How to Assess Drilling Waste Disposal Areas

Waste rock cuttings and fluids resulting from drilling into subsurface areas must be disposed of properly. While drilling waste may be large in volume, it is considered to be minimally toxic and as such is regulated by each state's drilling rules and permits. To assess drilling waste disposal areas, follow the individual state's solid waste disposal requirements. As a general rule, the priority for any drilling waste disposal area is to protect water sources.

Things You'll Need

• Geologic maps
• Permits
• Engineering evaluations

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Instructions

Drilling Waste Disposal Areas

• 1

  Assess drilling wastes to be disposed. While drilling waste is not considered hazardous, it is not acceptable to dispose of waste with high concentrations of oil, salt, biologically available metals or industrial chemicals. Generally, cuttings and fluids resulting from the subsurface well bore fall into this special waste category. However, it is important to verify that there is no hazardous material present because other disposal methods must be employed for waste that exhibit toxic characteristics.

• 2

  Assess location of disposal area. Protecting usable water sources from contamination requires locating burial pits safely away from groundwater sources, floodplain areas and wetlands unless special hydro-geologic controls are used, including clay or synthetic liners. Burial pits are suitable if they are within zones of bedrock that do not encounter water. In zones of greater solubility, a disposal pit should be below the major root zone and above the water table.

• 3

  Assess whether fluids have evaporated before covering. For on-site disposal in storage pits, allow fluids to evaporate sufficiently before covering with surface material. Fluids can more easily transport any contaminants contained in the waste to areas below the disposal areas, into geologic material and subsequently to water sources at a greater distance.

• 4

  Assess whether wastes have been diluted before disposal. Dilution of wastes with clean, local soil is an acceptable predisposal method to reduce high concentrations of chemicals to meet environmental standards. If necessary, this predisposal method allows for on-site disposal of waste and avoids the use of expensive liners but also protects water sources.

• 5

  Consider spreading of wastes on appropriate land. This process applies, spreads and then incorporates drilling wastes into the upper soil zone, usually 6 to 8 inches of soil, to promote hydrocarbon volatilization and biodegradation, whereby the hydrocarbons dissipate through conversion to a vapor or are degraded by naturally occurring microbes. This disposal method prevents contaminants from reaching water sources as long as drilling waste meets the criteria for disposal -- meaning no metals, salts or acids are present to degrade overall soil quality.