Shaking it up

As drilling operations continue to increase in scale, speed, and complexity, drillers are expected to maximise efficiency and enhance crew safety while minimising costs, time, waste, and environmental impact. Service companies have developed new drilling equipment to help drillers meet these goals; however, the shale shaker, a vital element of the drilling operation’s solids control, has not changed much in the past three decades. Shale shakers, the first line of defence in removing drill cuttings from the drilling fluids/mud, play a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity of the drilling fluid properties, enhancing equipment longevity, and ensuring operational efficiency. To meet today’s drilling demands, shakers must process more drilling fluids faster, safer, and more efficiently. Yet current shakers struggle to deliver drier cuttings and often lose more drilling fluids, which slows the overall drilling process, raises operational and disposal costs, and increases the operation’s carbon footprint.

NOV developed the Brandt™ Alpha™ shaker, the first novel shale shaker in nearly 30 years, to resolve the decades-long challenges in solids control, deliver drier cuttings and retain more drilling fluids. With a higher fluid processing throughput, less fluid lost with cuttings, and a lower overall carbon footprint, this high-performance, single-deck shaker has proven to enable safer, more efficient, and sustainable drilling operations across the US.

Shaking up the market

Before going back to the drawing board, NOV canvassed the industry, speaking with operators and drilling contractors to identify their pain points in terms of performance, safety, efficiency, and maintenance.

Many customers expressed similar frustrations. For instance, the low handling capacities of current shakers slow the overall drilling process. They also did not get the drill cuttings dry enough, which increased disposal costs, required larger volumes of replacement fluids, and increased the drilling operation’s carbon footprint. Moreover, the customers considered ease of operation and maintenance a crucial need.

Guided by these insights, NOV set out to address all the operational bottlenecks and engineer the shortcomings out of the new shaker. A key focus was enhancing the linear motion of the single-deck shaker. This motion enables the shaker to exert more control over the vibration patterns, improving the efficiency of the separation process. This results in drier cuttings and better retention of drilling fluids without sacrificing the shaker’s capacity.

For more than two years, NOV designed and rigorously tested the Alpha at its facility in Conroe, Texas. The Alpha shaker underwent field trials on multiple land rigs in 2022 before its commercial release in 2023 across several fields in the US.

Higher processing capacity

The Alpha shaker processes cuttings at up to 40% higher capacity than any other single-deck shaker on the market. The performance gains in the shaker extend to other processes, enhancing overall efficiency. Fewer cuttings in the return fluid improve the mud system’s efficacy. Additionally, pumping a cleaner mud back downhole reduces the risk of solids-induced erosion and wear of drill pipe, drill bits, and other downhole tools. Meanwhile, the ability to process more drilling fluids enables an operator to screen finer and maintain better control over drill cuttings, which can lead to an increased rate of penetration (ROP) and reduced drilling fluid costs.

An Alpha shaker runs efficiently and reliably on small horsepower motors, providing greater processing capacity with lower fuel demands. While most land rigs have a footprint for three shakers, the Alpha’s increased capacity means that some drilling applications can run efficiently on just two units, with the third on standby. This not only reduces both power consumption and carbon emissions but also provides flexibility during unplanned shutdowns or maintenance activities. If one unit goes offline, the standby unit can be brought online to maintain fluid processing capacity and keep the drilling operation running at peak capacity.

In a trial conducted in the Midland Basin, an independent drilling contractor replaced two Brandt King Cobra shakers with two new Alpha shakers while drilling the Wolfcamp A/D and Sprayberry wells. The high-capacity shakers handled 900 gal./min. – all the flow – with various mud types without issues.

For the Sprayberry and Wolfcamp A wells, drilled open loop with water-based mud (WBM), the new shakers efficiently kept solids out of the mud system, reducing the number of times the company had to dump and dilute, as well as the volume of lube needed. In fact, there was an average of 37% less volume dumped per well. After each well, the rig pits had less buildup, which reduced cleaning time.

As for the Wolfcamp D well, drilled with oil-based mud (OBM), the drilling company was able to screen finer, switching from API 170 to API 230 screens. Screening finer resulted in cleaner mud and less diesel dilution. The driller also managed to displace to OBM without stopping to circulate, saving six hours of downtime.

Using two high-capacity Alpha shakers saved the operator nearly US$45 000. By delivering drier cuttings, the shakers retained more drilling fluids and reduced dilution costs. A 7% decrease in the volume of lube used saved the operator US$14 685 per pad, while a 27% reduction in diesel usage saved US$11 715 per pad. Additionally, reduced downtime contributed to US$13 750 in savings per pad, while the use of fewer screens saved US$4700 per pad. Impressed by the trial performance and cost savings, the drilling company purchased the Alpha shakers.

Meanwhile, in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, a driller deployed six Alpha shakers – three as flowline shakers and three as drying shakers – a first for these units. The company also ran six competitor shakers on an adjacent rig. The Alpha shakers’ superior cuttings removal and drying capabilities proved to be a significant advantage. By delivering drier cuttings, the high-capacity shakers substantially reduced waste volumes, minimising the need for additional mix-off material to dry disposal loads to meet environmental requirements.

This efficiency translated to tangible cost savings. After just six wells, the drilling company saved about US$78 000 in disposal costs. Notably, the Alpha shakers yielded 80% less waste than the competitor shaker, primarily due to reduced retention on cuttings (ROC) and less mixing material. The reduced waste also meant fewer haul-off trips and trucks on the road.

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