How Chemical Demulsifiers Enhance Drilling Mud Waste Treatment Services

The oil industry has improved its reputation environmentally in recent decades, with waste treatment companies who conscientiously handle waste created by drilling operations playing no small role. With the benefit of high-quality demulsifiers, the constituent parts of drilling mud are more easily separated, enhancing even more the service these companies provide. Traditionally, drilling mud is amongst the most critical wastes created by oil and gas drilling operations. It’s an essential part of the process, cleaning, maintaining and improving the cost-efficiency of the operation, but the homogenous drilling mud contains solids and oil that can be highly hazardous to the environment. In 2009, state regulators in New York State Department of Environmental Conservation refused togrant drilling licences until applicants could show their waste would be safely treated and disposed of. In Canada, the Canada Oil And Gas Operations Act stipulates that any failure to adhere to proper waste management procedures can result in a cessation of activities and potential fines of $25 million. Therefore, there can be no doubt over the importance of the role that waste treatment companies play. With the use of high performance drilling mud demulsifiers, such as Velocity Chemicals’ RENEGADE, waste treatment companies can enjoy greater treatment results, ensuring full adherence to industry regulations and the ability to offer enhanced services to their clients.

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Better Waste Treatment Results

When treating drilling mud, there are some important factors to consider. Firstly, drilling mud can have either a positive (cationic) charge or a negative (anionic) charge. In order for a demulsifier to be effective it needs to deliver the opposite charge. For example, because RENEGADE has a cationic charge, it is ideally suited to treating mud with an anionic charge. If the drilling mud has a cationic charge then our own BUNKER BREAKER II demulsifier is a more suitable option. Secondly, the consistency of the mud itself can impact on the effectiveness of the demuslifier being used. The mud is a blend of oil, water and solid particles, so getting the fluid clean can be a challenge. A high-performance demulsifier can break down the complex emulsion more effectively, separating the constituent parts into different layers allowing the company to reclaim more oil from the mud at a faster rate. Because more oil is successfully removed, the remaining constituents of water and solids can be separated more simply through the settling process.

More Effective ‘Settling’ Process

Arguably the simplest treatment technique is ‘settling’, but its effectiveness depends on several factors. Not least amongst these is the retention time applied; the time during which the fluid is held to allow the solid particles sink and settle. However, this process is dependent on aspects like the size and density of particles, as well as the density of the fluid itself. Settling usually takes place after the oil has been removed from the drilling fluid, but a poorly performing demulsifier will fail to remove all of the oil, leaving a retaining fluid which is still oily and quite dense. With an effective drilling mud demulsifier, like RENEGADE, the retention time can be dramatically reduced because the retained fluid is mainly water, in which solids can settle quickly. It means an overall faster process, which in turn translates to lower costs.

Greater Adherence For Stronger Reputation

Environmental regulations must be strictly adhered to, as any failure to do so can potentially result in millions of dollars in fines. After demulsification, oil can be more easily reclaimed from the fluid, ensuring cleaner waste water from which solids can settle and then be extracted. This all means the drilling waste treatment company will more successfully see through its commitment to regulators and, indeed, the environment. And with this kind of assurance, a waste treatment company can enjoy a stronger reputation in a highly competitive sector.

Velocity Chemicals’ RENEGADE

At Velocity Chemicals, we have a proven record in the manufacture of demulsifiers for a variety of industry sectors. RENEGADE is a highly-effective drilling mud demulsifier which has been designed to meet the needs of oil drilling companies in both performance levels and cost efficiency. Available in concentrated form in 20 L pails, 200 L drums and 1000 L Totes it can meet the specific needs of an operation. It can be ordered directly from Velocity Chemicals, with shipping to anywherein BC within 24 hours. For more information, call one of our experts Toll-Free on 1-888-963-9499.