Breakthrough Solid Drilling Waste Management Technology Receives Attention from Oil & Gas Industry
Revolutionary methods prove to benefit the environment, the industry, and the communities impacted by oil and gas exploration and production
LONGVIEW, Texas, Jan. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the American Petroleum Institute, for every foot drilled in the U.S., 1.21 barrels of drilling waste are generated – approximately half of this is solid drilling waste. Due to a lack of satisfactory waste disposal methods available, Scott Environmental Services, Inc., (Scott), developed processes to manage the solid waste produced from drilling.
Scott's processes utilize superior "solidification/stabilization" technology, an in-situ remediation field technology that encapsulates contaminants and/or makes them immobile. In the past, similar methods have been applied when dealing with hazardous solid waste – radioactive or carcinogenic – but these methods were widely regarded as too expensive to justify their use for less dangerous solids such as solid drilling waste.
"Scott Environmental's patented solidification/stabilization technology provides solutions to a challenge that has increasingly become an industry-wide issue – the management of solid drilling waste," said Blake Scott, president of Scott. "In addition, these methods often produce cost savings for our customers."
Firmus® and DuroSM
Following years of research and experimentation, Scott was able to obtain patents for its solidification/stabilization processes Firmus® and DuroSM that not only result in safe disposition but also produce materials that can be used in high-quality, civil engineering structures such as the roads and drill pads needed on many drill sites.
Firmus® and DuroSM processes meet the recycling and/or treatment definition under the EPA and API waste hierarchy. Services include the engineering for waste disposition and pit closure, necessary labor and confirmatory testing by an independent, third-party laboratory following placement of the material. By preparing mud and cuttings through solidification and stabilization, both processes provide similar benefits, which meet supporting loads and environmental closure criteria.
Firmus® Processes
Firmus® processes, developed by the Scott team over several years, are for use on freshwater mud and cuttings, oil-based cuttings, and some saltwater mud and cuttings. The process treats drilling waste so that it can be reused as construction material for lease roads, drilling pads, compressor station pads, tank battery berms and other load-bearing structures.
A special benefit of the Firmus® process is the ability to take waste that would otherwise be disposed of, either on- or off-site, and recycle the material to create load-bearing structures that would otherwise require new, raw materials. A Firmus® process also reduces the customer's environmental footprint and can help mitigate future liability.
DuroSM Processes
DuroSM processes, also developed by the Scott team over several years, can be used on freshwater, oil-based, and saltwater mud and cuttings. The process treats drilling waste in or near the pit(s) where it accumulates during drilling, so that the reclaimed pit area can be reused as a load-bearing structure for setting frac tanks or other equipment either during or after completion. This is typically accomplished by solidifying and stabilizing the mud and cuttings within the confines of the pit area.
In addition, the DuroSM process immobilizes the contaminants to reduce the customer's environmental footprint, and, by recycling the waste to support loads over the pit area, the use of other construction materials and the potential for future liability from the waste are reduced. The DuroSM process is also an excellent way to reduce waste handling and disposal costs.
Strength, hydraulic conductivity and leachability have been found to be key performance parameters for both processes. The results of the work must properly sequester contaminants and withstand expected loads. Research has shown that solidification and stabilization systems designed using these key parameters are scientifically forecasted to last several thousand years.
About Scott Environmental Services, Inc.
Headquartered in Longview, Texas, Scott Environmental Services, Inc. specializes in providing solid drilling waste management for the oil and gas exploration and production industry. Offering turnkey solutions through expert, site-specific recycling and treatment technology, Scott, governmentally permitted to provide services by several state regulatory bodies and licensed as a contractor in others, operates in Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming. The company has received numerous awards in recognition of its contribution to the industry. More information can be found at www.scottenv.com.
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CONTACT: Christian Goff, [email protected], (512) 745-0627
SOURCE Scott Environmental Services, Inc.
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