Synthetic drilling fluids - a pollution prevention opportunity for the oil and gas industry
- Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
Offshore oil and gas operators use specialized drilling fluids, referred to as {open_quotes}muds,{close_quotes} to help maintain well control and to remove drill cuttings from the hole. Historically, either water-based muds (WBMs) or oil-based muds (OBMs) have been used for offshore wells. Recently, the drilling industry has developed several types of synthetic-based muds (SBMs) that combine the desirable operating qualities of OBMs with the lower toxicity and environmental impact qualities of WBMs. This report describes the operational, environmental, and economic features of all three types of muds and discusses potential EPA regulatory barriers to wider use of SBMs. WBMs are widely used in shallow wells and often in shallower portions of deeper wells, but often are not effective in deeper wells and extended reach wells. Drilling with WBMs often takes much longer than with OBMs or SBMs, resulting in extra cost and air emissions from the drilling equipment. With WBMs both the muds and the drill cuttings are discharged onsite. Both OBMs and SBMs are recycled, with only the cuttings and a small amount of associated drilling fluids being disposed. The EPA`s effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) prohibit releases of free oil, as detected by the static sheen test, from drilling fluids and drill cuttings discharges. OBMs and cuttings cannot pass the static sheen test and must be transported to shore for disposal in a landfill, whereas some SBM cuttings can be discharged onsite. SBMs offer operational advantages over WBMs and pollution prevention potential over OBMs in many situations, but the widespread use of SBMs has been inhibited by concerns that the discharged drill cuttings would not meet the ELGs requirement for no free oil. Operators are reluctant to use SBMs because they may not be able to discharge cuttings onsite.
- OSTI ID:
- 416893
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-951023-; TRN: 96:005001-0050
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 68. annual conference and exposition of the Water Environment Federation, Miami Beach, FL (United States), 21-25 Oct 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of WEFTEC `95: 68th annual conference & exposition; PB: 498 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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