Experimental research on drilling fluid purification and cuttings recycling

Abstract:

Drilling fluid is the core medium in drilling engineering and its purification efficiency directly affects drilling efficiency， drilling quality， and the ecological environment. To address the challenge of the cuttings purification， the Russian research team has proposed a technology of drilling fluid purification and cuttings recycling using ultrasonic waves and permanent magnetic fields. Through theoretical analysis， a kinetic model for particle sedimentation under magnetization conditions has been established. A closed-loop treatment apparatus， integrating an ultrasonic radiator and a П-shaped magnet， has been designed and subsequently subjected to both laboratory and field tests. The results of the tests demonstrate that this technology can promote the formation of stable "cluster structures" of cuttings particles in the drilling fluid， significantly enhancing their sedimentation rate and effectively improving the fluid''s rheological properties， leading to 50% reduction in fluid loss， 20% increase in viscosity， and cuttings precipitation rate reaching 30%. Furthermore， the recovered cuttings can be calcined to produce fracturing proppants， achieving resource utilization. These results provide a new innovative solution way for resolving the problems of drilling fluid purification and cuttings pollution and have significant reference value for promoting greening of drilling engineering.