For the first time in Iran, drilling waste treatment system using electro-coagulation in Mino exploration well

HSE and Passive Defence manager announced the implementation of industrial waste treatment in Mino exploration well.

Exploration Directorate Public Relations: Hamid Tavousi stated that industrial waste is among the main environmental pollutants. Discharging such wastes in environment will result in the destruction and pollution of surface and underground waters and plants which will impose heavy costs on the country.

Concerning the importance of drilling mud waste management he said: the pollution due to oil well drilling and drilling mud wastes send large amount of chemical materials through the dug-outs and drilling mud into environment which can have dire consequences. Drilling mud management is mandatory due to water shortage in oil prone zones in which a large amount of water is required for drilling mud preparation. Tavousi reported the cooperation between a domestic company active in waste, industrial, oil and refinery wastewater management and a credential foreign company which has ample experience in designing and manufacturing equipment for industrial, oil and refinery treatment.

As he said, Exploration Directorate HSE department through effective support and guides of the domestic and foreign joint ventures has designed a system based on electro-coagulation methods as a in the form of a 40-foot container which will be installed next to drilling rigs and drilling mud pits to treat drilling wastes. This was done after filed and laboratory studies of drilling pit wastes.

Tavousi explained: Via drilling mud treatment system all polluting chemical, organic, mineral, oil  materials and heavy metals will be omitted and the treated water is ready to go back to surface waters or be reused based on Environmental Protection Agency standards.

As he said: industrial treatment system at Minoo well concerning the features of entering waste can treat 100 to 240 cubic meters wastes.

Concerning the comparison between the industrial treatment system at Minoo well with its counterparts said: this system as a package is easily carried to treatment area and does not need a concrete foundation. Another feature that can be mentioned is that it does not need a permanent operator at site and the system need a operator in every 6 hour shift to turn it on or off and quality control.

He continued: using electro-coagulation methods used in drilling mud treatment system at Minoo well produces less sludge in comparison with biologic methods and the sludge produced can be easily dumped.

Another advantage of this method is the sharp decrease in the consumption of chemical materials and in some projects its complete elimination. Through this method the treated waste will be free from chemical materials such as polymer and PAC.

As Tavousi said: another advantage of drilling mud treatment system, management of mud pits and the pits after the end of drilling operations which imposes heavy costs on such operations.