Drilling waste management

Oil- and gas-well drilling generates large volumes of drill cuttings and spent muds. Onshore and offshore operators have used a variety of methods to manage these drilling wastes. Some drilling waste management practices used in the past did not protect the environment or public health and were later prohibited by regulatory agencies. The full-length paper reviews some of the past waste management practices, describes how wastes are currently being managed, and discusses some drilling waste management practices likely to be used in the next decade.