Whether you’re running a large or small business that involves drilling waste (or cuttings, as they’re otherwise known), it’s essential to dispose of it safely and responsibly. If not, the waste can have significant impacts on the environment and the health of the general population.
Here, we explore several ways that you can ensure drill waste is disposed of accurately and safely.
Abide by regulations
First things first, it’s essential to abide by the rules and regulations of the area you’re working in. These may vary depending on the country or area you’re operating in, as well as the type of work you’re undertaking and the amount of drill cuttings you’ll produce.
Contact all necessary authorities to get to grips with what your obligations are throughout the job. You may need to create and follow a waste management plan that outlines each stage of your project, from inception through to completion.
This may include how you plan to reduce, treat, recycle and dispose of waste, as well as monitoring and tracking processes.
Consider waste treatment and recycling
A significant way to reduce the impact of drill waste on human health and the environment is to recycle it. It’s important to note that most drill cuttings will be considered contaminated if they are not treated, so effective treatment is required for them to be reused elsewhere.
Typically, this involves techniques such as thermal desorption or incineration that effectively remove hazardous pollutants from the material.
Once drill cuttings have been effectively treated, companies can reuse them in various ways. Popular options include using drill waste for construction, water waste for agriculture and gas waste to provide power.
Non-hazardous drill waste may be appropriate for landfarming, which involves spreading cuttings on soil using techniques such as plowing or disking.
The right method of treatment and recycling will depend on the type of waste you’re dealing with, so speak to the relevant authority for advice if needed.
Monitor and inspect your processes
Another important part of safe drill waste disposal is effective monitoring and inspections. To ensure that your drilling and waste management processes are operating at peak efficiency, put procedures in place to ensure that the right equipment is being used and that it is performing as it should.
Whether you’re using positive displacement pumps to regulate liquid flow or other pieces of equipment, get a competent and trained person to check that it’s in adequate condition and not faulty or damaged.
You should also do regular inspections of your waste post-treatment, disposal methods and transportation processes to ensure that you’re complying with all necessary regulations.
There are many ways that you can ensure the safe disposal of drill waste, including abiding by local rules and regulations, treating and recycling material, and putting monitoring and inspection procedures in place.
Comments are closed.