LANDSPRAYING WHILE DRILLING (SUMPLESS DRILLING)
As part of our LWD Services, Keneco Environmental Services (2000) Inc. will:
- Provide the appropriate regulatory field office with written notification prior to disposal
- Acts as a liason to negotiate temporary land use agreements with landowners and provide them with a copy of the EUB Guide50-1 A Landowner’s Guide to Drilling Waste Disposal from Oil and Gas Wells
- Sample receiving soil and make-up water and provide required analysis
- Procure vacuum truck services
- Ensure that backup materials (ie. remote sumps or tanks) are available if weather conditions do not permit landspraying of the drilling waste
- Provide Fluid Technician for on-site analytical requirements. All testing utilizes the most up-to date instrumentation
- Supervise treatment of fluids at the time of disposal as required
- Submit post disposal notification and information to the appropriate regulatory field office
- Supply management personnel to supervise multiwell programs and
- Provide detailed analytical and disposal report including land use agreements, Notification of Drilling Waste Disposal, and landspray area map
LWD Information
Landspraying While Drilling (LWD) is a landspraying disposal method and occurs when drilling wastes from approved mud systems are sprayed off-site onto topsoil at low application rates. The application is conducted during the drilling operation. Drilling wastes are sprayed on land at application rates less than 40m3 per hectare. Spraying techniques may include the use of vacuum trucks or similar equipment.
The goal of this disposal method is to dispose of the drilling waste in a manner that preserves soil chemical, biological, and physical properties, does not harm vegetation, and protects the quality of the surface water and groundwater.
Mud systems presently approved for LWD are limited to:
- fresh water gel
- gypsum water
- nitrate gypsum water
Drilling wastes which have visible hydrocarbons must not be disposed by LWD. Cement returns must be isolated from the drilling wastes and may be buried under one meter of clean fill. Drill stem test fluids must be isolated and disposed of by other disposal methods. If sections of the mud system become contaminated with hydrocarbons, those sections must be handled by either Mix-Bury-Cover, Landspreading or another disposal method.
Keneco Environmental Services follows the Landspraying While Drilling criteria as outlined in the EUB Guide 50 Drilling Waste Management (October 1996 Edition).
Benefits:
- Decreases lease construction cost and time
- Provides sumpless drilling at minimal disturbance locations
- Ideal for sandy subsoils and other locations where sumps are not viable
- Reduces drilling waste disposal costs
- Reduces lease cleanup cost and time
- Allows for expeditious installation of production equipment
- Eliminates sump reclamation costs
- Promotes good landowner/corporate relations
Contact Information:
Tom Stevenson VP Environmental (403) 237-8137
