Integrated Waste Management: Successful Implementations of Thermal Phase Separation Technology for Oil- and Synthetic-Based Cuttings and Drilling Fluid Waste

摘要

Environmental legislation governing the disposal of drillingwaste is continually restricting the discharge limits of drillingfluids and drill cuttings. Operators are charged with achievinga balance between minimizing the potential environmentalimpact of the drilling fluid while maintaining wellborestability. Many reservoirs by their inherent nature, as well asthe performance advantages of oil-based and synthetic-baseddrilling fluids, often preclude the use of a water-based fluid.The resultant oleaginous-based drilling fluid and cuttings,whether they are synthetic or diesel, present a complex andcostly waste management challenge.During the planning stages of a drilling project it isimportant to create an Integrated Waste Management Plan(IWMP). The IWMP takes into account the various types ofwaste generated by Exploration and Production (E&P)operations in a given area. The key feature of an IWMP isresource management. The use of thermal desorptiontechnology as part of an IWMP allows the recovery and reuseof valuable liquids from the drilling waste. These recoveredfluids can be reused as base fluid for reconditioning orbuilding new drilling mud, or as a fuel source.Spent materials from drilling, completion and workoveroperations represent the largest volume of waste typicallyincluded in an IWMP. These wastes include drilling fluidsand/or cuttings from drilling operations. Due to morestringent environmental regulations with respect tohydrocarbon discharge limits, the use of thermal phaseseparation (TPS) technology helps operators meet their wastemanagement goals in a cost effective and efficient manner.The economic benefit to the operator using TPS technology isgreatly enhanced by the value and cost savings associated withthe reuse of the recovered fluids.Operator A selected TPS technology to provide drillingwaste management and fluid recovery for a field developmentproject in Blocks 10 and 12 in Ecuador. Operator B selectedTPS technology for the Tengiz reservoir in Kazakhstan. TPSis a technology that recovers water, oil and other base fluidsthat would otherwise be transported for disposal. This paperdescribes the IWMP approach to the planning, designing andimplementation of thermal treatment for these two distinctdrilling operations in Ecuador and Kazakhstan. This paperwill show how the synergistic approach to waste managementenabled both operations to meet all environmental andoperational objectives in terms of handling and disposing ofdrilling waste.The IWMP approach has proven cost effective on manydrilling projects around the world. The authors will chroniclethe use of thermal treatment as part of successful wastemanagement plans on drilling projects in an eco-sensitive areaof Ecuador and in Tengiz, Kazakhstan. Similar projects areunder consideration for Mexico, South America, Russia, andsites in the United States.