EFFECTS OF WATER BASED DRILLING MUD ADDITIVES ON THE ENVIRONMENT

ABSTRACT

While petroleum exploration and extraction offer numerous advantages, it is important to acknowledge their adverse environmental impacts, particularly on land. Among the significant sources of environmental damage is the use of drilling mud during drilling operations, which stands as the second-largest contributor to waste in the oil and gas production industry. This study aims to assess the impact of drilling mud on land by investigating and comparing alterations in the physicochemical properties of contaminated soil samples with uncontaminated ones. A designated land area was delineated, and an initial soil sample was collected to establish baseline measurements for various soil nutrients and properties, including nitrogen, calcium, sodium, pH, potassium, and electrical conductivity. Subsequently, drilling mud, formulated to mimic spent drilling mud through heating and the addition of specific salts like NaCl, was applied to the designated area. After a four-day interval, the same set of experiments was conducted, and this process was repeated every two days for a duration of two weeks.