Central Waste Treatment Facilities (CTRD) Reduce Drilling and Waste Management Costs in Heavy Oil Operations, Eastern Venezuela

摘要

The Ameriven Central Waste Treatment Facilities (CTRD Centro de Tratamiento y Recuperación de Desechos), which were designed and implemented with the technical support of teams provided by a major drilling waste management service company, receives and processes heavy-oil drilling and production waste generated by operations in the Hamaca Project, located in the Faja Region of the Orinoco Belt in Venezuela. The CTRD operational strategy emphasizes the 4Rs: reduction, reuse, recovery, and recycling. Important cost savings have been achieved from: (1) the consolidation of waste treatment at one location near the source; and (2) the efficient waste management practices implemented by the fluids and waste management team, under contract with Petrolera Ameriven (Ameriven). The facility now serves as a model for similar operations in the region and has earned unconditional approval from governmental agencies and prominent companies with commercial interests in the area’s forests and resources. Over the life of the 30-year project, the facility will process the waste from approximately 250 to 500 wells. The current development production phase yields 80,000 bbl/day, with 190,000 bbl/day extra-heavy crude expected in the commercial production phase. Cost reductions related to waste management and disposal at this site are currently estimated at 22% (since commencement of operations) and are expected to improve further as the facility is used to full capacity. Several integrated processes are implemented for the efficient disposal of drilling waste products: thorough rig audits, solids-control equipment performance, rig, field, and plant supervision, dewatering, water treatment, and landfarming and landspreading of processed solids and cuttings.