Drilling Waste Treatment Methods
Drilling waste Treatment methods plan a very important for environment protection.
Drilling waste management system including a trailer having at least one centrifuge and a solids catch tank receiving solids.
An effective drilling waste management is an essential characteristic of a successful drilling operation. The very process of drilling oil and gas does in fact generate large quantities of spent muds and drill cuttings. And this quantity is no negligible amount.
According to a study conducted way back in 1995, an estimated quantity of 150 million barrels or drilling waste was generated in American soil alone. This gives us a brief idea about the total waste generated by these activities which in turn stresses the importance or need for an effective management and handling system for this waste.
Drilling waste generated in the process is broadly classified into two: drill fluids and drill vertical cuttings . Drill fluids also known as muds, are used to facilitate the smooth functioning of these equipments and is separated in the final stages. These wastes are separated by mechanical means and some effective techniques have been developed by scientists over the century.
Quite recently did scientists develop the effective solid removal system, which is mechanical in its functioning. Before its introduction there were methods like dilution which involved transferring the whole matter into a waste pit. In the waste pit, the matter is diluted to facilitate easy separation of the unwanted and desired materials.
Other method used for managing or disposing of drilling waste , mainly solid waste is through the conventional method of settling. The solid is allowed to settle to the bottom of a specialized tank like structure. From this, the settled particles are removed deliberately by one way or the other.
There are many other methods as well for waste management and removal, but the most commonly used is the one with mechanical removing technique. The waste removed by these methods is later contained in some tank like structure. After suitable means of management and containment, it is then disposed properly with no harm done to anyone.
