Author: drilling waste management

In the 2026 energy landscape, where low-carbon and high-efficiency operations are paramount, traditional mud management is rapidly shifting toward centralized and professionalized models. KOSUN’s Liquid Mud Plant (LMP)—a comprehensive 1,000m³+ scale solution—has emerged as a game-changer for oil & gas drilling, Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), and tunneling projects.

I. Multi-Scenario Application: High-Standard Solutions

The KOSUN Mud Station is engineered for versatility. It provides stable oil-based and water-based mud supply for oil and gas drilling, efficient bentonite slurry treatment for HDD projects, and consistent mud performance for piling and tunneling, ensuring superior borehole quality across all sectors.

II. Technical Highlights: Solids Control Meets Intelligence

• High-Efficiency Purification: Integrated multi-stage modules (shale shakers, desander/desilter, and high-speed centrifuges) rapidly remove harmful solids. This significantly extends the lifespan of expensive drilling fluids and protected downhole tools.
• Zero-Leakage Design: The fully enclosed system eliminates spills and leaks, protecting soil and groundwater while ensuring 100% compliance with strict environmental regulations.
• Automation & Smart Monitoring: Automated dosing and mixing systems, managed via a central control panel, allow real-time monitoring of density, viscosity, and sand content, reducing labor costs and human error.

III. Strategic Value: Maximum Economic Returns

Investing in a KOSUN Liquid Mud Plant LMP is a strategic move that delivers clear financial benefits:

1. Cost Savings: With mud recovery rates exceeding 90%, procurement of barite and bentonite is drastically reduced.
2. Waste Reduction: Advanced solid-liquid separation minimizes waste volume, slashing expensive disposal and transportation fees.
3. Operational Excellence: Stable mud properties maintain wellbore stability and cooling, boosting the Rate of Penetration (ROP) and minimizing non-productive time (NPT).

Conclusion
KOSUN is more than an equipment manufacturer; we are your strategic partner in mud management. By choosing the KOSUN Liquid Mud Plant, you achieve “Green Construction” goals while gaining a competitive edge through lower costs and guaranteed engineering quality.

---

In modern deep drilling—whether for oil, gas, or geothermal energy—high formation temperatures are a critical challenge. As depth increases, circulating mud temperatures surge, leading to fluid degradation, equipment failure, and safety hazards. A professional Drilling Fluid Cooling System is no longer optional; it is essential for safe and efficient operations.

Why is Mud Cooling System Mandatory?

High temperatures create a cascade of operational risks:

• Property Degradation: High heat breaks down chemical additives and polymers, causing uncontrolled fluid rheology.
• Equipment Damage: Excessive heat accelerates wear on shale shaker screens, centrifuge seals, and downhole tools.
• Safety Risks: Overheated mud increases wellbore instability and worsens the working environment for the crew.

How It Works: Precision Heat Exchange

The system operates on the principle of thermal exchange. High-temperature mud passes through a Heat Exchanger (plate or coaxial), transferring heat to a cooling medium (air, water, or refrigerant).

• Key Components: Heat exchanger, refrigeration/cooling unit, circulation pumps, and an intelligent control system for real-time temperature monitoring.

Tailored Mud Cooling Solutions

Depending on the environment, different configurations are utilized:

• Air-Cooled Systems: Ideal for water-scarce regions.
• Water-Cooled Systems: High-efficiency cooling using towers or external water sources.
• Integrated/Hybrid Systems: Combines both technologies for maximum flexibility.

Summary

The drilling fluid cooling system is a vital safeguard for deep-well integrity. By preserving mud properties and extending equipment life, it ensures the success of complex drilling projects.

Partner with an industry expert like KOSUN to get a customized, energy-efficient cooling solution tailored to your specific rig site challenges.

---

Currently, stringent environmental regulations and rising operational costs make efficient Oil-Based Mud (OBM) management critical. An advanced OBM Drilling Waste Treatment System provides a “closed-loop” solution that ensures regulatory compliance while significantly recovering valuable drilling fluids.

Ensuring Environmental Compliance

Modern OBM treatment systems utilize a “treat-while-drilling” approach to achieve Zero Discharge.

