The Driller
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
  • EDUCATION
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
  • SUBMIT
  • ABOUT
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Water
  • Geothermal
  • Construction
  • Environmental
  • Mining
  • All Industry News
  • EQUIPMENT
  • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
  • Consumables
  • Pumps
  • Featured Products
  • VIDEOS
  • Newscast
  • Drill Talks
  • Ask Brock
  • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
  • Drilling Business Insights
  • Reference Desk
  • Sponsored Insights
  • EVENTS
  • Conferences & Demo Days
  • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
  • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
  • Contact
  • Advertise
The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP
OpinionsWater WellsDrilling Fluids Tips

Solid Answers to Questions About Drilling Fluids Disposal

By Bob Oliver
Paint Filter Test
February 2, 2015
Combinations of bentonite drilling fluids and a variety of additives are widely used here in North America and around the world. As bentonite drilling mud manufacturers, we spend a considerable amount of time each year conducting classes both in classrooms and at drill sites with contractors in order to educate them on proper use of drilling mud and additives. Issues generally discussed often include: preparing make-up water for the best yield of drilling products, knowing soil conditions, and matching these conditions with the proper drilling mud and additives. Classes also include the various types of bentonite drilling fluids and the various polymers and additives available, along with the proper application of each. In water-based drilling fluids, many of products used are NSF-certified and are environmentally safe.

In recent years a new issue has been increasingly cropping up: How and where can these drilling products be safely disposed of after the drilling project is complete? We are seeing federal, state, and local regulations becoming much more numerous and stringent each year, especially in populated areas. Over the years, drilling mud spoils have been left at the drill site to solidify on their own. Sometimes drill cuttings, soil, sawdust, concrete or lime have been added to speed up this process. Use of these products does not always prevent leaching of drill spoils into surrounding soils. With the coming of tougher regulations, these practices are not as acceptable as they once were.

The most economical way of dealing with leftover drill fluids at the completion of the drilling project is to make sure fluids are clean with low solids, and reuse them on the next site. Fluids can be stored in tanks or mud cleaning units and transported to the next well site.

When that is not practical, there are several disposal methods that can be used. Some of these include:

  • Flocculating the solids and removing the liquid
  • Land farming or other land applications
  • Transporting the drill spoils to a landfill
  • Solidification of the drill spoils for burial on site or transportation to a landfill

Flocculating the solids could require the use of a centrifuge. These have high start-up costs, which makes this method expensive. The water in the fluid could be skimmed off the top, leaving only the solids. This is a process that takes time, several days or even weeks to complete, which is also not practical in many cases.

Land farming involves removing the spoils from the drill site and spreading them over wide areas. This method requires approval by regulating agencies and by the landowner. There is considerable expense in transporting the spoils and in spreading over land areas. Many states approve of this type of disposal as long as the landowner agrees. Regulations may also have limits on the type of land where this method cannot be used, such as on cropland. It is important to note that, while drilling fluids can be deemed safe by the manufacturer, drilling spoils contain the unknown addition of the soil added at the jobsite.

Transporting the spoils to a landfill has it problems as well, because many landfills are not able to handle disposal of liquids and drill spoils may be banned by regulating agencies. In cases where regulations allow such disposal, they may require the material to pass a paint filter test. A paint filter test involves placing a sample of the material to be disposed over a filter to measure the amount of liquid passing through. If any liquid passes the filter, the material is unacceptable for the landfill.

Over the past few years, new products have been developed that will help to solidify drill spoils in a minimal amount of time and are being successfully used as an alternative to other methods mentioned above. Solidification of the drill spoils makes them much easier to dispose of either on site or in transportation to a waste facility. These types of products actually tie up the free water in the drill fluid so that it will not leach out in to surrounding soils. Solidification products include:

  • Bentonite-based material
  • Super absorbent polymer-based material referred to as SAPs
  • Combinations of bentonite and super absorbent polymers

Bentonite-based products are the most economical and the easiest to mix. These products do not require high dosages, although they do require higher solids than SAP products or bentonite/SAP blends. Bentonite-based solidification agents can be spread over the drill fluid, which is contained in a pit, by using a backhoe or similar type of equipment. Solidification of the drill spoils usually occurs in 24 to 36 hours. These types of products can solidify a number of types of liquid and they absorb 7.5 times their weight in water. They are environmentally safe.

