How to Select a Suitable Mud Shear Pump?
Apr 20, 2026
The solids control system plays a vital role in drilling operations. As a high-performance pump applied in solids control systems, the mud shear pump is a type of centrifugal pump mainly used for shearing, dispersion and sufficient hydration of drilling mud.Ordinary sand pumps and centrifugal pumps only serve to transport mud, while the mud shear pump realizes fluid transportation as well as shearing and dispersion, enabling rapid dissolution and dispersion of mud additives. Therefore, great attention shall be paid to the selection of mud shear pumps.
I. Selection of Explosion-proof Motor
Oilfield drilling sites are flammable and explosive hazardous areas. Ordinary motors may trigger potential safety hazards. For this reason, mud shear pumps are mandatorily equipped with explosion-proof motors to ensure operational safety on site.
YB3 series flameproof three-phase asynchronous motor is designed as flameproof construction in compliance with:
GB 3836.1-2010 Explosive atmospheres — Part 1: Equipment general requirements
GB 3836.2-2010 Explosive atmospheres — Part 2: Equipment protection by flameproof enclosures “d”
Explosion protection marks: Ex d I Mb, Ex d II BT4 Gb
Operating Conditions
1. Ambient air temperature varies with seasons, with a maximum of 35℃ / 40℃ and a minimum of -15℃.
2. Altitude: no higher than 1000 m above sea level.
3. Rated voltage: 380V, 660V, 380/660V
4. Rated frequency: 50Hz
5. Motor rating is based on S1 continuous duty.
6. Insulation class: Class F
7. Enclosure protection class: IP55
Material and Installation Requirements
The motor frame is made of cast iron with anti-corrosion coating, adaptable to corrosive oilfield environments.
Standard installation form: B3 (foot-mounted). Customized forms including B5 (flange-mounted) and B35 (foot and flange mounted) are available.
II. Selection of Mud Shear Pump
The JQB series shear pump is essential equipment in drilling fluid circulation systems. It is mainly applied for treatment of chemical additives and bentonite to achieve rapid preparation of drilling fluid.With a specially designed mud pump impeller structure, the pump generates powerful shear force when fluid flows through, which crushes and disperses solid particles such as chemical additives and bentonite, realizing uniform distribution of solids in drilling fluid.
Field application data shows that mud treatment with shear pumps can reduce bentonite consumption by over 20%. Meanwhile, it significantly improves fluid filtration performance and mud quality, forms favorable gel strength, effectively protects wellbores and prevents oil reservoir contamination, and greatly enhances cuttings carrying capacity of drilling fluid under low shear rate conditions.
The JQB6×5J mud shear pump is a large-flow mud mixing device dedicated to solids control systems. It adopts large-diameter flow channels with 6-inch inlet and 5-inch outlet, together with a high-shear sand pump impeller structure. It reduces raw material consumption and improves drilling fluid quality, and is widely applied to onshore drilling operations and mud mixing systems.
Two models are available in this series:JQB6×5J-45 and JQB6×5J-55
Both models are equipped with YB3 series flameproof explosion-proof motors.
TECHNICAL PARAMETERS
Item
JQB6×5J-45
JQB6×5J-55
Model
JQB6×5J-45
JQB6×5J-55
Capacity
120 m³/h
150 m³/h
Head
28m – 32m
32m – 38m
Shearing Efficiency
95%
95%
Motor Power
45 kW
55 kW
Impeller Speed
2200 rpm
2200 rpm
Inlet Diameter
6"
5"
Outlet Diameter
5"
5"
Weight
780 kg
900 kg
Overall Dimensions
1200mm × 1000mm × 1450mm
1250mm × 1000mm × 1470mm
Model Meaning
JQB: Series code of shear pump
6×5: 6-inch inlet diameter, 5-inch outlet diameter
J: Mechanical seal structure
45: 45kW explosion-proof motor configured
55: 55kW explosion-proof motor configured
Selection Basis
1.According to mud mixing capacity
For conventional drilling with medium mud preparation volume: JQB6×5J-45
For large mud volume, sand-laden mud and deep-well drilling conditions: JQB6×5J-55 (55kW)
2. Material and Seal Requirements
Sand pump casing and sand pump impeller are made of high-chromium wear-resistant cast iron to resist abrasion from sand-containing mud. Special oilfield mechanical seals are adopted for excellent corrosion resistance.
3.Performance Requirements
10% safety margin is reserved for flow rate and head.
Sufficient power margin is reserved for the motor to avoid overheating during long-term continuous operation.
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