We are extremely proud to announce that SAR on June 30th 2021 successfully completed our 6-year project on cleaning of drill cuttings in the desert of Kuwait for Kuwait Oil Company (KOC).
Firstly, we want to express our gratitude to our customer for trusting us with this very important project, and of course also to our own amazing SAR-crew in Kuwait for delivering exemplary performance and turning waste into value day in and day out for the last 6 years. In spite of COVID, long expat commutes and a whole new country – our SAR-team has proven to live up to their market-leading reputation and delivered the project on time and on target.
The Kuwait project – and close ecosystem collaboration with KOC, is a textbook example of projects that in every way supports SARs People-Planet-Profit foundation, which we keep in the front seat to ensure that our operations comply with our mission, vision and values:
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People
During the years we have been able to offer a safe and secure job to people from 9 different nationalities - some of which have moved with their families and made Kuwait their home for the project period, and others who have worked in a rotation combined with their life at home. We have received no less than 10 HSE Excellence rewards from our customer and partner KOC, in addition to several awards for operational excellence. People is the first element in the People-Planet-Profit foundation, and we could not be more proud of our own and our partners!
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Planet
Turning waste into value is not only our motto, but our business model. At our plant in Kuwait we have operated Best Environmental Practice with the market-leading TCC Technology, where we clean polluted materials and returned them to their natural element or re-use. At SAR we contribute to the circular economy by re-using what can be re-used, and at the same time reducing the impact and footprint of drilling operations overall – making sure that Kuwait contributes their share towards the global climate goals. As we re-use the recovered oil from the waste in our process it makes the facility self-sufficient with energy, while also enabling us to return excess oil to our customer.
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Profit
Profit can mean so much. At SAR, we need our facilities to be economically viable to ensure job safety and economic contingency in our operations, but even more so – it contributes to re-investment in our Turning Waste Into Value business model. The SAR plant in Kuwait has proven beneficial for both SAR and our customer and close partner KOC, and we wish them all the best and hope our roads cross again in the future for more mutually fruitful collaboration projects.
And here are some market-leading statistics for you:
During our 6 years in the desert, we have treated more tons of OBM drill cuttings (177 806 tons) than the total weight of the Sydney Opera House (~160 000 tons)!
At the same time, we have recovered 17 814 million litres of oil enabled for re-use, which could take a conventional loading truck from Hammerfest in Northern Norway to Cape Town in Southern Africa almost 4 times – without having to produce 17 814 new liters of oil!
From the cleaning process we have also been able to return 140 143 tons of dry matter back safely to nature, and even cleaned and recovered 17 622 million litres of water – the equivalent of 7 olympic swimming pools!
We have also cleaned 96 historical desert pits and prepared them for backfill – Desert surface cleaned is equal to the surface of 12 football fields. In addition 131 rig sites have been served with collection of cuttings in the KOC “Pit-less drilling operation campaign” equals 16 football fields.
We are grateful and proud to have contributed to an environmentally friendly treatment of hazardous waste outside of Norways’ borders, and humble for the great collaboration we have had with KOC. The contract format and technical set-up can be brough anywhere in the world and - we have the competence, equipment and green formula to do it. SAR continues to be a force to be reckoned with on projects such as this also going forward, and we look forward to our next international adventure and sustainable partnership with partners out there!
Previous Successfully International projects include treatment of drilling waste in Jordan for BP in addition to several plants in India.
Read more: Kuwait location
OBM drill cuttings, what is it?
The largest-quantity solid waste generated during drilling of oil and gas wells are drill cuttings
Average volumes are from 500 to 3000 metric tons per well, depending on the composition and depth.
Hazardous waste in most jurisdictions
Oily drill cuttings must be treated to minimize environmental impact
OBM drill cuttings contain
Typically 70% solids; Rock, clay, barite, and other
Typically 15% base oil
TCC Technology, what is it?
The treatment of the OBM drill cuttings is carried out using a Thermal mechanical cuttings cleaner (TCC). The TCC unit is placed inside a building where it is protected from the harsh environment. The TCC uses a technology that separates the solids, base oil and water in the drill cuttings. The treatment process is fully automated, and continuously monitored and controlled by the SAR supervisors. The average oil content in solids after treatment is 0.2% TPH. The thermal desorption technology allows full recovery of base oil with unchanged quality. The recovered oil can be reused in new oil based mud or used as fuel for generators, boilers, etc.
