritus that are transported in a linear and progressive manner from one end of one processor to the other. Vibration is added to avoid agglomeration of solids when drying. The operating environment is too poor to withstand the autoignition of the vapors. Reed (U.S. 5,570,749) suggests a system that first reduces the amount of liquid in the solids by using articles such as settling tanks. After reducing the liquid content, the detritus is directed through a rotating drum unit indirectly heated for final drying. Daly (U.S. 4,411,074) proposed a rotary kiln process in which contaminated debris is progressively heated in the rotating drum as it passes through it, burning the vapors generated. There are other methods commercially used for the thermal treatment of drilling debris. A known system is a low temperature process that uses heated screws in a heating chamber to evaporate liquids from earth as it is transported progressively from one end of the processor to the other. This process uses indirect heating supplied to a hot oil system. The temperatures are 204.4-260 ° C (400-500 ° F). A light vacuum is maintained to extract gases out of the system. The Series 6000 Indirect Desorption System from Newpark Environmental Services is a rotating drum design. This heating jacket system has been used to clean drill debris. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention combines direct heating and mechanical mixing of wet and partially dry drilling debris in a processor, whereby a combination of material "conditioning", conduction heating and direct heating reduces cake formation and they evaporate the drilling fluid and other liquids associated with the detritus. By "conditioning" it is meant that the drier, hotter debris present in the processor chamber is retromocrossed with freshly added wet debris. As a result, the moisture of the resulting mixture can be reduced to a level that is less like a cake and / or agglomerate. When mixing the hottest and driest material with the wettest and coldest material, conduction heat transfer takes place. This complements the heat supplied directly, such as by forced flow of hot gases through the mixture. Therefore the process uses less less effective conductive heat transfer, but combines it with a larger surface area of solids as a result of mechanical mixing of the wetter and drier debris, and also combines them with direct heating. By combining conditioning with direct and conductive heating, the process allows the use of a compact processor. In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention, there is provided: a processor, which may be a simple fixed closed vessel forming an elongated internal chamber. • a source of wet drilling debris, which may be the drilling fluid treatment system (such as shale agitators, centrifuges and the like) returning from a drilling operation, or another source such as a reservoir or sump; • a means to feed wet debris from the source to the container chamber; • a medium such as a burner, to generate hot gas and force it through the contents of the chamber; • a medium, such as ribbon mixers, located inside and, more preferably, extending longitudinally to the chamber, for mechanical back-mixing of wet and partially dry debris within the chamber and simultaneously advancing the mixture of debris while mixing more; • a means to remove gases from the chamber; and • a means, such as a dump controlled or valve controlled outlet, to remove dry debris from the chamber; • in such a way that wet drilling detritus introduced into the chamber can be mixed with partially hot, relatively dry drilling debris present in the chamber to cause conductive heat transfer between drilling detritus and the resulting drilling detritus mixture it can be simultaneously mixed more, mechanically and heated directly by the hot gas, whereby the drilling fluid can evaporate and dry drilling debris is produced. In a more preferred feature, the heating means extends substantially through the chamber, such that the debris undergoes substantially continuous mixing in the course of their residence time within the chamber. In another more preferred feature, the gas. hot is introduced through means such as outlets or nozzles distributed in or near the bottom of the chamber. In one embodiment of the preferred method of the invention, there is provided a method for removing drilling debris drilling fluid, comprising: providing a processor such as a fixed closed container forming an internal elongated chamber having inlet and outlet ends , said chamber containing partially dried, relatively hot drilling debris; • add wet drilling debris inside the chamber; • introduce a flow of hot gas into the chamber; • carry out simultaneously inside the chamber the steps of mechanically remixing drilling detritus heated with the help of wet drilling debris, advancing the mixture of drilling debris through the chamber to the second end while mechanically mixing and heating directly drilling detritus in the chamber with the hot gas, in such a way that enough drilling fluid is evaporated from the drilling detritus to produce steam and drilling detritus that has been dried to a determined drilling fluid content; • separately remove vapors and gases produced from the container chamber; and • separately remove the dry drilling debris from the container chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 is a schematic view of a sectional end showing the processor; Figure 2 is a schematic top sectional view of the processor; Figure 3 is a side view of the processor; Figures 4-6 correspond to Figures 1-3 but also show the powder precipitator attached to the processor; and Figure 7 is a schematic process flow diagram of the drilling debris cleaning system, which incorporates the processor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to Figure 7, the illustrated debris cleaning system 1 can be used in line with a source 2 of wet debris 3, such as an ongoing operation of drilling equipment, from which it directly receives. Wet drilling debris 3 of debris separation / fluid equipment assembly. Alternatively, the cleaning system 1 can be provided with debris 3 from another source, such as a sump remaining after the drilling has finished. Debris 3 can be supplied at a constant or variable speed continuously or in batches. In the case of a drilling operation in progress, drilling fluids circulate through the drilled hole to carry drilling debris from the bottom of the drilled hole to the earth's surface while drilling takes place. It is necessary to remove most of the solid drilling debris from the drilling fluid to maintain proper fluid properties for hole cleaning and other related aspects such as well drilling stability, penetration velocity and reservoir damage.