• Oil Content Control: Systems can reduce oil on cuttings (OOC) to ≤5%, meeting international standards for safe disposal or resource reuse (e.g., road paving).
• Eco-Protection: Closed-loop processing prevents soil and groundwater contamination, eliminating the legal risks of illegal disposal.

Maximizing Economic Benefits

Oil-based mud is a high-value asset. Our system utilizes Vertical Cuttings Dryers (VCD) and Decanter Centrifuges to turn waste into profit.

• 90%+ Recovery Rate: Efficiently recovers base oil for immediate reuse in mud formulation, drastically cutting material costs.
• Volume Reduction: Lowering oil and liquid content reduces waste volume, leading to significant savings in transportation and third-party disposal fees.
• Footprint Optimization: Eliminates the need for traditional mud pits, simplifying site layout and accelerating rig moves.

Technical Reliability and Efficiency

Designed for high-density, high-solids OBM, our modular systems are built for continuous heavy-load operations.

• Core Components: High-quality screw conveyors, cuttings dryers, and centrifuges ensure stable performance in harsh environments.
• High Throughput: Processing speeds are synchronized with drilling progress to ensure no operational downtime.
• Customization: Skid-mounted and modular designs allow for rapid deployment and flexible configuration based on well-site requirements.

Advanced Operation and Maintenance

• Automation: PLC-integrated control systems monitor torque, temperature, and runtime in real-time with automatic safety alarms.
• Easy Relocation: Modular assembly ensures fast installation and seamless transition between well sites.
• Low Upkeep: Wear-resistant components and dedicated technical support minimize long-term maintenance expenses.

Conclusion

The OBM Drilling Waste Treatment System is a vital investment for sustainable oil and gas operations. By integrating mature technology with automated control, companies can achieve peak economic efficiency while fulfilling their 2026 environmental mandates.

During drilling operations, the generation of large quantities of waste mud and solid-containing waste liquids poses a significant challenge to on-site environmental disposal. Untreated drilling waste mud often contains a high concentration of suspended solids, fine particles, and emulsified oils, which not only affects the stability of the mud circulation system but also potentially contaminates the environment. Backed by years of expertise in solids control and waste mud treatment technology, Xi’an Kosun has introduced a highly efficient drilling mud decanter centrifuge system, providing users with comprehensive solutions for the reduction and harmless disposal of drilling waste.

I. Precise Separation, Enhanced Liquid Recovery Rate

Kosun’s drilling sludge decanter centrifuges generate a powerful centrifugal force field through high-speed, or even ultra-high-speed, rotation, effectively separating substances of different densities. Larger suspended particles in the waste liquid are rapidly propelled towards the outer wall of the rotating bowl by the centrifugal force and are discharged as they slide along the inner wall; while the lighter liquid phase accumulates in the central area and is discharged from the upper outlet, achieving the goal of solid-liquid separation. This process not only effectively removes emulsified oils, fibers, and sediments from the waste liquid but also significantly improves the clarity of the liquid, creating conditions for mud reuse or compliant discharge.

II. Stable Operation, Convenient Maintenance

The design of Xi’an Kosun’s decanting centrifuges emphasizes structural stability and balanced operation, utilizing wear-resistant bowl materials and high-strength main shafts to ensure excellent separation performance even under prolonged high-speed operation. The equipment is also equipped with intelligent control and automatic protection functions, allowing for real-time monitoring of operating status, simple maintenance, and easy operation by personnel.

III. Wide Range of Applications, Significant Environmental Benefits

These devices are suitable not only for waste mud minimization at drilling sites but also for applications in oilfield drilling fluid circulation, chemical wastewater pretreatment, municipal sludge dewatering, and other fields. By achieving clear liquid recovery through mechanical separation, the equipment reduces the volume of waste discharge, effectively lowers treatment costs, and helps meet environmental regulatory requirements.

Xi’an Kosun is committed to providing efficient and reliable solids control and waste treatment equipment for the energy and environmental sectors. With advanced manufacturing processes and extensive field experience, Kosun’s decanter separator have become core equipment in numerous domestic and international drilling projects, ensuring that waste mud treatment is no longer a challenge.

