Environmental Management in SMEs through ISO 14000 of Statoil Petroleum Company - Case Study Example

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN SMEs THROUGH ISO 14000 By Student’s Name Code+ course name Instructor’s Name University Name City, State ISO 14000 is a standard that is related to the management of the environment. It is set to help organizations on how to minimize their operations that affect the environment negatively. In the environment it generally talks of pollution on land, air and water. The organizations are to comply with laws and regulations so as to improve the environment. It is said to be similar to ISO 9000 that is concerned quality management. Both the standards are done to contain how products are produced and do not necessarily deal with the product itself. Requirements of the standards are a very integral part of the EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) in the European Union. The legal compliance, performance improvement and the reporting duties are contained in the standards. These standards set the criteria for the EMS. It is, therefore, salient to note that the standards do not set out the whole requirements to the businesses on how to maintain the environment. In addition, the standards set out the framework of the organizations that will follow to be compliant with environmental standards. The standards are used by most organizations to reduce waste and costs as well as resource improvement. This paper will review how an SME in the petroleum industry called Statoil Petroleum Company. This SME is an international energy company. This paper will delve on how it operates so as to manage the environment. Statoil Petroleum Company is a member of PTAC that helps it maintain the ISO standards. Waste Discharges from Drilling rig and production station and its management There are always wastes that are associated with drilling activities of Statoil Petroleum Company. First, there is always solidified waste. This is an amorphous that is always partially saturated with water. It is salient to note that the solidified wastes always consist of solid phases, entrapped air and liquid phase. The entrapped air is always in the form of air voids. The equilibrium is always disturbed when the solid is normally exposed to the leaching conditions. When leaching occurs this, solid can have numerous environmental effects. Another waste that is always associated with the drilling process is the drill cuttings. This always consists of numerous small rocks. These rock particles always accumulate as the drill penetrates the ground. The drilling cuttings can also pose environmental effects if not well managed (International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association, & United Nations Environment Programme 1991). It is also worth noting that the drilling process also results into drill mud. This is always considered as the most common waste due to drilling. However, the drilling mud is always imperative during the drilling process since it always act as a lubricant. The drilling mud can pose adverse environmental effects since it always contains chemicals that are very toxic. The worst part of using mud in drilling is that it is not capable of being recycled. In this case, the mud must just be disposed of in the sea hence causing adverse effects to the seabed family (International Atomic Energy Agency 2004). Waste management process The waste management always emanates from the methods of drilling that the employed by the drilling company undertaking this process. If proper drilling methods are used, the effects and the amount of the drilling wastes can be controlled significantly. This section highlights in a vivid way the methods of the drilling process that can result into reduction in the amount and the effects of the drilling wastes. Conventional process The process of drilling oil is a very fundamental of controlling drilling wastes. This method uses a rotary drilling bit that is always lubricated by fluids or even mud. First it is always salient to construct oil and gas wells with multiple layers of pipes that are always known as casings. It is also wise to drill the traditional wells from top bottom with different diameters at different stages. The top interval always has the largest diameter as compared to other intervals. The drilled hole is always applied with a casing of a slightly smaller diameter. After this, the cement is always pumped into the hole and even outside the casing. The cement always acts as a proper lubricant. Use of mud fluid with low environmental impact It is worth noting that the drilling fluid is always made up of base elements, bentonite clay and other additives. The bentonite clay always helps in removing the cuttings from the well. The bentonite clay also plays a fundamental role of the formation of filter cake. It is, therefore, paramount to use water base mud. This is because it has very minimal environmental effects, and it is also less expensive. Use of synthetic-based muds (SBMs) The synthetic base muds can also be applied to replace the traditional types of mud that have numerous environmental effects. These synthetic fluids include esters, linear paraffin among others. These synthetic fluids are always free of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons which make them be less toxic. It is worth