Solid drilling debris is usually mechanically separated from the drilling fluid by a combination of stages. First, the drilling fluid loaded with solids that emanates from the drilled hole flows over a shale stirrer that uses screens to remove most coarse solids. The lower flow of the agitator fluid then passes through a centrifuge to separate the fines from the solids. The product streams from the overflow of the agitator and the lower flow of the centrifuge each provide wet debris 3 that need to be processed by cleaning systems such as those of the present invention. The overflow streams of the agitator and lower flow of the centrifuge can be processed either alone or in combination. They have a highly variable fluid content, ranging from 5 - 45% by weight, typically around 20% by weight. These product streams provide the "wet debris" that will be processed. The wet debris 3 can be fed directly to the cleaning system 1. Alternatively, they can be pretreated, where appropriate, by techniques such as by washing with solvents or in equipment such as the Brandt / Wadeco High G ™ dryer or a screw press, for reduce the liquid content. Processor 4 is now described in relation to its application to wet debris contaminated with hydrocarbon-based drilling fluid, with reference to Figure 1. Processor 4 is a mechanical, directly heated mixing device. The drive motors and other peripheral equipment necessary for a complete operating system are not shown in the figures because they do not have unique features that relate to the invention. All of the components of the processor 4 are selected to operate reliably at temperatures sufficient to vaporize the liquid hydrocarbons contaminating the wet debris 3, plus an additional safety margin to provide a maximum failure temperature above the operating temperature. The expected normal operating temperature is about 343.3 ° C (650 ° F), a temperature that is sufficient to vaporize substantially all the hydrocarbons from the wet debris given the properties of the hydrocarbon-based drilling fluids currently employed. The capacity of the design temperature should be determined from the vaporization characteristics of the fluids to be vaporized. If these characteristics are not published or are not known, laboratory experiments can be carried out to find the appropriate temperature. The maximum temperature to provide a safety margin of processing depends on the material selection and the detailed design. In the preferred embodiment shown ,. the thermal processor 4 comprises a fixed (i.e. non-rotating) mixing vessel, in the form of a channel 5 containing one or more rotating mechanical rotors 6. The rotor type may be, but is not limited to, a ribbon mixer , a pallet assembly or an auger assembly. The rotor 6 shown in a tape mixer extending longitudinally of the chamber of the container 7. The external tape 8 mixes the detritus and advances them towards the feeding entrance 9 while the internal tape 10 mixes detritus and advances them towards the product outlet 11 and excess flow weir 12. The belts' 8, 10 operate cooperatively to retromezcle hotter, partially dry debris with cooler, wet debris. Established otherwise, the general flow of external debris towards the feed inlet helps push the incoming wet debris towards the longitudinal axis of the vessel chamber 7. The vessel 5 and the rotors 6 are suitably sealed to prevent leakage of the debris. gas inside or outside. The -recipient can operate under positive pressure, vacuum or neutral pressure. As stated above, the container 5 has a feed inlet 9. It also has a solid product outlet 11 comprising an overflow weir 12, for controlling the level of solids. It also has a bottom outlet 13 and a gate valve 14 for periodic cleaning and removal of larger solids. Larger solids, such as lumps, tend to be retained by landfill 12. The vessel also has an upper outlet 21 for gas and steam removal. A variable capacity combustion heater 15 provides hot combustion gases through a plenum chamber 16 which provides the nozzles 17 located along the length of the chamber of the container 7 adjacent to its base. The hot gases provide direct heating to the contents of the chamber and, together with the mixing action, facilitate the method of the two heat transfer tips. The contents of the chamber therefore receive direct heating, while also causing induction heating, since the drier material absorbs heat and in turn transfers it to the less dry material. The heater 15 is operated at near stoichiometric conditions to prevent oxygen from entering the chamber 7. The heater 15 should be equipped with conventional safety means against failure to prevent the introduction of air when the heater fails or the fuel is exhausted. . The feed inlet 9 is equipped with a container for discharging powders 18 and a lump breaker. 