Drilling Mud Treatment

Oil-based mud is characterized by hydrocarbon contamination. In some cases, this kind of contamination is controlled by means of lagoon storage, otherwise known as Biopile, in which contaminants are biologically degraded by microorganisms. However, the use of the Biopile can be counterproductive since bio-remediation in an almost water-free environment is nearly negligible and hydrocarbon removal is mostly due to the evaporation of lighter fractions which can contribute to atmospheric pollution. Other techniques can also be used to manage hydrocarbon contamination but these are only scarcely sustainable from an economic and environmental point of view. 

3V Green Eagle developed an environmentally and economically sustainable solution for the treatment of mud contamination via thermal desorption. The solution proposed is competitive with respect to other existing technologies, in particular hydrocarbon extraction via solvent application and recovery, or via mechanical centrifuging.

The solution proposed by 3V Green Eagle for the treatment of "fresh" mud allows a dry solid to be obtained, which is suitable for road construction, and an oily residue to be created that can be reused or burned. In case of "older" mud beyond the dry residue, the liquid residue can also be recovered and reused.