Water-based drilling waste treatment technology and water-based mud zero discharge technology

Water-based drilling waste mainly consists of drill cuttings, waste mud, and facility and equipment cleaning wastewater generated during the drilling process. In recent years, many countries have set the goal of “zero discharge” of drilling waste, with strict requirements at various stages from waste reduction at the source, process control, to end treatment. This is done to minimize environmental pollution caused by drilling waste and promote the systematization, standardization, and normalization of drilling waste treatment.

Currently, water-based drilling waste treatment technologies mainly include recovery technologies, in-situ solidification (or harmless treatment) in mud pits, drilling wastewater treatment, integrated treatment of drilling fluid and wastewater, biological treatment technologies, and “zero-discharge” harmless treatment of drilling waste. With the development of environmental protection in drilling operations, especially the new requirements of the new Environmental Protection Law implemented on January 1, 2015, some special areas in China and abroad require the “zero-discharge” treatment of drilling waste along with drilling, where the treated solid waste such as cuttings and residues can be placed or buried on-site in compliance, or used for well pad construction,   and the treated wastewater can be discharged on-site in compliance or transported to authorized discharge points for disposal.

The existing drilling waste treatment processes involve the separation and solid-liquid separation treatment of waste mud and drill cuttings in storage pits. The solid phase is solidified and then disposed of through a landfill, while the separated wastewater is transported to nearby sewage treatment plants after coagulation and sedimentation treatment at the wellsite.“zero-discharge” treatment technology involves the regeneration treatment of waste mud, which can reutilize the waste drilling fluid at the wellsite, use the drill cuttings to prepare roadbed materials and use the treated drilling wastewater for equipment cleaning or drilling fluid formulation. This achieves the harmless treatment and resource utilization of waste mud and drill cuttings.

Tag: water-based drilling waste treatment technology, water-based mud zero discharge technology