Solids control is a drilling technique that uses mud to carry solids out of the hole and clean the fluid for reuse. It has evolved from simple gravity-controlled pits to complex mechanical systems, making drilling cheaper and safer. The earliest known solids control system was a series of processing wells that allowed solids to settle out of the fluid. The shale shaker and hydrocyclone are now commonly used to filter drilling fluids.
Solids control refers to a well drilling technique used to supply drilling fluid to deep well drilling rigs and to clean this fluid for further use. The technique is often called mud drilling because it uses a flow of water and mud to carry solids out of the holes and cool the drill rig equipment. This drilling fluid also facilitates the hydrostatic pressure needed to prevent the influx of natural forming fluids into the hole. This technique has increased the safety of the well drilling process, making exploratory drilling a cost effective option.
Well drilling processes and solids control methods have seen a variety of evolutions over time. From simple gravity-controlled solids removal pits to complex mechanical solids control systems, the various techniques and equipment used to remove solids from drilling fluid have made mud drilling possible. With the creation of solids control measures, drilling has become much cheaper as the drilling solution is reused.
One of the earliest known uses of solids control in a well drilling process occurring in the late 19th century. A series of processing wells were used to capture drilling fluid from the well rigs. As the fluid passed from well to well, it was allowed to settle. The force of gravity caused the solids to settle out of the liquid. The drilling fluid could then be piped to a pumping station where it was sent to drilling equipment for reuse.
This early solids control system was used as the primary method until the invention of the shale shaker in the 1930s. The shale agitator uses a series of progressively smaller screens to filter cut materials from the drilling fluid. Operating on the same principle as the sorting machines used in the gravel mining industry, the shale shaker removes debris from the drilling fluid using gravity and vibration. As the drilling mud passes over the vibrating table, the vibrations cause larger chips to shake out of the solution.
The shale shaker is often paired with another piece of mining equipment called a hydrocyclone. The hydrocyclone is used in the solids control process to filter drilling fluids by centrifugal force. By creating a swirling vortex of drilling fluid within the hydrocyclone, the solid matter created by the drilling process is forced to the outside walls of the machine. These solids then slide down the machine’s discharge chute while clean drilling fluid is pumped back to the drilling equipment.
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