Abstract: A process for managing drilling waste, including pyrolyzing at least a portion of the drilling waste in a pyrolysis reactor to produce a stream comprising solid carbon and a gaseous pyrolysis product stream; and using heat present in at least a portion of the gaseous pyrolysis product stream to form electrical energy using an organic Rankine cycle, increase a temperature of a stream through heat exchange, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A process includes pumping a first fluid into a conduit; introducing a second fluid into a flow of the first fluid in the conduit via a venturi injector to mix the first fluid with the second fluid forming a premix; adding an additive to the premix forming an additive-containing fluid; and passing the additive-containing fluid through an ultrasonicator forming a drilling mud comprising an emulsion, in which the first fluid forms a continuous phase and the second fluid forms a discontinuous phase.

Abstract: A process includes pumping a first fluid into a conduit; introducing a second fluid into a flow of the first fluid in the conduit via a venturi injector to mix the first fluid with the second fluid forming a premix; adding an additive to the premix forming an additive-containing fluid; and passing the additive-containing fluid through an ultrasonicator forming a drilling mud comprising an emulsion, in which the first fluid forms a continuous phase and the second fluid forms a discontinuous phase.

Abstract: A system and method of determining a rheological property of a fluid. A turbine has at least two disks separated by a variable gap and rotating around a rotational axis of the turbine. Fluid flows into the gap at a circumferential edge of the disks to rotate the disks. A first value of a dynamic parameter of the turbine resulting from an interaction between the disks and the fluid in the gap is measured as the fluid flows from the circumferential edge towards the axis with the gap having a first gap width. A second value of the dynamic parameter is measured with the gap having a second gap width different from the first gap width. The rheological property of the fluid is determined based on the first value of the dynamic parameter and the second value of the dynamic parameter.

Abstract: An apparatus for estimating an oil, water, and solids fraction of a drilling fluid includes a conduit containing the drilling fluid, an electromagnetic sensor in communication with the drilling fluid that senses a combined water and solids fraction, and at least one of a conductivity sensor or a density sensor, each in communication with the drilling fluid. The apparatus also includes a processing system determining the fraction of oil, water, and solids in the drilling fluid using the combined water and solid fraction and at least one of the conductivity value from the conductivity sensor or the density value from the density sensor and a controller coupled to the processing system, the controller having an output coupled to a drilling fluid additive control device controlling an additive to be added to the drilling fluid based on the fraction of oil, water, and solids of the drilling fluid.

Abstract: The behavior of gelled drilling fluids can be predicted with a low number of input parameters using an empirically derived equation that expresses the breakage of gelled drilling fluids as a function of the total strain applied to the gelled drilling fluids. Using correlative systems and lab-scale experiments, a predictive model correlates the various test input parameters with an anticipated time for breaking the gelled drilling fluid under known strain rate. Applying actual input parameters to the predictive model for a given well drilling operation produces a prescribed gel breaking procedure. The systems and methods disclosed herein provide an operator with accurate predictions of the time necessary to break a given gelled drilling fluid. The models and methods disclosed herein can be incorporated into a control system so the drilling rig can automatically adjust its operation to most effectively break the gelled drilling fluid following a pump-off event.