Method and system for treating and shaping drill cuttings leaving the well bore for transportation and/or disposal of drill cuttings

摘要

A method of treating and shaping drill cuttings for disposal, which includes the steps of providing initial separation of drilling fluid from the drill cuttings after the drilling fluid is returned from the borehole; drying the drill cuttings in a cuttings dryer; shaping the cuttings into pellets; granulating the cuttings pellets into granular material; and conveying the granulated cuttings for transport to an onboard bulk storage boat or to a dockside cuttings disposal site, so that the drill cuttings entering the cuttings dryer contain 20% to 40% or more of oil on cuttings (OOC) ratio of drilling fluids retained on the drill cuttings, while the cuttings are dried in the cuttings dryer have a moisture content of 1% to 8% total moisture. Next the cuttings are formed into highly compressed, spherical pellets, so that the pelletized cuttings can be transported more readily, and free of hydrocarbon cross-contamination during storage. Solids control equipment separates the cuttings from the drilling fluid returning from a drill string, while the drilling fluid portion is returned unladen with cuttings down into the drill string. There is provided a cuttings dryer for reducing the moisture content of the cuttings to a range of 1% to 8% total moisture and a pelletizer for pelletizing the cuttings so that the cuttings are formed into highly compressed, pellets substantially free from cross-contamination for safe transport and storage.