US Liquids optimizing E&P waste management at Fourchon
The challenge for USLL in developing zero-operator-liability technologies and services has been to ensure that the total cost of waste management of the new approaches is lower than traditional oilfield waste disposal practices. To that end, USLL has implemented several innovative initiatives to achieve the lowest total cost of waste management for the operator. In addition to reducing transportation costs through its strategically positioned treatment facilities and more cost-effective docks and marine transfer stations, USLL has focused intensive efforts to improve the land treatment process so soluble salt content is decreased, oil concentration is reduced by recovery or degradation, and clean cuttings or reuse materials are stored securely onsite.
E&P waste becomes a product
In addition, these stockpiles can be eliminated safely through the USLL R3 treatment process, which reduces contractor costs because it improves land treatment efficiency and reduces the required quantity of land and water resources. Frequent independent tests, onsite audits by E&P operators, and strict regulatory monitoring of USLL operations confirm that this proprietary land treatment process does not impact ground water and soil adversely. The process is quite different from the practices used by operators who have their drilling contractor bury E&P waste at the well site as disposal.
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The USLL R3 process is an important step to reduce water, recycle oil, and reuse cuttings to eliminate operator liability. The process results in clean stockpiles of reuse material that can be used for road base or as levee fill.
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The R3 process is an economical and fully compliant method to convert E&P waste to beneficial and environmentally friendly road base and levee fill reuse material that eliminates E&P operator liability. The R3 road base program converts stockpile material to environmentally safe road base.
“Experiments conducted at USLL’s South Texas facilities with an independent lab have demonstrated that treated reuse material can be converted to new high-performance road base material,” says Werdenberg. “Lab tests of the new R3 road base have proved that the material is cleaner and more affordable than asphalt and has higher compressive strength.”
Now approved by regulatory agencies for building public and private roads in Texas, the R3 road base leaves USLL facilities in South Texas for road-building projects as a commercial product that is no longer classified as waste. Given the enormous volume of road base consumed every year in the areas surrounding USLL facilities in Louisiana, all of the existing and newly created stockpile from drilling operations easily could be reused in road repair and construction to eliminate operator liability.
Clean reuse material ideal levee fill
The clean reuse material produced by the R3 treatment process also is ideal for levee fill. USLL is working with the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Louisiana Dept. of Natural Resources to ensure that liability to the generator ends when the stockpile material leaves the facility as reuse material for a levee reconstruction project. Levee projects in Louisiana need many times the volume of material than is currently stockpiled at USLL facilities.
For 25 years, land treatment cells have been used safely but not efficiently. The USLL R3 process greatly improves efficiency to ensure land treatment remains the most affordable and least risky alternative for managing E&P waste. Tests of the R3 treatment process indicate that USLL’s facilities can safely handle the continued increase in drilling activity expected in the years ahead.
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Click here to enlarge image
In addition to reducing transportation costs through its strategically positioned treatment facilities and more cost-effective docks and marine transfer stations, USLL has focused intensive efforts on improving the land treatment process so soluble salt content is decreased, oil concentration is reduced by recovery or degradation, and clean cuttings or reuse materials are stored in secure onsite.
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Volume 68 Issue 3
March 2008
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