Patent EA-003226-B1 (EA)
Title: A recovery apparatus for drilling and excavation applications and related methods
Inventor: SOUTHALL RICKY
IPC: E21B21/06
Filed: 2000-01-07
Abstract: 1. A recovery system comprising: a recovery apparatus comprising a recovery tank having a cavity and a base presenting an inclined surface to said cavity, said recovery tank having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, said recovery apparatus having a least one agitation system for creating a force within said cavity of said recovery tank to assist in the separation of the components of a solid particulate material/drilled solids mixture; a manifold hydrocyclone system coupled to the at least one outlet; at least one recovery shaker, coupled to the manifold hydrocyclone system, and having at least one screen; and at least one shale shaker having at least one screen with varying screen sizes, said manifold hydrocyclone system being situated on said shale shaker; wherein a mixture of solid particulate material, drilling fluids, thin particles of drilled solids and drilled solids enters said shale shaker and drilled solids are separated from the mixture using said screen of said shale shaker, the remaining mixture then entering said recovery tank and being further separated by the force created by said agitation system, the remaining mixture of the particulate material, drilling fluids and fine particles of drilled solids are transferred to said manifold hydrocyclone system wherein the fine particles of drilled solids are separated from the remaining mixture using the centrifugal force created by said hydrocyclone system, the mixture then entering said recovery shaker wherein the drilling fluid is separated from the solid particulate materials. 2. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said recovery tank has at least three walls, each of said walls having upper and lower ends, said lower ends of at least two walls being tapered toward one another thereby forming a cavity within said recovery tank. 3. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said recovery tank further comprises of at least one suction manifold and at least one discharge manifold. 4. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said recovery apparatus further comprises a framework for supporting said tank and said agitation system. 5. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said recovery apparatus further comprises a motor control panel. 6. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said recovery tank further comprises a top portion for enclosing said cavity. 7. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said recovery tank comprises four walls, each of said walls having upper and lower ends, and said lower ends of two walls are tapered toward an another. 8. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said recovery tank comprises four walls, each of said walls having upper and lower ends, and said lower ends of four walls are tapered toward an another. 9. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said hydrocyclone system comprises at least one cone. 10. The recovery system of claim 1 further comprises of conduits for connecting said recovery apparatus, said shale shaker and said recovery shaker. 11. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein the screen size of said screens in said shale shaker and recovery shaker is from about 2 to about 350 mesh. 12. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said shale shaker has a series of three different mesh screens, a first screen having a screen size from about 4 to about 100 mesh, a second screen having a screen size from about 4 to about 250 mesh, and a third screen having a screen size from about 4 to about 250 mesh. 13. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said recovery shaker has a pair of mesh screens, said screens having a screen size from about 4 to about 325 mesh. 14. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said agitation system comprises at least one geared agitator. 15. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said agitation system comprises at least one pump agitator. 16. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein said agitation system comprises at least one pneumatic agitator. 17. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein the force created by said agitation system is centrifugal force. 18. The recovery system of claim 1 wherein force created by said agitation system is turbulent force. 19. A recovery system comprising: a recovery apparatus comprising a recovery tank having a cavity and a base presenting an inclined surface to said cavity, said recovery tank having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, said recovery apparatus having a least one agitation system for creating a force within said cavity of said recovery tank to assist in the separation of the components of a solid particulate material/drilled solids mixture; a manifold hydrocyclone system coupled to the at least one outlet; and at least one recovery shaker, coupled to the manifold hydrocyclone system, and having at least one screen; wherein a mixture of solid particulate material, drilling fluids, fine particles of drilled solids and drilled solids enters into said recovery tank and are separated by the force created by said agitation system within said cavity of said tank, the drilled solids gravitate to said base of said tank, the remaining mixture of particulate material, drilling fluid and fine particles of drilled solids is then transferred to said manifold hydrocyclone system wherein the fine particles of drilled solids are separated from the mixture using the force created by said hydrocyclone system and then a particulate material/fluid mixture is transferred to said recovery shaker wherein the drilling fluid is separated from the solid particulate materials. 20. The recovery system of claim 19 wherein said recovery tank further comprises a dump valve for disposing of drilled solids from said base of said tank. 21. A method for continuously recovering solid particulate material from drilling fluids, fine particles of drilled solids, drilled solids and mixtures thereof, said method comprising the steps of: a) inserting a mixture of solid particulate material, drilling fluids, fine particles of drilled solids and drilled solids into a shale shaker having a manifold hydrocyclone system and at least one screen and separating drilled solids from the mixture using said screen of said shale shaker; b) directing the remaining mixture of (a) into a recovery apparatus having at least one agitation system and a recovery tank with a base, and separating the materials, fluids, and particles of drilled solids using a force created by said agitation system within said cavity of said tank; c) directing the remaining mixture in the recovery tank to said hydrocyclone manifold system wherein the fine particles of drilled solids are separated from the mixture of fluid and solid particulate materials; and d) directing the mixture of solid particulate materials and drilling fluid of (c) into a recovery shaker having at least one screen and separating the solid particulate materials for the drilling fluid using said screen of said recover shaker. 22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of providing a plurality of conduits for connecting said shale shaker to said recovery apparatus and said apparatus to said recovery shaker. 23. The method of claim 21 wherein said recovery tank further comprises at least one suction manifold and at least one discharge manifold and the method further comprising the step of transferring said mixture from said recovery tank to said hydrocyclone system using said suction and said discharge manifolds. 24. The method of claim 21 wherein said recovery tank further comprises a dump valve and said method further comprises the step of disposing of the drilling solids from said base of said recovery tank. 25. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of recycling the drilling fluids by reinserting the fluids from said recovery shaker into said recovery apparatus. 26. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of reusing the clean solid particulate material with an existing mud system. 27. The method of claim 21 further comprising removing the drilled solids from said shale shaker and said recovering apparatus and providing a container for retaining the drilled solids. 28. The method of claim 21 wherein the solid particulate materials are beads. 29. The method of claim 21 wherein said recovery apparatus further comprises a framework for supporting said tank and said agitation system. 30. The method of claim 21 wherein said recovery apparatus further comprises a motor control panel for operating said agitation system. 31. The method of claim 21 wherein said recovery tank further comprises top portion for enclosing said cavity. 32. The method of claim 21 further comprising a structural framework for supporting said recovery apparatus, said shale and recovery shakers. 33. The method of claim 21 wherein said shale shaker has a series of three different mesh screens, a first screen having a screen size from about 4 to about 100 mesh, a second screen having a screen size from about 4 to about 250 mesh, and a third screen having a screen size from about 4 to about 250 mesh. 34. The method of claim 21 wherein said recovery shaker has a pair of mesh screens, said screens having a screen size from about 4 to about 325 mesh. 35. The method of claim 21 wherein said agitation system comprises at least one geared agitator. 36. The method of claim 21 wherein said agitation system comprises at least one pneumatic agitator. 37. The method of claim 21 wherein said agitation system comprises at least one pump agitator. 38. The method of claim 21 wherein the force created by said agitation system is centrifugal force. 39. The method of claim 21 wherein the force created by said agitation system is turbulent force.