Oil sludge is a complex substance composed of a mixture of oil, water, and solid particles. Without professional treatment, it not only results in resource wastage but also causes serious environmental pollution. To achieve effective separation of oil, water, and solids, and enable resource reuse, Xi’an KOSUN has long focused on the R&D of oil sludge treatment technologies and equipment manufacturing. We have introduced a series of efficient and energy-saving sludge treatment equipment and systems, helping clients minimize disposal costs while maximizing oil recovery.

In terms of sources, oil sludge is primarily categorized into three types:
First, waste oil sludge and oil sand are generated during crude oil tank cleaning operations;
Second, waste oil sludge produced during refinery processes;
Third, waste oil sludge and drill cuttings from drilling operations.
Targeting oil sludge with different properties and from different sources, Xi’an KOSUN can provide customized treatment solutions according to client requirements, ensuring optimal separation results and compliance with environmental standards.

Regarding equipment configuration, Xi’an KOSUN provides a complete set of treatment equipment:
Firstly, the shale shaker is used for the preliminary separation of coarser solid materials. It can be optionally equipped with a spray system and anti-splash sealing structure, effectively removing oil attached to the surface of large particles.
Secondly, the horizontal decanter centrifuge is utilized for the fine separation of fine solids from the oil-water mixture. Featuring high-strength alloy materials and imported bearings, it ensures stable and reliable operation, long service life, and convenient maintenance.
Finally, the oil-water separator can be optionally configured with air flotation or ultrasonic oil-water separation devices depending on specific working conditions, ensuring high separation efficiency, standard-compliant effluent discharge, and superior recovered oil quality.
Leveraging rich industry experience and advanced technical expertise, Xi’an KOSUN has provided mature oil sludge treatment system solutions for numerous petroleum, chemical, and environmental protection enterprises, helping clients achieve the treatment goals of “reduction, harmlessness, and resource utilization.” Choosing Xi’an KOSUN means choosing professionalism, efficiency, and reliability.

Tailings (fine residues in the form of sludge from mining) have traditionally been stored in large sedimentation ponds, creating a significant environmental burden and wasting valuable process water. Under increasingly strict environmental standards, traditional wet stacking methods are no longer sustainable.

Kosun offers modern dewatering solutions to treat mining residues economically, recover process water, and achieve the multiple goals of saving space, reducing costs, and protecting the environment. This article highlights how Kosun uses its core technology—the decanter centrifuge—to address industry pain points and support sustainable mine development.

I. The Challenges and Necessity of Tailings Treatment System

Traditional wet stacking of tailings faces multiple challenges:

Environmental Pollution: Harmful substances can seep into the groundwater.

Safety Hazards: Tailings ponds pose a risk of dam failure, especially in unstable geological regions.

Resource Waste: Process water is difficult to recover, consuming large amounts of fresh water resources.

An efficient and reliable tailings treatment system has become essential infrastructure for modern mines.

II. Kosun Tailings Solution: Core Technology and Process

Addressing the difficulties in tailings slurry treatment, Kosun has developed a comprehensive solution centered on the decanter centrifuge, reducing waste volume and enabling water resource recycling.

Core Equipment:

Decanter Centrifuge: Generates centrifugal force through high-speed rotation to efficiently and continuously separate solid particles from liquid.

Supporting Equipment: Includes screening equipment (for pre-treatment), dosing systems (to improve efficiency), and belt conveyors (to transport the filter cake).

Process Flow:

The system uses a “screening + centrifugal dewatering and dry stacking” process:

Pre-treatment and Separation: Tailings slurry is screened, then pumped to the Kosundecanter centrifuge for solid-liquid separation.

Water Resource Reuse: The separated liquid phase (clean water) is fully returned to the mine’s production processes for recirculation.

Dry Stacking: The solid phase (dry cake) is transported for safe, dry stacking.

III. Key Advantages of the Kosun Tailings Treatment System

The Kosun solution complies with regulatory requirements and provides significant environmental and economic benefits:

Environmental Friendliness: Reduces wastewater volume and pressure on dam walls, minimizing environmental risks.

Cost Savings: Recovers process water, significantly lowering operational costs and fresh water demand.

