Drill cuttings waste management from oil & gas exploitation industries through end-of-waste criteria in the framework of circular economy strategy

Abstract

Worldwide Oil & Gas exploitation industry has a vital and dynamic role to play in the global energy matrix. In any Oil & Gas exploitation mission, drilling operations have the potential to generate substantial quantity of wastes. Drilling fluids and cuttings are considered as hazardous waste, very complex and difficult to be managed due to several impurities (i.,e heavy metals, etc). At the same time, circular economy is gaining cumulative attention in Europe and around the world as a potential way for our humanity to growth prosperity, while reducing dependence on primary materials and energy. The paper through end-of-waste criteria concept and quality protocol development, declassified oil-based drilling cuttings (from Cyprus Oil & Gas Exploitation program) after their treatment through Thermomechanical Cuttings Cleaning process, in order to be used as alternative aggregated and/or construction material and/or cement production (or other civil engineering works), promoting at the same time a valuable and sustainable solution based on circular economy concept. The results showed that, the final solid waste from Thermomechanical Cuttings Cleaning process can be used as raw material for civil engineering works replacing natural resource, if solid waste from the Thermomechanical Cuttings Cleaning process can met the defined quality protocol limits. The results are considered vital for offshores, policy makers, consultant engineers, as well as competent authorities, which try to find an acceptable and at the same time sustainable solution, to monitor and assess drilling waste which should be managed in a safe way, that may not have any undesirable effect on the environment.