SAP-based products require very low dosages, sometimes as low as .5 percent, and will solidify drill spoils much more rapidly than bentonite-based solidification products. They can also be mixed with a backhoe or excavator; however to achieve the lowest dosage, a high shear mixer is the best option. SAPs are the most expensive option, but they are also the fastest way to solidify drill spoils.

Bentonite/SAP blends give the contractor the advantages of both bentonite- and super absorbent polymer-based solidification agents, resulting in a fairly low dosage rate and more rapid solidification than a straight bentonite. The blend is less expensive that the straight SAP solidification product.

Solidification agents are a great answer to the serious problem of disposing of drill spoils. Three different blends offer contractors a choice of economy versus speed in solidification. These blends make it possible to leave the spoils onsite if allowed, or to transport the spoils to landfills or waste disposal sites if that is the required option.

If you have questions on the above information, please contact me through the National Driller, or contact your bentonite manufacturer or distributor.


Bob Oliver is regional manager for CETCO Drilling Products.

KEYWORDS: CETCO Drilling Products drilling fluids

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Bob oliver 200px
Bob Oliver is regional manager for CETCO Drilling Products.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • geotechnical drilling rig

    6 Onsite Phrases Environmental Drillers Hate

    Here are six phrases that highlight common frustrations...
    The Underground Network
    By: Jeff Garby
  • Wayne Nash

    Pipe Stuck? Common Causes and Solutions for Drillers

    If you have drilled for any length of time, sooner or...
    Markets
    By: Wayne Nash
  • submersible pumps, water well pumps

    Selecting and Sizing Submersible Pump Cable

    This article helps pump installers and servicers decide...
    Opinions
    By: Bob Pelikan
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • Manage My Preferences

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the The Driller audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of The Driller or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • demo of a DM450 drilling rig during a customer factory visit
    Sponsored byGeoprobe

    Built for You: Smarter Drill Rigs, Stronger Support, Bigger Opportunities

Popular Stories

MainPhotoTwoBrothers.jpg

Two Brothers' Journey Through the Drilling Industry

Tariffs

Tariffs Shake Up the Drilling Industry

AI and Drought Concerns

AI’s Growing Thirst for Water and Power

The Driller Classifieds

COMPRESSORS

EAST WEST MACHINERY & DRILLING IS BUYING AND SELLING AIR COMPRESSORS, AIR BOOSTERS, AIR ENDS & PARTS
Company: East West Machinery

DRILL RIGS

LOOKING FOR LATE MODEL TOPHEADS & DRILLTECH D25'S
Company: Spikes’s Rig Sales

DRILL RIG PARTS

MEETING DRILLERS NEEDS AROUND THE WORLD
Company: East West Machinery

ELEVATORS

SEMCO INC. PIPE ELEVATORS
Company: Semco Inc.

GROUTERS

GROUTING EQUIPMENT - GROUT PUMPS & GROUT HOSE REELS
Company: Geo-Loop Inc.

PUMP HOISTS

SEMCO INC. - BASIC PUMP HOISTS
Company: Semco Inc.

WELL PACKERS

LANSAS PRODUCTS - INFLATABLE WELL PACKERS
Company: Vanderlans Lansas Products

WELL SCREENS

WELL SCREENS & SLOTTED PIPE
Company: Alloy Screen Works

Products

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

By carefully explaining both the underlying theory and the underlying mathematics, this text enables readers to fully grasp the fundamentals of physical and chemical treatment processes for water and wastewater.

See More Products

Subscribe to The Driller Newscast

Related Articles

  • George Dugan

    Questions, Answers About Hole Stabilization on Drilling Jobs

    See More
  • Michael Kleespies

    Questions, Answers About Grouting and Sealing on Drilling Jobs

    See More
  • Jeremy Verdusco

    Answers to Questions About the Drilling Trade

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ND\new site\modern-well-design.gif

    Modern Well Design: Second Edition

  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ND\new site\water-well-pumps.gif

    Audel Water Well Pumps and Systems Mini-Ref

  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ND\new site\drinking-water-disinfection.gif

    Drinking Water Disinfection Techniques

See More Products
×

Dig deeper into the drilling and water supply industry!

Build your knowledge with The Driller, covering the people, equipment and technologies across drilling markets.

SIGN UP NOW
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Classifieds
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP