Beneficial reuse of oilfield waste outside of the oil and gas industry

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:191928

Marinello, S A; Herbert, B F; Lillo, H ^[1]

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1. and others

If a beneficial reuse of an oilfield waste can be found, that specific byproduct is no longer a waste, but a product. With such downstream use, the environmental liabilities of the former waste are, except for any packaging or transportation requirements, potentially eliminated. There is a problem, however, with the lack of an active infrastructure to implement the process. Some states have limited programs, but participation is a problem. It is apparent that a {open_quotes}Waste Clearinghouse{close_quotes} addressing oilfield waste in conjunction with major industrial waste and feed streams is needed, but implementation remains in the future. An active network of participating suppliers and users would be the goal of such action. The benefits for industry would be a reduction in waste disposal and associated liabilities and {open_quotes}virgin{close_quotes} feedstock requirements. From the operators viewpoint, this scenario would require a compilation of the different waste/byproduct streams and their characteristics and a prioritizing of those wastes by characteristics that might affect their reuse potential. These might include: (1) the greatest likelihood of finding a market; (2) the highest potential waste volume reduction; (3) the highest cost of disposal and (4) the greatest associated hazards. For the industry as a whole, an inventorying of these byproducts and characteristics would be tied to the identification of consumers/outlets for specific byproducts. This might be accomplished through the funding of consultants/contractors specializing in clearinghouse activities and/or research into potential applications and uses. The industry needs to change it`s view of waste/byproduct streams in order to be more aware of potential downstream uses. Existing examples of reuse can be used as models for further efforts.

• OSTI ID: 191928
• Report Number(s): CONF-951002--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
DRILLING FLUIDS
ECONOMICS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
OIL FIELDS
PETROLEUM INDUSTRY
RECYCLING
WASTE MANAGEMENT