Offshore Drilling: Mud Slops Solution in Newfoundland!

What are Mud Slops?

Mud slop is the drilling waste produced from offshore oil exploration and production. Dealing with mud slops is one of the challenges of the oil and gas industry as this waste is not environmentally friendly. So what do we do with it?

“Mud slops,” by definition, are a mixture of spent drilling mud, recovered hydrocarbons, drill cuttings and flowback water in a complex and stable emulsion. This waste stream cannot be sold or easily disposed of and therefore has to be eliminated in the best way possible. Mud slops have historically been stored in pits or tanks without sustainable disposal solutions.

In the past, mud slops were a disruptive waste that had to be transported, stored, and transshipped, which ultimately was not a cheap or sustainable solution. The real solution for mud slops is to break the complex emulsion and recover re-useable hydrocarbons, minimize the solids generated for disposal, and treat the water using effective technology to eliminate environmental liabilities.

Mud slops processed off-island is more expensive so having a facility in Newfoundland makes good business sense. Design, construction, and commissioning of Pardy’s mud slops facility, provides an option for mud slops disposal right here in Donovans, Newfoundland. They are excited about the new facility. Steve Moores, General Manager at Pardy’s Waste Management, says, “We have constructed and commissioned a new mud slops processing facility to service the offshore oil producers and their suppliers. With the knowledge of our processing team led by Steve Wiseman, and the vision of our owner, Derek Pardy, we have been able to create a really innovative solution that the industry needs to manage waste generated from exploration and development. Pardy’s has successfully treated and disposed of 7.5 Million litres of mud slops so far. Our mud processing trials began back in October of 2018 and included the research of flow rates, chemical mixology, employee training, and competency, along with third-party sampling and analysis to support the project. As of late October 2018, we were averaging 120,000 to 140,000 liters of mud slops a day for a total process throughput of 7,562,566 liters.”

The Pardy’s mud slops facility is in a heated storage tank farm and allows for continuous operations, without shutting down for adverse weather conditions while maintaining operational control. The trial project generated 1,743,025 liters of recoverable oil and was sold as IFO (Industrial Fuel Oil). One major advantage of the facility is that it’s close to the activity, operates 24/7/365, and does not require the intermediate bulk storage of waste, which by many standards is a preferred option of waste management because it eliminates the liability associated with storage. It’s quite simple: waste in, treated water, recovered hydrocarbons and minimal secondary waste out.

Steve Wiseman says, “The process of mud slops phase separation allows us to totally separate the phases of emulsion and minimizes waste volume. We don’t add binding agents or sawdust to dry out our solids. Our goal is waste reduction. Conventionally, mud slops were mixed with sawdust to make them dry and sent off the island…. our business is based on finding solutions, not transferring them to someone else’s backyard!”

The current Pardy’s facility employs 65+ people, with seasoned oil and gas industry technical experience in excess of 85 combined years in waste processing to support the energy industry of the province.

Facts about Pardy’s Waste Management and Industrial Services Ltd.

Pardy’s Waste Management and Industrial Services Ltd. is owned and led by Derek Pardy. Derek is an accomplished businessperson who has never been afraid to take on complex problems, tight timelines, or big projects. Pardy’s has been in the industrial cleaning, waste processing, high-pressure service, and vacuum truck rental business since 1982. Our combined years of experience and diversity of human resources make us a premium service provider with the ability to use our equipment, people, and the broad resource base of suppliers and subcontractors to solve complex problems for our customers.

Pardy’s has constantly evolved and grown to provide a full suite of waste management services for their customers. Their current focus is ensuring that the oil and gas industry has sustainable solutions for industrial cleaning, bulk storage, and waste management.

ADVERTORIAL: WWW.Pardyswaste.com