19 in sequence, to provide a seal that prevents air penetration and to ensure a consistent flow of material feed. As mentioned above, the hotter, partially dried, drilling debris is mixed by the rotor 6 into the debris of wet entrants to promote favorable conditioning and reduce cake formation and agglomeration. As the debris dries, its volume in the chamber of the container 7 increases upon passing the landfill 12 and out of the container chamber through a rotary powder discharge vessel 20. The drier debris, which is lighter than the wet debris, tend to rise to pass the landfill. The upper outlet 21 is optionally connected by means of a conduit 22 with a powder precipitator 23, to remove fine contents. The upper outlet 21 and the conduit 22 are designed to be large in size, to decrease the velocity of the gas and reduce the fines transported. The direct connection of the upper outlet of the container 21 with the powder precipitator 23 is designed to promote efficient gas transfer and reduce or eliminate the need for heating of the powder precipitator to avoid condensation. The close proximity to the container 5 allows the use of the heat of the container in the powder precipitator 23. The powder precipitator 23, in turn, is optionally connected by means of a conduit 24 with a condenser 25 and a separator 26 for condensing and produce valuable fluids 27 and remove non-condensable gases 28. The powder precipitator 28 will be conventionally equipped with powder discharge vessels to maintain a seal for the removal of solids. The dump 12 provides the main control over the volume of solids in the container. The heater 15 is controlled to provide adequate heating both in the chamber of the container 7 and in the vapor space 29 to prevent condensation in the powder precipitator 23. Seals, valves and powder discharge vessels maintain a low ambient oxygen to avoid the explosion and other undesirable guímicas reactions. The process of the preferred embodiment is now described with reference to Figure 3. Preferably, before the treatment of the wet debris, the chamber of the container is filled with a dry charge of comparable material for drying, treated debris. Hot sand would be a suitable material for the first load. Subsequent applications could use residual debris after the treatment is completed. This dry charge forms the base material for both the conditioning of incoming wet debris to promote faster and more uniform drying, and to provide heat transfer for the drying of wet debris. The mechanical rotor (s) can be started before, during or after feeding the dry charge into the container chamber, but preferably before the introduction of wet debris. Preferably, the speed of the rotor is variable, and the attachments to the shaft have an adjustable configuration. Typically, the rotor speed can result in a maximum external circumferential velocity less than approximately 91.4 meters (300 feet) per minute. The heater is started, introducing heat through the nozzles inside the chamber to bring the temperature up to approximately 340 ° C (approximately 650 ° F), measured in the header space above the container where the gases enter the precipitator. powder. The actual temperature requirement is determined by the vaporization characteristics of the fluids that are removed. At that time, the wet debris is fed through the powder discharge container of the feed and the lump breaker into the container chamber. Upon entering the material into the chamber of the container is mixed with the drier debris to reduce the average moisture content to reduce the risk of cake formation. further, it is heated by contact with the drier hot debris and with the hot gases from the combustion heater that heats all the material in the container chamber. In this way detritus is conditioned and heated simultaneously. As the debris dries, its volume in the container chamber increases and exceeds the outlet weir, leaving the container chamber. The following example illustrates the robust methods used to determine parameters such as desirable vessel volume to condition wet debris. An important element in the selection of design parameters is the understanding of the characteristics of the material and the requirements of the operator. In a drilling operation in progress, stoppages must be avoided, so that very robust assumptions are desirable. 