Month: October 2025

In oil drilling operations, the efficient operation of the drilling fluid circulation system directly impacts project progress and downhole safety. Within the entire solids control system, the drilling fluid decanter centrifuge serves as a key separation device, responsible for removing fine solid particles and optimizing the properties of the drilling fluid. Leveraging years of industry experience and technical expertise, Xi’an Kosun has continuously innovated in the field of centrifuge separation, offering a series of centrifuges known for high efficiency, low energy consumption, and reliable performance, widely applied across various drilling projects.

The working principle of a drilling fluid centrifuge is based on centrifugal separation technology. When drilling fluid containing solid particles enters the centrifuge bowl, high-speed rotation generates centrifugal force, causing substances with different densities to separate into layers. Heavier solid particles are forced toward the inner wall of the bowl, forming a solid layer, while the lighter liquid forms an inner liquid layer, which is discharged through the overflow port. By adjusting the bowl speed and differential speed, operators can flexibly control the solid-liquid separation precision, effectively removing micron-level fine solids and ensuring the stability and performance of the drilling fluid.

Compared with traditional equipment such as shale shakers, desanders, and desilters, the primary advantage of a centrifuge lies in its ability to handle smaller particles with closer density differences. This capability is crucial for maintaining the viscosity, density, and sand content of drilling fluid within optimal ranges. Particularly in complex formations such as deep wells, horizontal wells, and shale gas wells, centrifuges can effectively prevent drilling fluid degradation, reduce risks such as wellbore collapse and stuck pipe, and thereby significantly enhance drilling efficiency and operational safety.
Xi’an Kosun emphasizes structural optimization and material durability in its centrifuge designs. The equipment features a high-strength stainless steel bowl with excellent corrosion and wear resistance. The drive system is equipped with high-efficiency, energy-saving motors and imported bearings, ensuring stable and reliable operation. An intelligent control system allows real-time monitoring of bowl speed, vibration, and temperature, enabling precise adjustments and automatic protection.

In addition, Xi’an Kosun offers multiple centrifuge models tailored to different operational needs, including high-speed, high-viscosity, and complex fluid applications, suitable for oil and gas drilling, trenchless construction, and environmental sludge treatment. On drilling sites, the application of centrifuges not only optimizes drilling fluid recycling but also reduces resource consumption and operational costs. By continuously removing fine solids, drilling fluid can be reused significantly more times, reducing the need for new fluid preparation and minimizing waste discharge, thereby providing substantial economic and environmental benefits.

With over 30 years of industry experience, Xi’an Kosun has become a leading enterprise in the field of solids control and drilling fluid treatment equipment. The company adheres to the philosophy of “winning the market through technology and building the brand through quality”, continuously innovating in centrifugal separation technology to deliver high-performance, highly reliable drilling fluid centrifuges and integrated solutions. Looking forward, Xi’an Kosun will continue to advance solids control technologies, helping the global oil and gas drilling industry achieve more efficient and environmentally sustainable operations.

In oil and gas drilling operations, the stability of drilling fluid directly determines the safety and efficiency of the project. However, when gases such as natural gas or air mix into the mud, its density and viscosity change—minor cases can disrupt the balance of the circulation system, while severe cases may lead to well kicks or even blowouts.

To address this issue, Xi’an Kosun has independently developed a vacuum degasser that, with its high-efficiency degassing, stable and reliable performance, and intelligent control, has become an indispensable piece of equipment for ensuring drilling safety.
Xi’an Kosun’s vacuum degasser utilizes the principle of vacuum negative pressure, allowing the drilling fluid to form a thin film or atomized state within the vacuum tank. This greatly increases the gas–liquid contact area, enabling the gas within the mud to separate and discharge rapidly, thereby effectively restoring the density and performance of the drilling fluid. When processing gas-cut drilling fluid, the equipment can reduce the gas content to a safe range within a very short time, providing strong assurance for the smooth operation of the mud circulation system.

Xi’an Kosun’s vacuum degasser utilizes the principle of vacuum negative pressure, allowing the drilling fluid to form a thin film or atomized state within the vacuum tank. This greatly increases the gas–liquid contact area, enabling the gas within the mud to separate and discharge rapidly, thereby effectively restoring the density and performance of the drilling fluid. When processing gas-cut drilling fluid, the equipment can reduce the gas content to a safe range within a very short time, providing strong assurance for the smooth operation of the mud circulation system.

To adapt to the complex and variable conditions of drilling sites, Kosun has comprehensively enhanced the structural design and material selection of the degasser. The inner wall of the vacuum tank is made of high-strength, wear-resistant stainless steel, capable of withstanding long-term erosion from high-sand, high-viscosity drilling fluids. The vacuum pump adopts an oil-bath lubrication system, ensuring stable operation even under extremely cold or high-temperature environments. Field practice has proven that the equipment maintains excellent degassing efficiency and mechanical reliability even under conditions of high-load, continuous operation.

Driven by the trends of automation and digitalization, Xi’an Kosun continues to enhance the intelligence level of its vacuum degasser. By integrating sensor and control modules, the equipment can monitor vacuum pressure, processing flow rate, and gas content in the mud in real time, and automatically adjust its operating state based on the data—achieving precise control and energy-efficient performance. For drilling sites requiring remote management, the system also supports remote monitoring and parameter adjustment, significantly reducing operator workload and improving operational safety.

