Recovering Value from Exploration & Production Waste

There’s a Renaissance in Texas’ Permian Basin. Not a renaissance of art or literature, but of oil.

In the past year, the number of active drill rigs operating in the local area has tripled. More exploration and production (E&P) = more solids and liquid-based muds, or byproducts from the E&P processes that must be managed responsibly.

The renaissance is great for business. But, it’s also good for the environment.

After a period of decline, the Basin is once again becoming one of the more active locations in the world for the oil and gas industry. In the past year, the number of active drill rigs operating in the area has tripled. This increase in activity also means more liquids and materials — byproducts from exploration and production processes — that must be managed.

At Republic, we are applying technology and forward-thinking processes to responsibly manage E&P sector waste.

Republic recovers as much as 180,000 barrels of oil each year.

At Reeves County Landfill near Mentone, Texas, Republic is setting the standard for environmental responsibility in the energy services industry. The Landfill is uniquely equipped to handle E&P byproducts safely and responsibly. From a range of field services to multiple on-site services, we are enabling our oil and gas customers to grow and prosper.

And, in the process, we are recovering incredible value. We start by recovering hydrocarbons from water and oil-based muds – waste byproducts from drilling.

Our sophisticated recovery process uses engineered screens to extract larger particles from the muds, removing rocks, dirt and other solids. The muds are then subjected to heat and a centrifuge process, which separates the remaining smaller solids from the liquids. Next, the liquids are sent to a decanting tank farm where the targeted hydrocarbons separate from liquids, sinking to the bottoms of the storage tanks. There are, of course, considerable environmental benefits to our recovery operations.

We responsibly return the cleaned liquids back into salt water disposal wells at the same or similar condition in which it was extracted. This has the added benefit of minimizing the volume of material that might otherwise be landfilled. We also safeguard the solids in a lined, specialized cell that is dedicated for exploration and production waste.

To view Republic’s Sustainability initiatives, visit https://www.republicservices.com/sustainability and download the mobile-friendly version of the latest report at: https://www.republicservices.com/cms/documents/sustainability_reports/2016_Sustainability_Report_Mobile.pdf