An Improved Method for Grinding and Reinjecting of Drill Cuttings

Abstract

ABSTRACT A successful reinjection of oil-wet drill cuttings has been performed on the Norwegian Gullfaks Field. The reinjection was carried out in the annulus between two casing strings through a wear-protected wellhead. An effective way of grinding cuttings and mixing slurry by use of a new patent pending method known as SMACCC – Statoil Method for Autogenous Crushing and Classifying of Cuttings has been developed. The paper discusses reservoir aspects and presents simulated fracture geometries as a result of rock mechanical and slurry in-put property data. Further, the paper describes a 1000 hour wear test, involved equipment, and gives a derived formula describing wear from sand slurries on internal wellhead components.