Treatment advances of hazardous solid wastes from oil and gas drilling and production processes

With the continuous advancement of oil exploration and production, the generation of oil-contaminated drill cuttings (OCDC) and oily sludge (OS) has reached alarming levels. These hazardous wastes, laden with petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) and heavy metals (HMs), pose severe and escalating threats to environmental and human health, underscoring the urgent need for effective waste treatment and management solutions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the treatment methods and technologies for hazardous solid wastes generated during petroleum drilling and production, employing a literature review and comparative analysis to systematically evaluate and summarize existing waste treatment technologies. Additionally, key information from various studies is summarized and a brief evaluation of each technology is provided to assist readers in making appropriate choices based on operating conditions. The following summaries and prospects are proposed: (i) Cooperation between industry and academic institutions should be strengthened, and further developing drilling fluids that combine high performance with environmental friendliness. (ii) Designing hybrid treatment processes that integrate multiple treatment technologies, determining synergistic effects between technologies can enhance treatment efficiency. (iii) Clear and up-to-date end-of-waste criteria (EWC) should be established, considering circular economy principles, promoting the rational use of resources. (iv) Future research should detail the specific properties of waste samples to facilitate the selection of appropriate treatment approaches based on waste characteristics. (v) Combining EWC and life cycle assessment (LCA) can optimize overall waste management, improve resource utilization, and reduce environmental pollution. (vi) A CERCLA-like database for OS and OCDC should be established to support advanced analytics, leading to more efficient and sustainable treatment strategies, and facilitating the application of LCA and EWC.