Selective placement disposal of drilling fluids in west Texas
Burial of spent drilling fluids used in petroleum and natural gas exploration was evaluated as an alternative disposal technique for reducing surface soil contamination in western Texas. Simulated reserve pits were constructed to provide burial depths of 30, 90, and 150 cm below the surface, with orderly replacement of stockpiled subsoil and topsoil. Movement of soluble salts and heavy metals from drilling fluids into the overlying soil was monitored over a 20-month period. The effects of depth of drilling fluid burial on establishment, yields, and chemical composition of transplanted fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt.) and buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.) were determined for two growing seasons. Sodium, Ca{sup +2}, and Cl{sup {minus}} were the dominant mobile ions, while migration of Mg{sup +2}, K{sup +}, and SO{sub 4}{sup {minus}2} was observed to a lesser degree. Exchangeable sodium percentages in the 15-cm zone immediately above drilling fluid ranged from 1.9 to 19.0 after 20 months. Total concentrations of Ba, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn were greater in drilling fluids than in native soil, but there was no evidence of migration of these metals into overlying soil.
- Research Organization:
- Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6997872
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
03 NATURAL GAS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
DRILLING FLUIDS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
METALS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
SOILS
CONTAMINATION
TEXAS
LAND POLLUTION
BARIUM
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CHROMIUM
COPPER
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
GRASS
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MONITORING
NATURAL GAS
NICKEL
PETROLEUM
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
SHRUBS
SULFATES
ZINC
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION VI
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
LILIOPSIDA
MAGNOLIOPHYTA
MASS TRANSFER
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
POLLUTION
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
030800 - Natural Gas- Environmental Aspects
540220 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology