Waste Management and Disposal of Cuttings and Drilling Fluid Waste Resulting from the Drilling and Completion of Wells to Produce Orinoco Very Heavy Oil in Eastern Venezuela

Getliff, Jonathan; Silverstone, Mark; Shearman, A.K.; Lenn, M.; Hayes, Thomas D.

doi:10.2118/46600-ms

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Table 2. Comparison between different disposal methods for waste from drilling activities [6,29]. Generally, E&P companies independently define processing for drilling waste disposal based on waste composition, best available waste disposal methods, best engineering practices and with respect to regulations.…”

Section: Overview Of Oil and Gas Exploration And Production Waste Dismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Generally, E&P companies independently define processing for drilling waste disposal based on waste composition, best available waste disposal methods, best engineering practices and with respect to regulations. There are also different waste materials that are not suitable for deep underground injections through the slurry fracture injection, such as materials that react with the formation or generate gas under downhole conditions [6,21].…”

Section: Overview Of Oil and Gas Exploration And Production Waste Dismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sometimes, drilling a shallow well results in large quantities of waste potentially more dangerous to the environment than in the case of drilling much deeper wells, even though the water-based mud was used. In the 1990s, a large number of shallow horizontal wells were drilled in Eastern Venezuela to produce very heavy oil, and during the drilling, the majority of the waste generated was contaminated with up to 20% of crude oil because a large horizontal section was drilled through the reservoir [6]. The quantity and composition of waste generated by the oil and gas industry greatly depends on specific activities each year.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Deep Underground Injection of Waste from Drilling Activities—An Overview

et al. 2020

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Oil and gas exploration and production activities generate large amounts of waste material, especially during well drilling and completion activities. Waste material from drilling activities to the greatest extent consists of drilled cuttings and used drilling mud with a smaller portion of other materials (wastewater, produced hydrocarbons during well testing, spent stimulation fluid, etc.). Nowadays, growing concerns for environmental protections and new strict regulations encourage companies to improve methods for the reduction of waste material, as well as improve existing and develop new waste disposal methods that are more environmentally friendly and safer from the aspect of human health. The main advantages of the waste injection method into suitable deep geological formations over other waste disposal methods (biodegradation, thermal treatment, etc.) are minimizing potentially harmful impacts on groundwater, reducing the required surface area for waste disposal, reducing the negative impact on the air and long-term risks for the entire environment. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of the underground waste injection technology, criteria for the selection of the injection zone and methods required for process monitoring, as well as a comprehensive literature overview of significant past or ongoing projects from all over the world.

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Section: Overview Of Oil and Gas Exploration And Production Waste Dismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Overview Of Oil and Gas Exploration And Production Waste Dismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Deep Underground Injection of Waste from Drilling Activities—An Overview

et al. 2020

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“…11) and the requirements for risk management during petroleum exploration (Petroleum Safety Authority Management Regulations, Secs. [3][4][5][6]. Complying with the regulations can reduce future liability costs.…”

Section: Discharge To Oceanmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the past, offshore disposal was a popular method of waste management practice in many parts of the world [4]. Thereafter, as many countries' environmental awareness has grown, any oilbased mud from offshore must be hauled back to onshore for disposal or be injected underground at the well site [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk-Based Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Waste Handling Practices in the Arctic Drilling Operation

Ayele

Barabadi

Droguett

2016

Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering

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As oil and gas companies in the Arctic attempt to maximize the value of each project and optimize their portfolio of investment opportunities, it has become vital to evaluate drilling waste handling practices for their cost-effectiveness in order to support strategic decisions. Identifying cost-effective waste handling practices, which have a minimal environmental footprint, however, is one of the biggest challenges for Arctic offshore industries. The cost and potential risks of drilling waste handling practices in the Arctic offshore operation will differ vastly, depending on the operating environment such as the ice conditions and negative sea temperature. However, in the majority of the available cost-effectiveness and risk analysis literature, the influence of the operating environment on the cost and risk profile has received less attention. Hence, the aim of this paper is to propose a methodology for risk-based cost-effectiveness analysis (RB-CEA) of drilling waste handling practices by considering the complex and fast-changing nature of the Arctic. The central thrust of this paper is to highlight the fact that comparing different alternatives based on the cost elements alone is misleading. The proposed methodology uses risk assessment as a key component for the cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). The application of the proposed methodology is demonstrated by a case study of the drilling waste handling practices of an oil field in the Barents Sea. The case study results demonstrate that the operating environment causes costs to be between 1.18 and 1.52 times greater, depending on the type of practices and operating season, in the Arctic offshore compared with the North Sea. Further, the risk of undesirable events is between 1.48 and 2.60 times greater during waste handling activities under Arctic operational conditions.Research Council of Norway ENI Norge AS through the EWMA (Environmental Waste Management) projec