Continuous Stability: The screw centrifuge runs continuously without filter cloths, ensuring stable, round-the-clock dewatering.

Small Footprint, Easy Installation: Equipment is compact and can be fixed in place or used as a mobile containerized solution.

The Kosun tailings treatment system is a crucial solution for modern mines aiming for safe, environmentally responsible, and efficient operations. We help mining companies minimize environmental risks, achieve water recycling, and ensure long-term stable production capacity. Contact us today for a tailor-made tailings treatment solution!

Driven by increasingly stringent environmental regulations globally, “mud non-landing” has become an indispensable part of modern drilling operations. Faced with the two mainstream mud non-landing options, oil-based mud (OBM) and water-based mud (WBM), many companies still have questions: What are the differences between them? How to make the best choice based on project needs? This article will provide you with a deep analysis from multiple dimensions such as processing difficulty, cost, core equipment, and environmental benefits to help you achieve efficient and green drilling operations.

I. What is Zero-Discharge Technology?

Zero discharge is not a single piece of equipment, but a systematic concept of drilling waste management. It uses a series of devices to collect, treat, and recycle the mud and cuttings generated during the drilling process, avoiding the direct discharge of waste into mud pits or onto the surface as in traditional methods, thereby minimizing environmental pollution. This technology is a crucial cornerstone for achieving green, environmentally friendly, and sustainable development in the drilling industry.

II. Oil-Based Mud (OBM) Zero Discharge: Technology-Driven High-Standard Processing

Oil-Based Mud (OBM) zero-discharge technology is typically applied in deep, high-difficulty wells and other complex formations with extremely high requirements. Its core characteristics include:

• High processing difficulty and demanding equipment requirements: OBM has strong adhesion to cuttings, and the base oil is a contaminant. Processing requires precision equipment like vertical cuttings dryers (VCDs), utilizing powerful centrifugal force to thoroughly remove the oil, ensuring the final oil content meets strict standards.
• Base oil recovery provides significant economic benefits: A major advantage of OBM zero-discharge systems is the ability to recover expensive base oil for reuse, significantly reducing drilling costs.
• Strict solids disposal and controllable risk: After treatment, the residual oil in the cuttings is extremely low, allowing for safe disposal via landfill, roadbed use, or incineration. Pollution is minimized through an efficient closed-loop system and strict equipment control.

III. Water-Based Mud (WBM) Zero Discharge: A Cost-Effective and Widely Applicable Solution

Water-Based Mud (WBM) zero-discharge technology is currently the most widely used and cost-effective mud solution. Its advantages are mainly reflected in:

• Low processing difficulty, simple and efficient equipment: The main component of WBM is water, which is easy to separate from cuttings. Core equipment includes drying shakers, horizontal centrifuges, and filter presses, primarily used for efficient solid-liquid separation and dewatering.
• Recovery of water and usable mud, saving resources: The recovered clean water or mud can be reused, reducing the demand for fresh water and lowering mud costs, making it particularly suitable for areas with water shortages.
• Simple solid-phase treatment, low disposal costs: The solid mud cake formed after pressure filtration and dewatering has low water content and can be directly solidified or used as roadbed material. Its environmental disposal cost is far lower than that of oil-based cuttings.

IV. Objective Comparison

Oil-Based Mud (OBM) Zero Discharge:
The base fluid is oil as the continuous phase (including mineral oil, synthetic oil, diesel, etc.). Processing difficulty is high due to strong adhesion to cuttings and the oil component being a contaminant; oil must be efficiently separated and recovered to meet environmental standards. Core equipment includes cuttings dryers (vertical centrifuges), high-temperature pyrolysis equipment, etc., aiming to thoroughly separate the oil to recover valuable base oil and reduce costs. Solid phase (cuttings) residual oil content must meet strict environmental standards before disposal. Costs are higher; typically applied in deep wells, highly deviated wells, horizontal wells, and complex geological operations with extremely high requirements.

