Identifying common issues with mud/gas separators essential to maintaining safe operations

The mud/gas separator is an important component in any drilling operation. In order to avoid potentially catastrophic failure at the rig site, it is important to understand the problems that may affect performance, said Richard Grayson, Senior QHSE Manager and Global Well Control Focal Point at Nabors Industries. In this interview with DC, Mr Grayson explained some of the issues with separators that drilling contractors should be aware of. Among the topics Mr Grayson discussed were sizing and design issues that could lead to problems during well operations, and the lack of industry standards for maintenance. He also highlighted potential opportunities to improve training on mud/gas separators.