Treatment of Oil and Drilling Wastewater

Abstract

A large amount of mineral, macromolecular organics and macromolecular additives exist in drilling wastewater, and form a complicated stable multilevel wastewater system. Biological process is the most efficient way of removing organic matter from drilling waste waters. These 1iving systems rely on mixed microbial cultures to decompose, and to remove colloidal and dissolved organic substances from solution. The most important factors affecting biological growth are temperature, availability of nutrients, oxygen supply, pH, presence of toxins and, sunlight. Drilling waste waters commonly contain sufficient concentrations of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and trace nutrients to support the growth of a microbial culture. Theoretically, a BOD to nitrogen to phosphorus ratio of 100/5/1 is adequate.