Utilization of water-based drilling cuttings from offshore oil development to manufacture lightweight aggregates: a case study in the Bohai oil field, China

Offshore water-based drilling cuttings (OWDC) are by-products of offshore oil-well drilling, whose effective management has become an urgent environmental and engineering issue. This study investigated the feasibility of recycling OWDC from the Bohai oilfield in China as a raw material for manufacturing lightweight aggregates (LWA). The effects of OWDC content (0-50%), preheating temperature (300-500 degrees C), and sintering temperature (1050-1200 degrees C) on the physical-mechanical performance of the resulting LWA were investigated through single-factor experiments. The microstructural and expansion mechanism analyses were determined based on X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometric microanalysis. The results showed that under the optimum preparation conditions (mass ratio of OWDC and fly ash at 50:50, preheating at 400 degrees C for 30 min, and sintering at 1150 degrees C for 30 min), the OWDC-based LWA could meet the requirements of Chinese standard GB/T 17431.1-2010. The incorporation of OWDC lowered the aggregate melting points and promoted dense structure formation inside the aggregates due to the presence of flux agents (e.g., Na2O and K2O). Besides, OWDC additions promoted the formation of the liquid phase and gases inside the pellets, which was beneficial to the expansion behavior and lightweight performance of the aggregates. However, OWDC also had a negative effect on the compressive strength of the aggregates owing to the formation of enlarged pores. Furthermore, the results of the environmental performance tests indicated that the LWA were safe for the environment. This study provides a reference for recycling water-based drilling cuttings from offshore oilfields and contributes to the circular economy.