Offshore disposal of oil-based drilling-fluid waste: An environmentally acceptable solution

Journal Article · Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · SPE Drilling and Completion (Society of Petroleum Engineers); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/23373-PA· OSTI ID:5465276

Malachosky, E; Shannon, B E; Jackson, J E; Aubert, W G

Oily cuttings and waste fluid are byproducts of oil-based drilling muds. In such difficult drilling environments as the Gulf of Mexico, where oil-based fluids often are preferred, personnel safety, environmental, and economic concerns are exacerbated by the necessity to transport these cuttings and fluids to shore for disposal. This paper describes a process for on-site preparation and subsequent disposal of a slurry of cuttings by annular pumping. The disposal includes all cuttings and waste oil mud generated during drilling with oil-based fluids. Wastes are displaced down a casing annulus and into permeable zones below the surface casing setting depth. Descriptions of environmental and safety problems arising from onshore disposal, benefits of annular pumping, and equipment used for slurry preparation and pumping are described. This technique eliminates the need for platform cuttings storage, cuttings transportation to shore, and the environmental effects of onshore disposal.

• OSTI ID: 5465276
• Journal Information: SPE Drilling and Completion (Society of Petroleum Engineers); (United States), Vol. 8:4; ISSN 1064-6671
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
DRILLING FLUIDS
REINJECTION
LIQUID WASTES
OFFSHORE DRILLING
WASTE DISPOSAL
DISPOSAL WELLS
GULF OF MEXICO
INJECTION WELLS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
OIL WELLS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
DRILLING
FLUIDS
MANAGEMENT
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
030300 - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing
020800 - Petroleum- Waste Management
030700 - Natural Gas- Waste Management