Integrated/compact offshore drilling waste management technology;Maximize operational efficiency & safety and minimize environmental impacts

Treatment and final disposal of oil-based-mud cuttings on the NCS are today largely handled through transport to land and treatment ("skip-and-ship"). Disadvantages stem from a high cost of logistics, CO2 emissions, crane lifts/HSE dangers, potential for close-to-shore discharges - while the main economic argument come from a heavy demand on deck space for storage and causing complications for drilling operations. Nor-Gr is looking to develop a process for offshore drill cuttings treatment, relying mainly on super-heated steam, destabilizing "green" chemicals that are proprietary to Nor-Gr, and clever integration of modules to deliver a complete system for treatment of O&G slop and wastewater, mud and drill cuttings. Engineering challenges and new environmental insight go hand-in-hand based on a multi-skilled delivery team. An industry partner is being sought. Drying in steam has the advantage of lower energy use and higher heat transfer rates over the inversion temperature. Additionally, the steam is non-toxic, readily available, cheap, safe, non-flammable and recyclable. A series of research questions, technology risks and engineering challenges remain however to use the method to treat drill cuttings offshore. Nor-Gr is addressing a NOKbn 2 p.a. market on the NCS alone. Other geographies with strict environmental guidelines for OBM cuttings (e.g. UKCS, GoM and Brazil) enhance the opportunity. Bottom up validation of the market potential will take place during the pre-project period. As for drivers of the state-of-the-art, Norway's offshore activities regulation specify the oil content adhering to solids. The TCC method is to date the only to be tested on NCS for offshore use - being currently applied on the Martin Linge field. Compared to Nor-Gr's approach, the TCC method has however a large plant footprint, high energy consumption and does not have the ability to treat drill cuttings with very low water content or small particles.