Reduction of Risk to the Marine Environment from Oilfield Chemicals - Balancing Environmental and Technical Needs

The study argues that the regulation of offshore use of hazardous chemicals for oilfield stimuation and completion applications is an important but not a total solution to reduce marine pollution from offshore sources. The aim of the study is to demonstrate that for a complete solution, chemical reformulation must be considered hand-in-hand with improved operational practices to provide a maximum effect on overall risk reduction. The study is directed at one major service company's approch to the whole issue of chemical management in the 1990s, based mainly on North Sea experience in cemeting, drilling fluid and stimulation activities. Oilfield chemicals are incorporated into a fluid design to solve a specific technical problem in a well, such as well completion, stimulation and damage removal. While it is desirable to replace all the harmful chemicals, the practicalities of doing so are limited if the industry is to continue to produce efficiently. Other alternatives need consideration. By their very chemistry, some chemicals have primary active ingredients which may be harmful if discharged into the environment. Improving the characteristics of chemicals to marine life requires the change of previously acceptable products, such as the elimination of banned materials as well as incorporating components with reduced toxicity and greater biodegradability. The idealistic goal is the immediate replacement of all chemicals by nontoxic, biodegradable alternatives ; the practical solution is replacement and reformulation where possible and the improved isolation of the oilwell and marine environments through improvements in continuous-mix technology along with reduction of the use of chemicals by better job design.