Onsite remediation, for drilling wastewater and mud, is one of the most challenging aspects of oilfield design. Most oilfields today either choose to bury the waste completely or ship it off for handling elsewhere, but some operations decide to clean it on site and release what they can. With the right amount of care and some advanced treatment techniques, it’s possible to use simple lined pits and some equipment to transform concentrated wastewater into a product that’s safe to distribute over large areas of soil. Make sure your remediation pits and pads are designed with efficiency and efficacy in mind with these tips.
Why Treat It?
With the limitations on treatment options that are outlined below, many oilfield managers may wonder why they should consider wastewater treatment at all. It’s true that on-site remediation adds to the labor and material costs of the operation. Yet, that extra work may pay off quickly if it helps reduce high transport costs due to a long distance to the nearest facility capable of accepting the waste. While oilfield remediation ponds rarely improve wastewater quality to the point where nothing is left to bury or dispose of, it has the potential to dramatically reduce volume, and therefore, disposal costs.
Limitations on Treatment
Unlike sewage and other types of organic wastewater, the waste produced by various drilling and fracturing activities is highly mixed with solid materials. Whether the material is in the form of chunks of stone or tiny particles of silt and sand, it greatly interferes with other biological and chemical treatments that work well on other wastewater mixtures. Settling, through time and gravity alone, is often required as the first stage of treatment to separate out particles that won’t break down with any treatment. These solid wastes will still need disposal after being separated out, but it can leave behind water clean enough to discharge locally in an affordable way.
Final Discharge Options
Once the treatment in the pits or ponds is complete, the waste should be separated into relatively clean water and solid waste with highly concentrated levels of hydrocarbons and radioactive material. The water is often reused whenever possible as a new supply of hydraulic fluid for the well or for a drilling operation. If it can’t be put to good use this way, it may be clean enough to gradually distribute over the surface of the ground or in a body of water without causing damage. The solid waste will still need to be buried in a deep pit or taken away to a landfill capable of handling it.
Remediation ponds and pits may not be as common as basic reserve pits on the oilfield, but they’re growing in popularity and use. Let us help you with advice on selecting a liner for it from our selection here at BTL Liners.
Conclusion
Oilfield pits are valuable additions for storing and securing wastewater products in all stages of use and treatment. Design them with care and keep them lined with BTL Liners products and you’ll enjoy many years of reliable use. These are the long-lasting features of the oilfield and tend to be present many years after the drilling stops, so give them plenty of attention and invest in good liners from the beginning.
