Patent ID: 7243741

Claim:
A system for handling drilling fluids including drilling cuttings returned from a wellbore during drilling, the fluids further comprising an intermittent and unpredictable flow of gaseous hydrocarbons entrained therein, the system comprising: a vertical separator for receiving drilling fluids from the wellbore further comprising: a liquid volume having a liquid level control, a stagnant zone of liquid for separating the entrained gaseous hydrocarbons from the drilling fluids; a gas outlet for discharging evolved gaseous hydrocarbons at substantially atmospheric pressure therefrom; a liquid outlet for discharging substantially gas free liquids therefrom, a solids outlet for gravity discharging substantially gas free drilling solids therefrom, and a shale shaker for receiving substantially gas free drilling solids and substantially gas free liquids discharged from the separator and for further separating the drilling solids from the liquids; and a recirculation line for flowing substantially gas free separated liquids from the shale shaker past the solids outlet of the separator wherein the substantially gas free drilling solids discharging from the solids outlet join the substantially gas free liquids for circulation to the shale shaker.