In this Episode 8, we talk about how changes are taking place in how Oilfield Waste is looked at.

Thank You to Our Ongoing Sponsor Hanby Environmental. Hanby Environmental is a manufacturer of Field Tests that provide Fast Accurate and Economical analysis of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Soil an Solid Surfaces and Water.

The Great State of Texas and The State of New Mexico are leading the changes in the way Oilfield Waste is perceived.

Oilfield "Waste" as the term implies, has traditionally always been looked at as waste or trash. However, just like took place in the "trash" industry, where a more environ mental friendly and environmentally sustainable view changed the "trash" industry to encourage more "recycling and reusing" of metal, paper and plastic, the same thought process is begin to take place in the Oilfield Waste industry.

Historically, "Oilfield Waste" typically referring to Drilling Mud, Drill Cuttings and Production Water also referred to Produced Water, have been disposed of as trash. Typically, this means for Drilling Mud and Drill cuttings to be stored in "Pitts." Drilling Mud and Drill Cuttings Pitts, are areas where the soil has been removed to create an impression, and then plastic liners have been placed, then the Drilling Mud and/or Drill Cuttings are placed on the plastic liners and then covered with liners and covered for "temporary" storage, which tends to be more permanent storage.

As for Production Water aka Produced Water, typically has been injected into Salt Water Disposal Wells aka SDWs for a very nominal cost. The cost being slow low on a cost per gallon, that it gave no incentive at all to think of and consider any other options.

But finally, the change that is taking place, is for finding ways to "recycle and reuse" Oilfield Waste. Some current examples of this for Drilling Mud and Drilling Cuttings is for the creation of raised roads on oil producing lands. And for the cleaning of the Production Water by the extraction of minerals and also from the filtering of the water, converting the fresh water that has alternative uses for things like agricultural and irrigation purposes. Thinking of this fresh water as an asset rather than a liability, creates value out of what has traditionally been looked at as trash to be disposed of, similar to the alternative uses for drilling mud and cuttings, as steps in the right direction.

The right direction for the Oilfield Waste Industry to begin to rethink of the Waste as an Asset that has alternative uses, will encourage thinking of new ways to "reuse and recycling" which will also encourage new methods to create alternative uses and assets creating a big change in the Oilfield Waste Industry like what took place in The Trash Industry, where now, the majority of trash is actually "recycled and reused" as common practice.

Thank You again to Hanby Environmental for the ongoing support of this podcast "Let's Talk Remediation." provide a platform to talk al things remediation.

And "thank you" to All for following our podcast.

If you have an interest in being interviewed as a Remediation Industry Expert and/or have a Topic for a future episode or have a question you'd like address in one of our episodes, reach out and let me know at [email protected] .