8 metric tons per hour unit are used. The wet detritus of the lower flow of the centrifuge and the overflow of the agitator can vary quite a lot but can average 20% by weight of moisture, with extremes as high as 40% measured due to improper equipment performance. This "worst case" should be allowed. To avoid cake formation, measurements show that cake formation tendencies fall when the moisture content drops below about 12%. At 20% moisture by weight, a ratio of 1: 1 would be sufficient. At 40% humidity it requires 3: 1. With a margin of safety, 4: 1 by weight is selected. This means that 4 metric tons per hour of wet debris require an additional volume of 32 metric tons of dry debris per hour ("dry" in this case means a level of humidity at or near the desired post-treatment target level, usually less than 3). % liquid by weight). With an expected residence time of 10 minutes, or 1/6 of an hour, the volume could be (32 + 8) / 6 = 6.67 tons. Laboratory-scale model tests have shown that the expected residence time of 3 - 5 minutes is adequate for drying, so that 10 minutes of residence is conservative. The wet debris has a density of approximately 1,700 kg / cm3, and the dry debris is approximately 2,600 kg / m3, so that the weighted average provides a total volume of 2.84 cubic meters, which is rounded to 3.0 cubic meters, approximately 110 cubic feet, for the camera. This also represents a desirable initial loading volume of dry material to be used. The volume required for a residence time of 10 minutes is much smaller than this, being about 1/6 in size. This will result in a real residence time of about 1 hour for the average particle leaving the volumetric moisture content sufficiently low to an approximately "dry" state and providing a sufficiently dry material for conditioning and heat transfer. The residence time will result in dried and used particles for drying and conditioning purposes. The significant length of time provides additional protection against possible shortcuts of wet material to the outlet. The proposed general design specifications for the mixing container are as follows: One (1) Heavy Duty Continuous Type Tape Mixer, in accordance with the following specifications. Service: Heavy Continuous Mixing of dense and moderately / highly abrasive powder material with densities up to 2.61 g / cm3 (163 Ibs / cubic foot) with characteristics of relatively free fluidity and non-hygroscopic behavior in nature. Drive design based on 24 hours / day of operation. Ribbon Mixer: Capacity: Total Channel Body Volume = 4.39 cubic meters (155 cubic feet). Proposed Operation Level = 3 cubic meters (106 cubic feet). Channel size: 1.3 meters (51 inches) internal width x 1.4 meters (55 inches) internal depth x 3.0 meters (120 inches) internal length including landfill discharge. Channel: Channel section formed by rolling with terminal plates welded to the channel to provide rigidity to the construction. Reinforcement ribs are externally mounted to each of the end plates, triangular plates and support brackets for external bearings. To the channel section the support brackets / leg brackets are fixed for the desired clearing of operation of the unit. The top edge is formed to provide a cover attachment. The channel is designed for a maximum operating pressure of 13.8 kPa (2 psig). The channel is designed to accept a distributor of nozzles near the bottom for direct heat injection. Canal Openings: full channel width flanged discharge and also a flanged discharge outlet with a standard ASA 150 # drilling pattern to accommodate a 25.4 cm (10 in) diameter valve. Channel Insulation: High Temperature Insulator Cell-U-FoamIM. Coating Channel: Metal sheet of hermetically welded stainless steel sheet, thickness and exact composition to be determined by wear characteristics. Belt Mixer: Heavy-duty three-piece construction consisting of a drive end boss shaft, a center belt stirrer section and a rear end boss shaft. All sections are provided with flanges, which are machined for perfect alignment and, when bolted together, provide a concentric mount with a constant clearance. The belt comprises a solid shaft, pipe or mechanical tube through which the support arms are mounted and welded. Straps of internal and external spiral tapes inclined to the right and to the left are mounted and welded to these arms. These are arranged in such a way that the internal pallets generally move the product towards the discharge end of the channel and the external ribbons generally move the product toward the entrance. This movement, together with the tangential movement to the strip pallet, provides a mix of multiple movements and mixing that ensures a reasonably homogeneous product.

