T102 Environmental and Engineering Geology Division: Poster Session for Graduate and Undergraduate Students (Posters)

Monday, 23 September 2024
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Hall D


UTILIZING WASTE STREAMS TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY IN THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR: AN INTERNATIONAL EVALUATION

Paper number: T102-7
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM


Authors


Abstract

This research investigates the feasibility of employing diverse waste materials as a sustainable substitute in the oil and gas industry. Through a thorough evaluation of these waste streams' efficacy in key petroleum industry operations, the research explores the suitability of these waste streams. In order to evaluate garbage availability worldwide, a multivariate statistical analysis covering a wide range of nations was carried out. The investigation began with determining the top producers of garbage worldwide. Next, each of the three waste categories that are most common in each of the chosen countries was thoroughly examined. According to the research, with an impressive 258 million metric tons produced yearly, the United States is the world's leading producer of municipal solid garbage. With respective production of 220.4 million and 168.4 million metric tons, China and India stand out as major contributors. The study also looks at the geographic distribution of particular waste materials that are important to the oil and gas sector. Interestingly, there is a concentration of food waste available in Oceania and North America. While green garbage shows widely available sources in the USA, China, and the UK, palm tree waste is more common in the Middle East and some areas of the USA. Hay waste is abundant in the USA, while sawdust trash is mainly found in Europe and North America. Furthermore, it was discovered that plant-based waste products, such as date trees, were useful in reducing lost circulation during drilling operations. The study develops a toxicity and biodegradability-based classification system to aid in the informed selection of waste materials. Waste materials are categorized into four main classes based on color: eco-friendly, biodegradable, non-biodegradable, and poisonous. The study concludes that waste materials have a great deal of promise to be sustainable alternatives to traditional resources in the oil and gas sector. Drilling fluid additives made from waste materials provide a potentially tenfold reduction in overall drilling operation expenses, making its use an appealing means of cutting costs. The report highlights the necessity of more investigation and study to completely realize the potential of waste materials and their revolutionary uses in the oil and gas industry.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 56, No. 5

doi: 10.1130/abs/2024AM-401551

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