BaraG-Force™ system saves operator more than USD 25k per well in shale play
Download PDFUnconventionals
Improve solids control and drilling waste management process
Bakken Formation, USA
The drilling waste disposal process in the Bakken formation depended on calling out vacuum trucks to empty the pits, then drying any remaining sludge and hauling waste offsite for disposal. Tracking wet cuttings around the location was complicated and included transporting them from the catch tanks to the vertical cuttings dryer (VCD) and trucks. Augers were used for cuttings conveyance, creating a safety risk for rig crew members.
The operator needed a way to streamline operations, maintain cleanliness on location, eliminate augers, reduce loader activity, clean out the pits, and recover as much oil-based mud (OBM) as possible from the drilled cuttings.
Baroid separation solutions personnel deployed the BaraG-Force™ VacVCD system, a vacuum-based method for feeding the VCD unit where cuttings were vacuumed directly to the VCD. This helped accomplish several objectives:
Implementing this efficient way of feeding the VCD allowed the operator to experience additional cost benefits when using the BaraG-Force VacVCD system, because of its ability to lower retention on cuttings and return more OBM to the active system.
USD Saved per Well
USD Gained per Well
Total USD Gained per Well
The savings and returns gained from using the BaraG-Force VacVCD system impacted several parts of the operator’s waste management process, resulting in:
Based on these results, the operator requested the BaraG-Force VacVCD system for eight more of its rigs in the Bakken shale play.
