Drilling waste is different for each type of drilling fluid. OBM and SBM cuttings still carry drilling fluid after they leave the well, while WBM waste contains water and fine suspended solids. The treatment process is set up around these differences.
For OBM and SBM, cuttings first enter the Vertical Cuttings Dryer (VCD). The dryer removes retained drilling fluid and collects the recovered fluid in a catch tank. A screw pump transfers the fluid to the decanter centrifuge, where fine solids are removed before the recovered fluid returns to the active mud system or undergoes further treatment.
WBM waste takes a different path. Larger solids are removed first, followed by chemical conditioning and flocculation of finer suspended solids. Mechanical dewatering then separates the liquid from the conditioned slurry. The recovered liquid can be reused or sent for further treatment, while the dewatered solids are collected for transport or disposal.
The decanter centrifuge is raised high enough for the discharged fluid to flow back to the active mud system by gravity. Telescopic skids also allow the working height of the centrifuge and Vertical Cuttings Dryer to be adjusted at the site.