noting that the synthetic fluids always result in drill cuttings that are also less toxic. This makes them pose less environmental threats to seabed species. The synthetic drill is also capable of drilling a cleaner hole with low volumes of drill cuttings. The crucial issue is that the synthetic fluid can be recycled very many times hence limits its chances of being disposed of into the sea. On the other hand, mud fluids are not capable of being recycled hence must be disposed of in the sea. Reuse of cuttings The drill cuttings are always made up of numerous and small ground rocks. These cutting are always coated with the drilling fluid. It is, therefore, very salient to note that when the drilling fluid is toxic, the drill cuttings can also be toxic because they are always coated with the drilling fluid. It is always advisable to reuse the drill cuttings in the best way that will avoid environmental effects so as to prevent them from being deposited in one place. It is important to determine the toxic level of the drill cuttings before reusing them. For instance, the drill cuttings can be used in road construction. In this case it will serve a fundamental role without posing great threats on the environment. This is because the oily coatings in the drill cuttings always serve the same purpose as the tar in the road construction (Theobald 2008). Waste Generation in Drilling operation and disposal The drilling process always results into the generation of wastes in the land surface. These wastes can be very harmful to the environment if not well disposed. It is, therefore, very salient for the management to ensure proper disposal of the drilling wastes. Solid waste The drilling process always results into solid waste. These always include the drilling mud and drill cuttings. The drilling mud is a fluid that is very useful during the drilling process. The drilling mud is always mixed with some chemicals so as to ensure its efficiency in as far as its roles in this process are concerned. These solid wastes always pose greater environmental effects because they last for years on the ground surface. The fact that the solid wastes can also be reused again in construction purpose makes them endanger the lives of people. Drilling mud The drilling mud can always be of different types. For instance, there exist the oil based mud, synthetic based mud and water based mud. It is, therefore, to state that the drilling mud can have very adverse effects on the environment because it is always mixed with very toxic chemicals. Recycling Recycling is a very fundamental way of disposing of the drilling mud. This only applies to the synthetic based muds and oil based muds. This ensures that these muds are not disposed of into the waters that would in turn cause water pollution. The water based muds are not always being recycled due to its properties. This always results into deposition of the water based muds into the sea and other water bodies. However, there are some salient procedure that can be used to ensure that water based mud is cleaner and free from toxins. For instance, Statoil Petroleum Company has ensured the use of pipe wipers and vacuuming of spills as methods of ensuring clean water based muds. Statoil Petroleum Company has also implemented recovery of mud during tank cleaning. This has ensured that the mud is used again. This reduces the effect of such wastes on the environment (Macneill 1971). Drilling Cuttings The solid waste also constitutes the drill cuttings. These are majorly the particles of rock that always result from the effect of the bit. The broken particles of rock are always carried by the drilling mud to the ground surface. The drill cuttings can have adverse effects on the environment because they are always coated with chemicals found in the drilling mud. The following method has been implemented by Statoil Petroleum Company to manage the drill cuttings waste (Technische UniversitäT 1995). Reusing the drill cuttings The company has always supplied the drill cuttings to other construction companies which have used it for road construction purposes. This has ensured that the drill cuttings are not accumulated in one place an issue that can have a great impact to the environment. Volumes of wastes This section delves on analyzing the amount of solid wastes that is always produced in a given drilling process. It is salient to note that the section also gives a vivid explanation on how to ensure minimization of the solid wastes and maximization of the products. There are several techniques that are used to reduce the solid wastes always produced during drilling sessions. To bring down drilling mud that is spilled or discarded, it useful to use mud buckets, pipe wipers and vacuuming of spills. The use of this system allows the clean mud to be put back to the mud system. It is, therefore, true to note that when the clean mud is returned to the mud system, it cannot be treated as waste. In a nutshell, it is salient to note that the volume of the solid wastes can be minimized so as to reduce the rate of environmental effects (Behra & Khan 2009). Source of pollutants in the solid waste The major source of the pollutants in the solid waste are the chemicals that ate always used in mixing the drilling mud. For instance, oil that is always used as a lubricant and to enhance viscosity is always a major pollutant. In