In-situ injection of drilling waste into tectonically screened traps

The drilling cycle of any well is accompanied by the production of a huge amount of waste containing chemicals and reagents, which are main potential causes of large-scale environmental pollution. The positive trend in the growth of the on-shore exploration and production drilling associated with the need to maintain oil production in our country clearly shows an increase in the volume of drilling waste, which is predominantly accumulated in slurry ponds. The problem of constantly growing volumes of drilling waste disposal and recycling together with the need to comply with strict requirements of environmental protection measures requires the use of innovative and integrated approaches. To solve the problems of this kind, the concept of drilling waste disposal in tectonically screened traps has been developed. It offers an efficient and safe way of drilling waste disposal via the implementation of the principle of waste “zero discharge” into the environment, which increases its relevance since the environmental control standards are becoming stricter for both onshore and offshore drilling. The purpose of this study is to present the analysis results of the benefits of drilling waste injection into tectonically screened traps as compared with other possible underground disposal methods. The article deals with the features of the preparatory stage of this method and the application experience of the technology described. A set of equipment of the Russian company for the preparation and injection of drilling waste into the reservoir is presented. Using the case of a geological section, an example of a well is given, which with high probability has been drilled into a tectonically screened trap and is promising for drilling waste injection.

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