Oil and gas wastes

While a number of wastes produced at the wellsite are considered characteristic hazardous waste, some wastes fall under the nonhazardous description. The regulation of these fall under RCRA Subtitle D. Initially Subtitle D wastes were regulated to control dumping of domestic trash and city runoff. The EPA is considering promulgating regulation of certain oil and gas wastes under Subtitle D [231]. 

The use of open pits or ponds for evaporation of brine is widely practiced in southwestern states where evaporation exceeds precipitation [23]. For example, about 75% of all oil and gas waste fluids are disposed of by evaporation pits in New Mexico [30]. Evaporation ponds require large land areas, and they may contaminate groundwater. Today regulators view evaporation pits with disfavor because faulty pond design and operation have allowed salts to migrate into usable groundwater reservoirs [9]. 

Oil and gas wastes generally fall into one of three categories ... 

The oil and gas industry produces much waste material, such as scrap metal, human waste, unspent chemicals, oily sludges and radiation. All of the incoming streams to a facility such as a production platform end up somewhere, and only few of the outgoing streams are useful product. It is one of the responsibilities of the engineer to try to limit the amount of incoming material which will finally become waste material. 

Polymerization and depolymerization of sihcate anions and their interactions with other ions and complexing agents are of great interest in sol—gel and catalyst manufacture, detergency, oil and gas production, waste management, and limnology (45—50). The complex silanol condensation process may be represented empirically by... 

Process Description The installation of deep wells for the injection of wastes closely follows the practices used for the drilling and completion of oil and gas wells. 

Nuclear-physical methods ai e the basic ones in controlling environmental pollution which results from nucleai -power complexes and power plants work. Oil and gas production leads to the extraction of radio nuclides of natural origin in considerable amounts, which later spread from oil-slimes and water wastes in the neighborhoods of oil and gas producing entei prises. Similaidy, toxic and radioactive elements can pollute environment in case of mineral deposits extraction. 

C. Vega, M.Delgado, Treatment of waste-water/oil emulsions using microwave radiation. Conference Society of Petroleum Engineers SPE international Conference on Health, Safety and environment in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production, Kuala Eumpur, Malazija, 20-22 march, 2002, SPE 74167. 

Under the RCRA exemption, wastes intrinsically associated with the exploration and development of oil and gas do not have to follow Subtitle C regulations for disposal. Under Subtitle C, hazardous wastes must follow strict guidelines for storage, treatment, and transportation and disposal. The cost of handling materials under the Subtitle C scenario is overwhelming. Under the exemption, the operator is allowed to dispose of wellsite waste in a prudent manner and is not obliged to use licensed hazardous waste transporters and licensed Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities (TSDF). 

Exempt wastes are usually disposed of on location following permission from the state oil and gas division. Liquid wastes, if not evaporated or fixated on location, are usually injected into Class II injection wells—refer to Chapter 6, Environmental Considerations. Solid wastes, if not acceptable to local landfills, are remediated onsite or buried in some instances. Table 4-175 shows exempt and nonexempt waste [234]. 

Pontiff, D., and J. Sammons, Theory, Design and Operation of an Environmentally managed Pit System, First International Symposium on Oil and Gas Exploration Waste Management Practices, pp. 997-987, 1990. 

EPA, EPA Regulatory Determination for Oil and Gas and Geothermal Exploration, Development and Production Wastes, Federal Register, July 6, Washington, D.C., 1988. 

Electrical and electronic waste can be successfully recovered by pyrolysis following a suitable amount of separation. It has been demonstrated that by selecting the correct processing parameters, any halogenated hydrocarbons present are satisfactorily destroyed. Oil and gas from the pyrolysis are best used to heat the pyrolysis kiln. The metal containing pyrolysis coke can be treated in a secondary copper smelter without need for further processing. 

V. A. Blazhevich, D. A. Khisaeva, V. G. Umetbaev, and I. V. Legostaeva. Polymer plugging solution for oil and gas wells—contains urea-formaldehyde resin, and aluminium chloride containing waste of isopropylbenzene production as acid hardener. Patent SU 1763638-A, 1992. 

V. B. Kvashenkin. Plugging solution for cementing low pressure oil and gas wells—contains plugging Portland cement, waste of silicon production as the lightening additive and calcium chloride as mineral salt, and water. Patent SU 1832149-A, 1993. 

Y. R. Leonov, M. E. Lamosov, S. A. Ryabokon, V. A. Mosin, B. G. Dzetl, F. G. Mamulov, O. G. Bobrov, and V. M. Savoskin. Plugging material for wells in the oil and gas industry—contains mineral binder and powder waste from production of epoxide resins as epoxide resin-based additive. Patent RU 2036297-C, 1995. 

V. R. Negomedzyanov, V. P. Bortsov, V. S. Denisov, V. V. Slepov, and S. S. Volkova. Plugging composition for use in oil and gas extraction industry—contains Portland cement and aluminium-containing additive in form of slag dust waste from aluminium production process. Patent RU 2029067-C, 1995. 

A. A. Shatov, N. Kh. Karimov, M. R. Mavlyutov, F. A. Agzamov, A. T. Gareev, and N. N. Nazarenko. Plugging solution for cementing oil and gas wells—contains Portland cement, distiller liquid— waste from calcined soda production and additionally baryta. Patent RU 2059793-C, 1996. 

A. A. Shatov, V. N. Sergeev, V. M. Titov, I. D. Maltseva, and V. P. Ovchinnikov. Plugging solution for oil and gas wells—includes cement, water, and additive in form of waste from calcined soda production containing calcium and sodium salts. Patent RU 2030557-C, 1995. 

P. Ya. Zeltser. Plugging solution for oil and gas industry—contains plugging Portland cement, lignosulphonate(s), waste from formic acid production obtained at stage of decomposition of sodium formate, and water. Patent SU 1730431-A, 1992. 

Oil, gas, and geothermal wastes. Certain wastes from the exploration and production of oil, gas, and geothermal energy are excluded from the definition of hazardous waste. These wastes include those that have been brought to the surface during oil and gas exploration and production operations, and other wastes that have come into contact with the oil and gas production stream (e.g., during removal of waters injected into the drill well to cool the drill bit). 

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