addition, the synthetic elements which compose the synthetic-based muds (SBMs) are also good examples of pollutants. These chemicals always pose a great to the environment. The chemicals also cause water pollution. In this case the solid wastes like drill cuttings are always deposited in the water bodies. Heavy rains are also capable of carrying with it the solid wastes and deposit them into the water bodies. It is salient to note that the solid wastes are also capable of causing air pollution. This always takes place when the solid wastes dry up. After drying up the dust, is always carried away by wind. There are always other contaminants apart from oil that have been found to have significant effects. These contaminants include chromium that is always present in lignosulfonates. It is salient to note that the weighing agents have also been found to contain heavy metals such as mercury and even cadmium. These contaminants are always very toxic and therefore pose great threats to mankind and other living organisms (Nath 1993). Chemical pollutants in the wastes There always exist some chemical pollutants in the wastes. These pollutants include the organic compounds that are always present in the drilling mud. Chemicals like mercury, esters among others can be pollutants if left unmanaged in the environment. It is, therefore, crucial for proper management procedures implemented to reduce the effects of these pollutants (United States 1994). Solid Waste Management This delves into highlighting the methods of solid waste management employed by the Statoil Petroleum. The section has analyzed the appropriate technology selection that would ensure that the solid wastes are disposed of very well without causing great environmental impacts. This is because solid wastes are always very toxic hence should always be dealt with much precaution. It is, therefore, very fundamental for an appropriate technology to be implemented so as to ensure proper waste management (Bahadori 2014). Selection of Solid waste management technology The selection of appropriate technology is very necessary for the management of the drilling waste. The use of modern drilling fluids The drilling fluid selected should be that that is more amenable to bio-treatment of the drilling wastes. For instance, Statoil Petroleum Company has developed drilling fluids with fewer components of additives. The additives used should also be those that can be broken down by organisms like earthworms. Statoil Petroleum Company has developed and formulated the use of format brines. The format brines have always been found to be environmentally friendly hence poses less impact on the environment. The format brines are always made through reaction of metal hydroxides with the formic acid (Wahi, Agnihotri & Sharma 1992). Thermal treatment technologies This method always uses high temperature to destroy the hydrocarbons present in the drilling wastes. This method always reduces the amount of inorganic materials in the drilling wastes. It must also be noted that the method also reduces the mobility of these inorganic materials hence reduces the chances of leaching. This treatment method always results into water, inert gases and the base fluids that have been recovered. Statoil Petroleum Company has developed a vibrant thermal treatment technology that is installed in a fixed land base. It is salient to note that this high technology has caused Statoil Petroleum Company $150 per ton. The cost of providing this technology is very high because it requires more labor. It is fundamental to realize that the thermal technologies used to manage drilling wastes also include incineration. Incineration technologies always aim at oxidizing wastes using very high temperatures. It must be noted that incineration is always used to destroy the wastes that are deemed to be very toxic (Wall 1980). In conclusion, it is worth noting that Statoil Petroleum Company has always used incineration that occurs in rotary kilns. The rotary kilns are always is more durable hence can be used for very many years. It must also be noted that the rotary kilns are able of decomposing any drilling waste irrespective of the toxins level or the size of any solid waste. This has made the rotary kilns be more preferable technology in drilling waste management. The only shortcoming of this technology is because it is expensive if compared to other methods like burying pits and landfills. Therefore, through ISO 14000 the environment will be properly taken care of. In addition, the standards help all other organizations and therefore are necessary to be implemented (Cheremisinoff & Rosenfeld 2009). References Wall, J. D. (1980). Environmental management handbook for the hydrocarbon processing industries. Houston, Tex, Gulf Pub. Co., Book Division. Bahadori, A. (2014). Waste management in the chemical and petroleum industries. International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association, & United Nations Environment Programme. (1991). Climate change and energy efficiency in industry. London, International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association. Cheremisinoff, N. P., & Rosenfeld, P. E. (2009). Best practices in the petroleum industry. Oxford, UK, William Andrew. Wahi, S. K., Agnihotri, A. K., & Sharma, J. S. (1992). 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