Are Your Chemical Products Green?—A Chemical Hazard Scoring System

Abstract

Abstract Oil and gas oilwell service companies are currently under pressure from regulatory authorities, environmental groups, oil companies, stock holders, etc., to use "green" chemical products; however, at this time, there is no universally-accepted definition for "green." So how does a service company meet the requirement for using "green" chemical products, when "green" isn't defined? To meet the increasing demand for "green" chemical products, Halliburton has developed a system for scoring the hazards of chemical products. The Chemistry Scoring Index (CSI) is a method for quantifying the environmental, physical, and health properties of chemical products based on the hazards of its components. Each component of the product is scored in the three- hazard categories based on classification criteria from the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) and by additional hazard criteria developed by Halliburton. Each criterion is weighted as to its level of hazard (e.g., a carcinogen receives a higher weight (score) than an irritant). In addition, the score for a component is weighted on the percentage of the component in the product. The score for each component is added to give the product a score for each hazard category. The score from each hazard category is added together to compile a total score for the product. The lower the product score, the lower the Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) impact of the chemical product. The score for chemical products in the same usage type are compared to determine the best HSE chemical for the application. The scores are used to promote the use of more HSE responsible chemicals, to help in the development of less hazardous chemical products and to help prioritize products in the company's chemical portfolio. Use of the CSI helps reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals that can harm human health, safety, and environment.