Waste management for oilfield operations
1. Enhanced Dewatering systems for liquid wastes coming from drilling operations
What is the enhanced dewatering system?
The EDS is a combination of Chemical and Mechanical processes which allows to dehydrate the drilling wastes directly at the rig site.
The output from the EDS consists of filtered clear water (normally re-used for the preparation of new drilling mud and as plant/rig washing water), oil (in case of OBM waste treatment) and very dry solids.
Type
of Wastes which can be Treated by EDS:
The following type of wastes, produced during drilling activities, can be costly effectively treated by the Ecomed’s EDS:
- Exhausted Drilling muds (Water based & Oil based)
- Drilled water based cuttings coming from shakers, centrifuges etc.
- Rig Washing waters (water & Oily water)
- Any Other liquid and/or solid miscellaneous waste resulting from rig activities
Advantages of the usage of the EDS for drilling wastes treatment:
- The EDS allows the recovery of the aqueous phases from the waste muds which accounts for between 60 and 90% of the total volume of the mud itself.
- As a consequence, the overall final waste volume to transport and to dispose off at the end of drilling activity it can be reduced down to approx 40% of the initial quantity. Only a relatively small volume of dry solids will be delivered out from the rig site for disposal.
- The water phase contained into the waste volume is almost totally recovered and re sent back to the rig for new mud mixing, rig activities etc. This will drastically reduce the cost of transportation for the water needed for rig’s activity.
- The overall logistic costs for wastes & water transportation are drastically reduced. The rig site logistic is drastically simplified and the associated risks & costs reduced.
- The size of the waste pits needed at the rigsite and at the final waste disposal location it can be drastically reduced.
- At the end of the drilling activity, each location will be leaved “free of wastes” in real time.
- Last, but not least, the final material disposed into the environment, after the treatment with the EDS, is much less, more stable and less polluting.
2. Stabilization of Oil base mud cuttings
The stabilization of the oil base mud cuttings coming from drilling activity allows to inhibit the release to the environment of contaminants from wastes which would otherwise be critical due to its consistency and/or its chemical/physical properties.
These process will transform the oily cuttings into an easily manageable solid, with a limited surface area exposed to the surrounding environment and where the contaminants are sealed internally, blocked in insoluble compounds.
The Stabilization process will therefore allow a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective disposal of the waste at the disposal sites.
Download PDF: Enhanced dewatering systems for WB wastes