Environmentally safe waste disposal: Integration of cuttings collection, transport, and reinjection

Many regulatory agencies are demanding zero-discharge policies, requiring all generated wastes to be disposed of in a responsible manner. This requires adequate management of wastes generated during drilling operations, including cuttings, excess drilling fluid, contaminated rainwater, produced water, scale, produced sand, and production and cleanup waste. Old practices involve temporary box storage and hauling waste products to a final disposal site. Often, these sites are several kilometers away from the generation source, creating not only liabilities for the operating company but also environmental risks.