Water-Based Mud (WBM) Zero Discharge:
The base fluid is water as the continuous phase (including clay, polymer additives, etc.). Processing difficulty is relatively low; separation from cuttings is easy, and core goals are dewatering and solidification. Core equipment includes drying shakers, horizontal centrifuges, filter presses, etc., mainly used for efficient solid-liquid separation and recovery of water and reusable mud to lower preparation costs. Solid phase (mud cake) has low water content after dewatering and can be directly solidified, landfilled, or used as roadbed material, resulting in lower disposal costs. Costs are lower; widely applied in shallow and conventional wells, it is the most common drilling fluid system.

V. How to Choose

Choosing a solution isn’t about which is better, but a comprehensive decision based on project conditions.

• Primary considerations: Formation and engineering needs. If operations require OBM for safety/efficiency, OBM zero discharge is the only option. For conventional/shallow wells with lower requirements, WBM zero discharge is more cost-effective.
• Cost-Benefit Analysis: Determine if base oil recovery savings offset higher OBM system costs. For short-term or cost-sensitive projects, WBM is usually more economical.
• Regulations and Location: Meeting local environmental standards is mandatory. In areas with strict rules and high base oil costs, OBM offers greater long-term economic and environmental advantages via recovery.

Conclusion

Both OBM and WBM zero discharge represent the drilling industry’s environmental commitment. Understanding the differences and choosing wisely based on needs is key to green drilling and competitiveness. We offer customized solutions to balance environmental protection and efficiency.

Contact us to begin your green drilling journey!

In the mining sector, managing tailings—the fine-particle sludge from ore processing—has always been a challenge. Traditional storage in large ponds creates environmental concerns and wastes water. Modern dewatering solutions, however, turn this challenge into an opportunity. KOSUN provides advanced tailings treatment systems that help mines meet strict standards, achieving a true win-win in safety, sustainability, and cost-efficiency.

The Need for Advanced Treatment
Traditional wet tailings storage comes with significant risks that modern operations can no longer ignore. These include the potential for environmental contamination from leaching, the safety hazards associated with tailings dam failures, and the massive waste of water resources. Today, an efficient tailings treatment system is essential infrastructure for any responsible and profitable mine.

The KOSUN Solution: Dry Stacking and Water Recovery
KOSUN addresses these challenges with a comprehensive solution centered around the high-efficiency decanter centrifuge. This system drastically reduces waste volume and enables high rates of process water recovery. The core process is streamlined and effective:

Tailings slurry is first screened to remove large debris. It is then fed into the decanter centrifuge for core solid-liquid separation. The output is a solid, cake-like material ideal for dry stacking, and clear water that can be directly recycled back into the processing plant, significantly reducing freshwater demand.

Key Benefits for Your Operation
Choosing KOSUN’s tailings treatment system delivers clear, tangible benefits:

• Enhanced Safety & Compliance: Minimize your environmental footprint and eliminate seepage risks, which is crucial for ecologically sensitive or seismically active areas.
• Significant Cost Savings: Recycle process water to cut down on utility costs and freshwater procurement.
• Operational Reliability: Our robust decanter centrifuges ensure continuous, 24/7 operation with high reliability and minimal maintenance.
• Maximized Space Efficiency: The compact design requires a small footprint and can be configured as a fixed or semi-mobile plant.

Ready to future-proof your mining operation? Contact KOSUN today for a free, customized tailings management proposal and discover how our technology can secure your operational efficiency and environmental goals.

Strict environmental rules are changing the drilling industry. “Zero discharge” technology is now standard practice, and Water-Based Mud (WBM) zero discharge systems are a top choice for conventional drilling, offering clear environmental and economic benefits. This article explains the advantages of WBM systems for more economical, efficient, and sustainable drilling.

What is a WBM Zero Discharge System?

It’s an on-site environmental management system for drilling waste (mud and cuttings). The goal is total waste elimination, minimizing environmental impact.

The system separates solids and liquids from waste streams, recycles the reusable liquid (water/mud), and treats the solids for safe disposal or reuse. This creates a closed loop. Unlike complex Oil-Based Mud (OBM) systems, WBM systems are simpler and more cost-effective.

How It Works: Separation and Recycling

The process relies on efficient solid-liquid separation:

Initial Separation: Drilling fluid goes through shale shakers to remove large solids. Waste then moves to the system via screw conveyors.

