Hexane extractable material in water-based and oil-based drilling fluid wastes collected from sites in Oklahoma, North Dakota, and Wyoming in 2021

Wells drilled during oil and gas exploration use drilling fluids to cool and lubricate the drilling bit and clear the borehole of cuttings. These fluids are recycled during the drilling process, but eventually can no longer be used. This is an important waste stream from petroleum generation that requires disposal. Chemical characterization of these materials is important to determine if these wastes have value or pose a risk if improperly handled. This study collected 13 samples of water-based and oil-based drilling fluid waste for hexane extractable material (also referred to as oil and grease) analysis.

油气勘探过程中钻进的井眼会使用钻井液（drilling fluids）来冷却并润滑钻头（drill bit），同时清除井眼（borehole）内的岩屑（cuttings）。这类钻井液会在钻进作业中循环复用，但最终会因性能衰减无法继续使用。此类废弃钻井液是油气产业中一类亟需妥善处置的重要废弃物流。对该类废弃物开展化学表征，可用于判断其是否具备回收价值，或是在不当处置时是否会引发环境风险。本研究收集了13份水基及油基钻井液废弃物样本，用于己烷可萃取物（hexane extractable material，又称油类与油脂）分析。