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How to Deal with the Three Drill Cuttings?

  • Date Submitted: 02/03/2015 11:15 PM
  • Flesch-Kincaid Score: 57.3 
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Drilling mud aids in the process of drilling a borehole into the earth. Such holes are drilled for oil and gas extraction, core sampling and a variety of other purposes. The fluid is used to lubricate the drill bit and transport the drill cuttings to the surface. Drill cuttings are broken bits of solid material that are produced as the drill bit breaks the rock. As it circulates up from the drill bit, the drilling mud carries drill cuttings management http://www.kosun.us/drilling-waste-management/ up to the surface, where the mud and the cuttings are separated.

There are three main types of drilling mud: water-based, oil-based and synthetic-based. The synthetic-based muds are more frequently used because they have less environmental impact and are quicker to biodegrade than water- and oil-based fluids.

After the drilling job is finished, the mud and cuttings must be disposed of in some way. Throughout the drilling process, drilling mud is recirculated, which helps decrease waste by reusing as much mud as possible. When the drilling process is finished, the drilling waste http://www.kosun.us/drilling-waste-management/   must be disposed of in some way. Pit burial is a very common technique, in which the waste is placed in a manmade or natural excavation. However, burial is not a good method for waste that contains high concentrations of oil and industrial chemicals. The waste can easily contaminate soil and groundwater when the hydrocarbons and other chemicals leach into the earth, and polluted groundwater can take years or even decades to dissipate and often spreads to other areas.

Most water-based muds are simply disposed of after the drilling job is completed, but many oil- and synthetic-based muds can be recycled. Drill cuttings can also be recycled and reused, after the hydrocarbons are removed.

Recovered drill cuttings have numerous uses. They can stabilize surfaces that are more vulnerable to erosion, like roads and drilling pads. Cuttings can also...

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