Shale Shakers
Linear-motion and balanced-elliptical shale shakers for primary cuttings separation on land and offshore drilling operations.
The shale shaker is the first — and most cost-effective — line of defence in any solids control system. Correctly configured, it removes the majority of drilled solids at the flowline and protects everything downstream from unnecessary wear.
Paragon supplies new, reconditioned and rental shakers across all major platforms, plus the full range of API-rated screens and associated wear parts.
How it works
- 1Whole mud discharges from the flowline onto the top of the shaker basket, over a series of API-designated screen panels.
- 2Linear-motion or balanced-elliptical vibration — typically 6–7.5 G — drives cuttings up the deck and off the discharge end while drilling fluid passes through the screens.
- 3Underflow drops into the shaker sump and is returned to the active mud system for further treatment by hydrocyclones, mud cleaners and centrifuges.
- 4Deck angle, G-force and screen mesh combinations are tuned to formation, ROP and mud properties.
Typical specifications
Specifications indicative — actual configuration sized against your specific process.
Typical applications
- Primary cuttings removal from the flowline
- Scalping ahead of high-speed centrifuges
- Solids removal in HDD and civil bentonite systems
- Cuttings dryer feed conditioning
- Wastewater and industrial slurry screening
Selection factors
Screen mesh must match the formation
Running too fine a screen from spud to TD guarantees blinding, tears and lost circulation. Match mesh to actual particle-size distribution and adjust as the formation changes.
Match G-force to duty
Very high G-force helps on fine, sticky cuttings but shortens screen life and can dry cuttings excessively (bad for downstream cuttings dryers). Balance G against screen consumption.
Deck angle is a real-time lever
Hydraulic deck-angle adjustment lets the shaker hand tune fluid residence time as ROP and mud viscosity change — a small operational habit with a large impact on dilution rates.
“Most shale shaker performance complaints are actually screen selection or deck-angle problems, not the shaker itself. Run a screen audit before condemning the machine.”
Spares we supply
Why Choose Paragon
30+ years of field experience
Our engineers have specified, commissioned and troubleshot equipment on projects across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.
Independent technical advice
We are not tied to a single manufacturer — recommendations are driven by fit for your process, not by margin.
Global sourcing network
Trusted OEM and specialist aftermarket suppliers, with dual-sourced wear parts to protect you from lead-time risk.
Delivered ready to work
Inspection, testing, commissioning and technical support included — not left as an afterthought.
Responsive engineering support
One working-day response on technical enquiries, and hands-on troubleshooting when you need it.
Long-term client relationships
Most of our work comes from clients we've supported through multiple projects and equipment life cycles.
Need help specifying a shale shakers?
Share your flow rate, feed characteristics and site constraints — our engineers will come back with a concrete configuration and budget within one working day.
Related equipment
Decanter Centrifuges
High-speed decanter centrifuges for barite recovery, fine-solids removal and industrial sludge dewatering.
Vertical Cuttings Dryers
High-G vertical basket centrifuges that recover base oil from OBM cuttings and cut oil-on-cuttings to compliance targets.
Mud Cleaners
Integrated desander / desilter packages over a drying shaker — intermediate solids removal on a single skid.