Field Progress Report 115b

Brandt King Cobra vs. Swaco ALS II

Testing of the new Brandt King Cobra shaker and
the Swaco ALS II linear-motion shaker has
concluded. This report covers 2,000' of
intermediate hole section testing to about 7,300 ft.
About the well:
This test is being conducted on a tight hole on H & P #169
about 11 miles east of Fannett, Texas. Penetration rates
ranged up to 120 feet per hour with the 9 7/8" bit.
Location................................................Jefferson County/TX
Circulating data ..................................................... 650 GPM
Mud properties ...... Gel/Lig/water, 9-9.3 PPG, 35-42 sec FV
Screens:
King Cobra:......................................................All BHX-210
Swaco ALS II:........................... Square grid 210 mesh flats
..................................................................Millennium V-210
...................(CPI supplied all screens for the Swaco ALS II)

With over 33 square feet of screen area, the King Cobra had no trouble
handling full flow of nearly 650 GPM. The fourth panel (dewatering deck)
dried discharges from the top three panels. The relatively flat nature of
the pretensioned screens distributed the fluid evenly for maximum
coverage of screen area and excellent screen life.

Installation:

Summary:
The King Cobra continues to outperform the Swaco ALS II.
The King Cobra used the same BHX-210 (see FPR 115a)
screens from the previous testing period. A Swaco field
technician refitted the ALS II was with Millennium V 210
mesh screens and adjusted it to optimize its performance.

This rig owns two Swaco ALS II shakers that are less than
one year old. One was removed to install the King Cobra
for the test. A four-way cross on the flowline feeds both
shakers through the branched outlets. Air-actuated knifegate valves attached to the cross regulate flow to each
shaker according to the drilling and testing conditions.

Observations of the test from 5300 to 7300 ft.:

Even with 32 square feet of screen area, the conventional in-line screen
placement limited the ALS IIs ability to deal with flow rates above 400
GPM.

All testing was performed with 210 mesh flat screen

panels on both machines. Basket elevations were
normalized to a +1 uphill slope at the feed end screen for
both machines. Pneumatically operated knife-gate valves
adjusted the flow to each shaker for maximum screen
coverage. Samples were gathered when optimum screen
coverage without whole mud loss occurred.
The King Cobra could process the entire maximum rig
pump rate of 650 GPM (gallons per minute) with ease. In
fact, if elevation angles were increased the King Cobra
could have easily processed more than 650 GPM.
The Swaco ALS II flooded, losing whole mud at flow rates
less than full rig pumping capacity (i.e. 650 GPM).
Estimated maximum flow capacity is 400-450 GPM.

Brandt is a trademark of Tuboscope. King Cobra is a trademark of Brandt.

Screens and screen life:

No King Cobra screens needed replacement while
testing against the Swaco ALS II; despite the King
Cobra consistently processing higher flow rates and
discharging more cuttings even when not testing. After
more than 2,000 feet of drilling, at rates up to 120 feet per
hour, a total of 5 (five) hexes on 2 (two) screen panels
were required.
The Swaco ALS II used 6 (six) screens during this phase
of testing; 2 (two) square grid 210 panels and 4 (four)
Millennium V 210 panels. The square grid plastic-backed
210 mesh screens lasted an average of 3 days before they
required replacement. The Millennium V-210 mesh
screens lasted only 2 days on average.

Life (days)
BHX-210

S w a c o 210

10
5
0
1

12

16

24

32

48

64

96

128

Microns

BHX-210

Qty replaced

Swaco 210

AVERAGE FOR TEST PERIOD

M illennium v-2 1 0

The Millennium V screen panel is Swacos newest screen

technology designed to channel liquids to the center of the
screen deck. Visual evidence did not support this
supposed benefit, nor did the test numbers indicate a
significant improvement over other screen types.
Particle size analysis of the screens' underflows indicates
a maximum variance of less than 6 microns.

3.5

3
3

Barrels

4
2

15

Mud properties have changed since the first testing. The

increased viscosity and gel strength of the fluid, along with
the continued addition of other hole conditioning
admixtures has led to decreased throughput of the screen
media. However, the King Cobra can still process the
entire rig circulating volume; the Swaco ALS II cannot.

10

20

Testing and sample analysis:

S C R E E N L IFE & U S AG E
10
8
6
4
2

PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS OF SCREEN UNDERS

Percent

2.4

2.6

2
2

1.6

1
1
0
King Cobra

Swaco ALS

Dry solids removed (bbl/hr)

Mud loss (per bbl solids)

Conclusion:
The Brandt King Cobra is a true high-performance shaker. No screens were consumed during testing with the Swaco ALS II.
Comparative side-by-side evaluations proved that the King Cobra:
Solids
Control
Pressure
Discarded drier cuttings (less mud loss)
Performance
Control
Monitoring
Discarded more cuttings (see chart data)
Material
Instrumentation
Transfer
Screened finer earlier
Blending
Processed more fluid
Disposal
& Storage
Had longer screen life (reduced operating cost
Treatment
Recycling
Brandt provides complete Flowline to Disposal solutions, with
a full circle of solids control and waste management products
and services.
Brandt is a trademark of Tuboscope. King Cobra is a trademark of Brandt.

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