Dewatering: A dewatering shaker uses vibration to remove free liquid from the cuttings.

Chemical Treatment: Chemicals (polymers/flocculants) are added in a mixing tank to clump fine solids together, boosting separation efficiency.

Deep Dewatering: A filter press uses high pressure to squeeze out remaining liquid, creating a low-moisture “mud cake”.

Recycling: Recovered water and treated mud are stored in a recovery tank for reuse, saving resources. The dry mud cakes can be used for road base or wellsite paving.

Economic and Environmental Wins

WBM systems save money while protecting the environment:

Consideration: Investment. Benefit: Lower initial cost compared to OBM systems.

Consideration: Operating Costs. Benefit: Recycles water/mud, reducing need for new materials and lowering labor costs via automation.

Consideration: Compliance. Benefit: Meets strict environmental laws, avoiding heavy fines.

Consideration: Disposal. Benefit: Dry, reduced-volume mud cakes mean lower transport and landfill costs.

Consideration: Resource Recovery. Benefit: Mud cakes can be repurposed as construction material.

System Components & Supplier Choice

Key equipment includes shakers, dewatering shakers, filter presses, mixing tanks, and pumps. High-quality equipment ensures stability.

Choose an experienced supplier for expert installation, commissioning, and reliable technical support.

Ideal Drilling Scenarios

The WBM system is best for:

Conventional/Shallow Wells: Where standard WBM is sufficient.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas: To ensure full compliance with regulations.

Water-Scarce Regions: Where water conservation is vital.

Resource Recovery: When mud cakes can be reused locally.

WBM zero discharge systems meet environmental demands while improving efficiency and cost control. Evaluating the system’s performance, cost-effectiveness, and supplier reliability ensures a successful decision for your project needs.

As the global push for clean energy accelerates, geothermal well drilling projects are becoming critical engineering initiatives in many regions. However, the drilling mud generated during geothermal well construction is inherently complex in composition and high in solids content. If not managed promptly or properly, this poses several challenges: reduced drilling efficiency, accelerated equipment wear, compromised wellbore stability, and increased environmental pressure. Therefore, investing in a stable and reliable geothermal well mud treatment system is a critical step for geothermal contractors aiming to enhance project quality and reduce overall operational costs.

Xi’an KOSUN, leveraging over thirty years of technical expertise in solids control and drilling mud treatment, provides proven, mature total solutions for geothermal well projects. We understand the specific demands of geothermal operations, such as high temperature, high mineralization, and large flow rates. Our systems are specifically optimized in terms of equipment structure, material selection, and system configuration to ensure efficient mud purification even under these complex well conditions.

Our core equipment, including shale shakers, desanders and desilters, decanter centrifuges, mud tanks, and mud agitators, has been verified through extensive field use. This equipment effectively separates drill cuttings and fine solids, ensuring the drilling mud properties remain within safe operational parameters for smoother drilling. The treated mud can be efficiently recycled and reused, significantly reducing mud replacement costs and minimizing waste discharge volume, helping construction units easily meet strict environmental compliance requirements.

KOSUN’s complete mud treatment systems have demonstrated exceptional adaptability across numerous geothermal development projects. They maintain stable performance whether operating in deep, high-temperature formations or in mountainous and high-altitude regions with complex surface conditions.

Our solutions are fully customizable. We combine different equipment configurations based on project-specific requirements, including well depth, flow rate, site conditions, and operational demands, to meet the needs of various scales of geothermal well construction. Clients consistently report that adopting KOSUN’s treatment solutions leads to more controllable onsite mud circulation, reduced equipment failure rates, and effectively shortened overall construction periods.

As a leading manufacturer of solids control and environmental protection equipment in China, Xi’an KOSUN remains committed to R&D and stringent quality management. We provide reliable equipment performance and comprehensive service systems to offer long-term support for geothermal energy development. 

In the future of clean energy construction, KOSUN will continue to advance the optimization and upgrading of geothermal drilling mud treatment technology, making geothermal exploration and drilling more efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly. 

If you are looking for a mud treatment solution suitable for your next geothermal project, KOSUN can provide professional consultation, customized design, and full-process technical services to help your project achieve compliance and success.