Mobile Onsite drilling Waste Treatment (OWT) facilities - a solution for safer, cheaper, and environmentally friendly operations

• Main Author: Sary, Wulan
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: GE Environmental Sciences; T Technology (General)
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/15990/1/P45.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/15990/; http://stmlportal.net/ictom04/TOC.html

Drilling mud waste, the by-product that generates from Drilling operation, should be treated to comply with GOI (Government of Indonesia) regulations. An oil and gas field in Sumatera Island operated by PT. X produced about 50,000 bbls water base mud per month, but the centralized mud treating facility (CMTF) was designed only to treat 30,000 bbls per month.Besides,transportation using vacuum truck is required to carry the waste from site to CMTF that creates potential of motor vehicle accidents while traveling.Using lean sigma framework with DMAIC methodology, a business case study was developed to find alternatives on how to manage the waste while also improving safety performance.We started with a pilot project, which is done very successfully, and then continuing with a full-scale implementation in the North area.Five (5) mobile (On Site Waste Treatment) OWT units with two (2) different technologies; electro-coagulation and advanced oxidation; are being operated to process drilling waste from the ground pit either while the rig is on location or after it is released. Each mobile OWT has capacity of 24,000 barrels/month. The effluent is regularly checked in the laboratory to ensure the output meets GOI regulations before release to environment. Implementing this Mobile OWT initiative has delivered added value to the Company of about US$375,000 over a nine (9) month period and improved HES compliance by reducing trips and mileage which in the end will reduce Motor Vehicle Crash (MVC) potential, especially when driving at night in our drilling waste operations.Future improvement could consider how to maintain the discharge solid while processing the mud waste from the same disposal pit; provide solid treating facility and application of closed loop drilling.