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Vermicomposting and Best Available Technique for Oily Drilling Waste Management in Environmentally Sensitive Areas

2004

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Oil and gas exploration into areas of increasing environmental sensitivity require justification of selected Best Available Technique (BAT), including drilling waste disposal. The BAT should also reflect a most responsible technique. In sensitive areas offshore Northern Norway discharge of drill cuttings is a controversial issue. Improvements in bulk handling techniques are expected to allow wastes to be quickly and safely returned to shore for treatment. If the cuttings are not injected into subsurface formations offshore, then thermal treatment is one option. However, such plants require considerable capital investment or transportation of the cuttings over long distances to the next plant. While bioremediation may not be the obvious choice for waste treatment in arctic climates, the use of benign fluids designed to facilitate bioremediation can greatly increase process rates and facilitate recycling of the waste. Field trials show that vermicomposting is fit for this purpose. Vermicomposting uses worms to remediate the cuttings converting them in to a compost type material that can be used as a soil enhancer or fertilizer. This paper considers a technique that not only cleans the cuttings, but also adds value, converting them into a valuable resource. The results of a study into the feasibility of vermicomposting in Northern Norway provide data for discussing the efficiency and practicality of the technique, while the results of analytical tests and plant growth studies demonstrate the quality and beneficial properties of the product. Acknowledging that this concept transforms a waste into a fertilizer, it may be argued that this is an attractive waste minimization technique that requires low energy inputs and leaves no environmentally compromising residues. Introduction With the Norwegian North Sea moving ever closer to a "zero discharge" regime a number of novel technologies are being developed to meet the requirements of a zero discharge environment. These technologies not only reduce the waste generated at the well site, but will also convert them into useful resources and thus minimize wastes still further. The interpretation of a zero discharge requirement and how to achieve an effective protection of the environment as a whole is subject to continuous debate. Some of the current confusion relates to the challenge of using BAT while at the same time complying with a zero discharge requirement. This needs to be clarified, both in terms of reference and the logical structure of the reasoning. A BAT for drilling waste disposal, as interpreted by Statoil, should apply a life cycle assessment approach1. Briefly explained, the consequence of this is that it may be argued that in some cases the best solution, or a preferred compromise holistically, is to discharge some of the waste under the given circumstances. The question of whether or not a literally zero discharge to sea is a generally sound solution thus needs to be addressed. The US EPA approach for offshore Gulf of Mexico, as outlined in the 40 CFR Part 4352, concludes that holistically the best solution is to use synthetic drilling fluids and discharge the waste, assuming that the drilling fluids and the waste complies with specific acceptance criteria. Thus, for the Gulf of Mexico, the benefits of these discharges are considered to outweigh the counterpart, bringing the waste to shore (zero discharge). For application offshore Norway, ecological tests indicate that use of non-aromatic base oils may have a lower environmental impact than the use of synthetic base oils3. The IPPC Directive4, which outlines acceptance criteria for how to derive at a BAT to be used in the EU countries, also rests on the holistic principle. When the Directive enters into force operators on the Norwegian sector may have to comply with a BAT expectation. Either way, a zero discharge regime must be linked to intelligible and quantifiable risk reducing benefits prominent to the specific area. Which compromise is considered the most responsible, as reflected by different regulations is apparently subject to different interpretations. The Statoil response to a BAT solution in drilling waste management is the TFM methodology5. This methodology rests on a consistent; life cycle assessment (LCA) based waste minimisation strategy.

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Waste Management and Disposal of Cuttings and Drilling Fluid Waste Resulting from the Drilling and Completion of Wells to Produce Orinoco Very Heavy Oil in Eastern Venezuela

Cited by 4 publications

References 1 publication

Deep Underground Injection of Waste from Drilling Activities—An Overview

Deep Underground Injection of Waste from Drilling Activities—An Overview

Risk-Based Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Waste Handling Practices in the Arctic Drilling Operation

Vermicomposting and Best Available Technique for Oily Drilling Waste Management in Environmentally Sensitive Areas

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