Drilling fluids are an important part of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) jobsites to efficiently bore. This is especially true for installation of large-diameter products and hard rock drilling. The bigger the project, or the tougher the rock, the more drilling fluid needed and water consumed. But getting water to jobsites can be challenging and so can disposal efforts. That’s why it’s important to recycle the water and HDD fluids for reuse. An effective way to do this can be through a Vermeer reclaimer.
Underground drilling requires drilling fluid to help the drill bit navigate its way through the soil. This creates an opportunity for HDD operations to reuse the natural resource of water. Using a Vermeer reclaimer, like the R250C reclaimer and the R600T reclaimer, serves a dual purpose for storage and recycling of water and drilling fluids.
The reclaimer mixes water and drilling fluid additives on the jobsite. Once ready, the reclaimer hooks up to a high-pressure mud pump where fluids get pumped to the drill. Drill cuttings and dirty fluid flow to the entry pit and are pumped back to the reclaimer. That mud mixture then flows through shaker decks, desander cyclones and desilter hydrocyclones to remove large cuttings, sands and silt. The recycled drilling fluid is returned to a clean tank and can be used again down the bore path.
By separating the cutting from the fluid, not only is the water able to be reused, but it minimizes the amount of mud mixture needed and waste to dispose of from the jobsite. With water being removed from the spoils, a dryer mud cake is produced. This, in turn, minimizes the number of materials going to waste on the jobsite.
Using reclaiming resources on a jobsite enables crews to minimize their trips to disposal sites or to pick up water. These practices help maximize efficiency of time and resources of the HDD company.
Vermeer Corporation reserves the right to make changes in product engineering, design and specifications; add improvements; or discontinue manufacturing or distribution at any time without notice or obligation. Equipment shown is for illustrative purposes only and may display optional accessories or components specific to their global region. Please contact your local Vermeer dealer for more information on machine specifications.
Vermeer and the Vermeer logo are trademarks of Vermeer Manufacturing Company in the U.S. and/or other countries. © 2022 Vermeer Corporation. All Rights Reserved.