Notably, Kosun’s vacuum degasser adopts a modular design concept, allowing flexible configuration for different drilling conditions. Whether it is onshore conventional drilling, shale gas wells, or offshore platform operations, the equipment can quickly adapt to various environments. For special working conditions, Xi’an Kosun also offers customized solutions such as corrosion resistance and high-temperature protection, meeting customer needs across different regions and fluid types. The equipment can be directly connected to various mud tanks and circulation systems, featuring easy installation, low maintenance costs, and greatly enhanced operational convenience and system compatibility.

With years of technical expertise and field experience in the solids control equipment industry, Xi’an Kosun’s vacuum degasser has been successfully applied in numerous domestic and international drilling projects, earning widespread customer recognition. It not only effectively reduces the impact of gas in drilling fluids on system performance but also provides strong technical support for operational safety and cost control.

As the oil and gas industry advances toward intelligent and green development, Xi’an Kosun will continue to deepen its focus on solids control technology, promoting the innovation and upgrading of vacuum degassing equipment to deliver safer, more efficient solutions for drilling clients worldwide..

The desander, also known as a hydrocyclone desander, mud desander, or drilling fluid desander, plays a key role in modern petroleum drilling operations. In these operations, solids control of drilling fluid is essential for maintaining drilling efficiency, reducing costs, and ensuring wellbore safety.

Installed downstream of the shale shaker and degasser and upstream of the desilter, the drilling fluid desander is responsible for removing harmful solid particles ranging from 47 to 74 microns in size.

Working Principle of the Desander

The working principle of the drilling fluid desander is based on the classical theory of centrifugal sedimentation, with the hydrocyclone serving as its core separation unit. The entire process is a continuous physical separation sequence:

Pressure Supply Stage: After preliminary treatment by the shale shaker, the drilling fluid is pressurized by a sand pump and delivered to the desander’s feed manifold. A stable inlet pressure is crucial for forming the cyclone flow. According to industry standards, the operating pressure is typically maintained between 0.2–0.4 MPa.

Cyclonic Separation Stage: The drilling fluid enters the hydrocyclone tangentially at high speed, generating a strong rotational vortex. Within this intense centrifugal field, solid particles with higher density (such as sand grains) are thrown toward the inner wall of the cyclone.

Solid–Liquid Separation Stage: The solid particles spiraling downward along the inner wall are discharged from the underflow outlet in an “umbrella-shaped” pattern under the action of gravity. The cleaned liquid, being less dense, forms an upward inner vortex at the center and exits through the overflow pipe, returning to the circulating system.

Core Functions of the Desander in Drilling Operations

Optimizing Solids Control System Performance: The drilling fluid desander is an important component of the third-stage solids control system, typically used together with the shale shaker. Its primary function is to remove fine sand particles (47–74 microns) that cannot be separated by the shaker. This effectively reduces the load on subsequent equipment such as desilters and centrifuges, prevents overloading, and ensures the stable and efficient operation of the entire solids control system.

Maintaining Drilling Fluid Properties and Ensuring Drilling Efficiency: Excess fine sand solids in drilling fluid can directly increase viscosity and yield point, resulting in poor flow properties. By effectively controlling the solid content, the desander helps maintain optimal rheological properties, thereby supporting higher rate of penetration (ROP) and reducing downhole complications such as stuck pipe, which are often caused by poor mud performance.

Protecting Drilling Equipment and Extending Service Life: Fine sand particles in drilling fluid are highly abrasive. Continuous operation of the desander significantly reduces wear on key components such as mud pump liners, pistons, drill pipes, and drill bits. This is one of the most direct and cost-effective technical measures to extend equipment life and reduce maintenance costs.

Controlling Overall Costs and Improving Operational Economics: Effective use of the desander increases drilling speed, reduces downtime for equipment maintenance, and lowers replacement frequency of parts, thus directly enhancing drilling cost-effectiveness. In non-weighted drilling fluid systems, the desander serves as the primary solids control device, playing a vital role in controlling overall drilling fluid costs.

Features and Advantages of KOSUN Desanders

With a deep understanding of the desander’s core functions, KOSUN combines precise engineering design and customer insight to create reliable equipment that offers both outstanding performance and exceptional user experience.

Superior Material Selection for Core Components: The hydrocyclones at the heart of KOSUN desanders are made from 100% polyurethane or high-chromium cast iron.

Polyurethane provides excellent elasticity, impact resistance, and anti-scaling properties.

High-chromium cast iron offers exceptional hardness and unmatched wear resistance under extreme abrasive conditions.

Together, these materials provide robust durability and reliability for critical operations.

Clamp-Type Connections: By replacing traditional bolts with quick clamp connections, routine inspection and hydrocyclone replacement become faster and easier, significantly reducing maintenance time and labor costs.

Compact and Flexible Design: The modular and compact structure saves valuable on-site space and allows users to configure one, two, or three 10-inch or 12-inch hydrocyclones according to actual processing requirements, offering high configurational flexibility.

Quick Assembly: Optimized interface design ensures fast and flexible pipeline connections during installation, greatly improving deployment efficiency.

Conclusion

From the fundamental principle of centrifugal separation to its multiple key functions in drilling operations, the scientific application of the drilling fluid desander reflects the modern drilling industry’s commitment to refined process control.

One of the core factors ensuring its performance lies in the excellent wear resistance of critical components, such as hydrocyclones, and in the scientific system design that supports stable operation.

With its strong technical foundation in material engineering and system integration, KOSUN guarantees that its desander products operate reliably, efficiently, and consistently even under harsh drilling conditions—making them a dependable choice for ensuring drilling project success and controlling overall operational costs.