Friction-based thermal desorption, with temperatures between 260 and 300°C, allows the oil and water phases to be volatilized and subsequently condensed and recovered, leaving dried and cleaned solids that can be disposed. Frictionbased thermal desorption reduces the residual oil on the cuttings while recovering oil and other materials for reuse. This paper presents the novel friction-based thermal desorption system currently deployed in the relatively hostile and remote Koshken area, located on the steppe escarpment above the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan. This project is expected to produce 50,000 tonnes of oil-based drilling fluid or "mud" (OBM) drill cuttings annually, which must be treated to below 1% TPH oil before disposal. Any treatment technology utilized in this environment faces operational and logistical challenges, including the severe climate and the need to transport the drill cuttings from an offshore facility to an onshore centralized location. Improvements in friction-based thermal desorption technology were developed specifically for the Koshkani project to ensure health, safety and environmental (HSE) compliance and allow a best-in-class system to operate in this harsh environment.In this paper, the authors describe the three-year development process, from initial design and equipment construction through installation, commissioning and operation. Analytical data presented includes analysis of discharged material, recovered base oil and air emission analysis. A comparison is made between the application of thermal desorption technology and alternative technologies used in similar projects.Friction-based thermal desorption met increasingly high performance expectations and technology advancements allowing them to be achieved with assured HSE performance. Given the environmental performance that the Kashagan project required, this technology has proven to be the simplest, easiest and most effective system to implement in this environment with assured success.

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TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractTwo classes (sonic and ultrasonic) of cement bond log tools are run in tandem as part of ZADCO's standard cement evaluation program. The effectiveness of these tools and their evaluations are often challenged and are not regarded as a replacement for reservoir inter-zonal communication tests performed between producing reservoirs on every well. Consequently the value of continuing to run these tools was raised by management. In response, the reliability of these tools and their interpretations for determining the existence of poor behind casing cement quality and possibly hydraulically communicating layers was critically and systematically examined by a dedicated team of ZADCO and Schlumberger technical professionals. The criteria used to judge the usefulness of these logs was the present or not of communication behind casing as determined by the physical test. For the twenty-eight wells examined, twenty-five of the cement log interpretations matched the communication test results. One well which communicated had 10 feet of apparent good cement with the remainder poor. Its cement log suffered from eccentralization which negatively affected the cement bond log interpretation. Two wells with long intervals of excellent cement on logs suffered behind casing communication. The reasons for this remain unresolved but are a source of constant discussion. Possible explanations for the mismatch between cement evaluation log interpretation and the physical test results are explored.