US 11,806,682 B2
Optimizing drilling mud shearing
Kevin W. Smith, Bellaire, TX (US)
Assigned to SCIDEV ENERGY SERVICES, INC., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by Highland Fluid Technology, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Jan. 3, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/092,638.
Application 18/092,638 is a division of application No. 16/825,342, filed on Mar. 20, 2020.
Application 16/825,342 is a division of application No. 15/467,315, filed on Mar. 23, 2017, granted, now 10,695,729, issued on Jun. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/312,807, filed on Mar. 24, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0149869 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. E21B 21/06 (2006.01); B01F 35/212 (2022.01); B01F 35/222 (2022.01); B01F 31/81 (2022.01); E21B 41/00 (2006.01); B01F 23/53 (2022.01); B01F 25/51 (2022.01); B01F 27/272 (2022.01); B01F 35/94 (2022.01); B01F 35/21 (2022.01); B01F 35/221 (2022.01); E21B 21/08 (2006.01); G01N 11/00 (2006.01); B01F 35/90 (2022.01); B01F 101/49 (2022.01); E21B 49/00 (2006.01)
CPC B01F 31/81 (2022.01) [B01F 23/53 (2022.01); B01F 25/51 (2022.01); B01F 27/2722 (2022.01); B01F 35/212 (2022.01); B01F 35/2136 (2022.01); B01F 35/222 (2022.01); B01F 35/221422 (2022.01); B01F 35/94 (2022.01); E21B 21/062 (2013.01); E21B 21/08 (2013.01); E21B 41/00 (2013.01); G01N 11/00 (2013.01); B01F 2035/99 (2022.01); B01F 2101/49 (2022.01); E21B 49/003 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Apparatus for shearing and adjusting properties of drilling mud comprising (a) a drilling mud flow loop including valves capable of isolating an aliquot of said mud in said flow loop, (b) a cavitation mixer in said loop, and (c) a process controller for controlling at least one of angular velocity and power input to said cavitation mixer in response to intermittent or continuous viscosity measurements of said mud, wherein said process controller is programmed to control said cavitation mixer to (a) heat, by cavitation, said drilling mud in said loop to a first predetermined temperature, (b) shear said drilling mud at said first predetermined temperature, without cavitation, (c) further heat, by cavitation, said drilling mud in said loop to a second predetermined temperature, and (d) shear said drilling mud at said second predetermined temperature.