Axis Seals: Externally mounted water-cooled packing glands for ease of maintenance and adjustment. The bushings provided with connection for use for air purging / lubrication / washing packings, braided rope type packing rings with spacers and lantern rings compatible with process conditions. Shaft Bearings: self-aligning transmission shafts, barrel-shaped roller shafts, mounted in 5-9 / 23 in. Dia. Diameter heavy duty adapter sleeve with cast iron bodies / ductile and standard double flange seal, mounted outside board and designed for continuous operation. Cover: Reinforced packaged construction for the inclusion of feed openings and pipes to connect to the solids removal and / or condensation equipment. Note: Tape mixers should ideally be operating while the units are being charged and, unless specified, are designed in proportion to the energy requirements, to operate in this way. In the case of power outages, they will start under full load but this should not be the general form of operation. With this in mind, if the units are to be manually loaded, the provision of bag support grids and possibly safety locks that provide operator protection during loading is recommended. The bag support grids and dust removal vents are available as optional extras, which will be quoted upon request. Discharge: The unloading of the mixer is through a flange-type connection of the total channel and also through a flanged nozzle in the center of the bottom of the channel. A 25.4 cm (10 inch) diameter valve is recommended for this unit. Discharge Valve: 25.4 cm (10 inch) diameter Blade Gate Valve Plate / Disc Mount for installation to 56.8 / 68.2 kg (125/150 lb) flange and construction materials: Valve Fitting : Body - Stainless Steel. Blade Valve - Stainless Steel Seat - Metal Operator - Clear Servomechanism: Supports designed for access from both sides fully open and with a clearance height of approximately 60.9 cm (24 inches) under the face of the discharge valve mounting flange. Drive: Direct Motor - drive type Gear Reducer: Motor: 60 horsepower, high efficiency, 3/60/575 volts, 1750 rpm, wash down protection, TEFC enclosure. Motor - Reducer Coupling: High Speed Coupling, Mechanical Value of 90 Horsepower.

Reducer: Right Angle Arrangement, Helical Gear Reducer with a reduction ratio of approximately 80: 1, type mounted on legs with a minimum Maintenance Factor of 1.4; Mechanical value of 85 Horsepower, which drives a mixer shaft at approximately 22 rpm. Reducer - Belt Mixer Agitator Coupling: Rigid type, double engagement type with 1.4 Maintenance Factor, Mechanical Value of 85 Horsepower. Construction Materials: Channel, Cover and Agitator - all the parts in contact with the product in type 304 stainless steel. Balance - supports, guards, etc. In carbon steel. Optional: Mixing element type Additional pallets that use material with higher wear characteristics for high temperature, abrasive, corrosive conditions. For heating requirements, based on a ratio of 90% oil, 10% water in the fluid, and a specific heat of 0.25 cal / g ° C (0.25 btu / lb ° F) for solids, heating requirements net are approximately 126,000 kcal (500,000 btu) per metric tons, for a total of 1.26 million kcal (5 million btu) per hour. Estimating 80% efficiency, most of it is removed at 5 million per hour. To maintain a safety margin in the case of a severe short-term heating demand, select 1.5 million kcal-hr (6 million btu-hr). The expected pressure requirement for the combustion heating unit: 50.8 cm (20 inches) of water for the distributor and the nozzles, 127 cm (50 inches) of water to penetrate the material into the container, 10 inches for the precipitator of powders, and 20 inches for the condenser for a total of 100 inches - to maintain a margin of safety, use a minimum of 120 inches, and a positive displacement blower such as a Roots Blower. This will provide more than adequate pressure while controlling the air flow inside the combustion unit. The heating unit must be able to modulate its output to maintain preset operating temperature ranges, especially for outgoing gases. The distributor will require approximately 220 1/2 inch nozzles near the bottom of the container and distributed along the length. Since the container is 3.0 meters (120 inches) in length, 2 rows of nozzles will be required to allow a space between the nozzles. The distributor will require an appropriate coating for sustained use at temperatures generated by diesel combustion, as well as nozzles.

