Wellbore drilling cuttings treatment

Patent · Tue Apr 03 04:00:00 EDT 1990

OSTI ID:6779842

Skinner, J L

This patent describes an apparatus for treating a mixture of solid particles, water and a hydrocarbon oil such as produced in connection with an earth drilling operation wherein the drilling operation generates a substantial amount of a mixture of solid particles comprising drilling cuttings, water, and at least one hydrocarbon oil. It comprises: enclosed indirect type heat exchanger means operable for receiving the mixture of cuttings, water, and oil and for heating same to an elevated temperature and pressure sufficient to vaporize essentially all of the water and at least a small amount of the oil to produce a mixture of heated cuttings and a vaporized mixture of water and oil, means connected to the heat exchanger means for recovering all of the vaporized mixture of water and oil separately from the heat exchanger means and from the cuttings, means connected to the heat exchanger means for receiving the cuttings and for heating the cuttings to a temperature sufficient to remove essentially all the oil remaining with the cuttings to produce dry, oil free cuttings and gaseous products of oil from the means for receiving the cuttings and means for receiving the gaseous products separately from the cuttings.

• Assignee: Atlantic Richfield Co., Los Angeles, CA
• Patent Number(s): US 4913245; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-006290A
• OSTI ID: 6779842
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CUTTINGS REMOVAL
DRILLING
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INTERSTITIAL WATER
OIL WELLS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PETROLEUM
REMOVAL
RESERVOIR FLUIDS
ROCK DRILLING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WATER
WELLS