Reclamation of components of wellbore cuttings material

Abstract

A method for reclaiming component materials from a drill cuttings mixture of drilling fluid and cuttings material, the method including flowing a drill cuttings mixture of drilling fluid and cuttings material to a dryer, producing with the dryer dry cuttings material, and conveying with a conveyor system the dry cuttings material to a secondary system, the conveyor system including a positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus for conveying the dry cuttings material to the secondary system.

1 . A method for reclaiming component materials from a drill cuttings mixture of drilling fluid and cuttings material, the method comprising
 flowing a drill cuttings mixture of drilling fluid and cuttings material to a dryer,   producing with the dryer dry cuttings material, and   conveying with a conveyor system the dry cuttings material to a secondary system, the conveyor system including a positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus for conveying the dry cuttings material to the secondary system.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the secondary system is a cuttings reinjection system, the method further comprising
 reinjecting the dry cuttings material into a wellbore using the cuttings reinjection system.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising
 sensing moisture content of the dry cuttings material.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising
 if the moisture content indicates that the dry cuttings material will impede conveyance by the conveyor system, diverting the dry cuttings material away from the positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising
 producing with the dryer a drilling fluid mixture with some solids from the drill cuttings mixture, and   flowing the produced drilling fluid mixture from the dryer with some solids to a holding system.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising
 flowing the drilling fluid mixture from the holding system to a rig mud system.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising
 flowing drilling fluid mixture from the holding system to a centrifuge for processing by the centrifuge to produce centrifuged solids and centrifuged drilling fluid.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising
 flowing the centrifuged drilling fluid to the holding system.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising
 the conveyor system comprising a reversible conveyor, the method further comprising
 reversing the reversible conveyor to prevent dry drill solids from the dryer from flowing to the positive pressure conveying apparatus. 
   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the secondary system is a thermal treatment system, the method further comprising
 treating the dry cuttings material with the thermal treatment system.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising
 dosing material from the positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus to the secondary system.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 2  wherein a primary control system controls operations of the system and a secondary control system controls the cuttings reinjection system, the secondary control system in communication with the primary control system, the method further comprising
 adjusting using the primary control system a rate of feed of material to a mixer, and   feeding material from the mixer to the cuttings reinjection system.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the secondary control system provides density measurements from a density meter to the primary control system, the primary control system taking said measurements into account in said adjusting. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the cuttings material includes pieces of material, each piece having a size, the method further comprising
 the dryer reducing the size of said pieces.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the dryer reduces the pieces to powder. 
   
   
       16 . A method for reclaiming component materials from a drill cuttings mixture of drilling fluid and cuttings material, the method comprising
 flowing a drill cuttings mixture of drilling fluid and cuttings material to a dryer,   producing with the dryer dry cuttings material,   conveying with a conveyor system the dry cuttings material to a reinjection system, the conveyor system including a positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus for conveying the dry cuttings material,   reinjecting the dry cuttings material into a wellbore using the reinjection system,   sensing moisture content of the dry cuttings material,   the conveyor system comprising a reversible conveyor, the method further comprising
 if the moisture content of the dry cuttings material is of such a level that conveyance by the conveyor system would be impeded, reversing the reversible conveyor to prevent dry cuttings material from the dryer from flowing to the positive pressure conveying apparatus. 
   
   
   
       17 . A system for separating drilling mixture components and for reinjecting cuttings material into a wellbore, the system comprising
 a dryer for producing dry cuttings material from a cuttings mixture of drilling fluid and cuttings material,   a conveying system for conveying the dry cuttings material to a reinjection apparatus, the conveying system comprising positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus, and   a reinjection apparatus for reinjecting the dry cuttings material into a wellbore.   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising
 a moisture sensor for sensing moisture content of the dry cuttings material, and   the conveyor system further comprising a reversible conveyor, the reversible conveyor for feeding the dry cuttings material to the positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus and for reversing, if the moisture content of the dry cuttings material is such that conveyance by the positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus would be impeded, so that the dry cuttings material do not flow to the positive pressure pneumatic conveying apparatus.   
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising
 a centrifuge for receiving a drilling fluid stream from the dryer, the drilling fluid stream containing reclaimable drilling fluid, and   the centrifuge for processing the drilling fluid stream from the dryer producing reusable drilling fluid.   
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the dryer is for reducing in size pieces of cuttings material.