The use of stoichiometric air-fuel ratios to determine the mass flow rate of combustion gas, the calculation of mass flow velocity for debris gas, and volume conversion based on a low density estimate of 0.0005 g / cm3 (0.033 I / cubic foot), the flow rates of the powder precipitator are approximately 119 m3 / min (4200 cubic feet per minute) (approximately twice the flow velocity of the condenser), also the expected flow rate through the condenser. The condenser requires the handling of a mixture of approximately 50% non-condensable gas. The solids removal equipment will require the removal of solids equivalent to 10% of the solids that are fed, on a dry basis. This is based on the use of Stoke's Law, with an expected gas flow rate of 42.7 cm (1.4 feet) per second, and a viscosity of 2.83 X 10 ~ 4 Pascal-seconds. The viscosity was selected at a high level for a safety factor because it will result in a greater solids remnant. All particles of 10 microns or less, just below 10% of the total solids based on particle size distributions of samples are expected to be entrained and therefore need to be removed prior to condensation. This amount is calculated as: 8 metric tons per hour of gross feed x 0.8 of dry fraction x 0.1 = 0.64 metric tons per hour, or 640 kg or approximately 636.4 kg (1400 pounds) per hour. This will establish the design requirements of the powder precipitator, together with the temperature and pressure requirements. As an option, cyclone separators can be used to reduce the loading of solids before the dust precipitator by approximately 75% with high efficiency cyclones. Depending on the particle size distribution of the drill debris, alternative methods may be used. These may include but are not limited to only the use of cyclone separators, using a scrubber, or at all no method of solids removal. The selected fine solids control method and its design should be based on the characteristics of the expected material to be processed. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (8)

1. CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property: 1. A method for removing drilling fluid from wet drilling debris, characterized in that it comprises: providing a processor having a chamber that already contains debris from drilling heated partially dry, counting the chamber with inlet and outlet ends; add wet drilling debris inside the chamber at the inlet end; introduce a flow of hot gas into the chamber; carry out simultaneously inside the chamber the steps of mechanically remixing drilling detritus heated with added wet drilling debris, advancing the mixture of drilling debris through the chamber to the second end while mechanically mixing and directly heating debris of drilling in the chamber with the hot gas, in such a manner that sufficient drilling fluid is evaporated from the drilling debris to produce dripping vapors and debris that have been dried to a predetermined drilling fluid content. separately remove vapors and gas produced from the container's chamber; and separately remove detritus, dry drilling from the container chamber. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: the processor comprises a fixed container forming the chamber and having internal means for mixing the drill debris. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: the wet drilling debris is directly fed from a drilling operation to the chamber. 4. The method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the drilling fluid is drilling fluid based on hydrocarbons. An apparatus for removing drilling fluid from wet drilling debris, characterized in that it comprises: a fixed container forming a chamber; a source of wet drilling debris; first means for feeding wet drilling debris from the source to the chamber; second means for generating hot gas and forcing it through the chamber; third means for mechanically mixing drill debris inside the chamber; such that wet drilling detritus introduced into the chamber can be mixed with the partially dried, relatively hot drilling debris in the chamber to cause conductive heat transfer between the drilling debris and the mixture of drilling detritus produced it can be heated directly simultaneously by the hot gas, whereby drilling fluid can be produced which can be evaporated to produce dry drilling gases and debris; middle rooms for removing produced gas and heating gas from the chamber as a separate stream; and fifth means to remove dry drilling debris from the chamber as a separate stream. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: the second means have outlets placed along the chamber which are operative to distribute hot gas along the chamber to directly heat the debris, when moving through of the chamber, by heating forced flow. The apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: the third means extend along the chamber and are operative to mechanically mix the drill debris along the length of the chamber. 8. The apparatus according to any of the claims, characterized in that: dry drilling debris is removed from the outlet end of the chamber.