Oil and gas waste management

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Oil and gas industry waste

The UK’s offshore oil and gas sector generates vast amounts of waste, including ‘produced’ wastewater from extraction, drill cuttings, drilling fluids, spent chemicals, and materials from decommissioning pipelines and ageing wells, such as tank sludge, radioactive scale, and metal scrap.

Onshore, industries like hospitality, and events also contribute to the sector’s waste footprint by using oil and gas in day-to-day operations.

Below, we explore the key aspects of oil and gas waste, including oil and gas waste types, industry regulations, waste management technology, environmental impacts and commercial waste disposal solutions

Waste types in the Oil and Gas industry

The oil and gas sector generates a wide range of waste, from production byproducts to decommissioned materials. Each type requires careful handling to ensure environmental compliance and safe disposal. Here are the key waste streams and how they are managed:

'Produced' water

Estimated Volume: Hundreds of millions of tonnes per year

A byproduct of extraction containing salts, hydrocarbons, and chemicals. Most is treated and re-injected into wells, with excess discharged at sea or sent onshore for further treatment.

Drill cuttings

Estimated Volume: 1-2 million tonnes per year

Rock and soil fragments from drilling. Treated and disposed of at sea or recycled onshore for construction or landfill cover.

Hazardous waste

Estimated Volume: 80,000 tonnes per year

Includes chemicals, oils, and tank sludge from drilling and refining. Transported onshore for special treatment, recycling, or disposal.

Scrap metal

Estimated Volume: 22,000 tonnes per year

From decommissioned equipment and infrastructure. Recycled, salvaged, or disposed of if contaminated.

General waste

Estimated Volume: 10,000 tonnes per year

Includes drums, containers, and mixed industrial waste. Managed through various recycling and disposal methods.

Radioactive waste

Estimated Volume: 1,000 tonnes per year

Naturally occurring radioactive deposits in pipes and equipment. Processed onshore under radioactive waste regulations.

Key insights into Oil and Gas waste

The oil and gas industry generates millions of tonnes of waste each year, with much of it managed offshore. While advancements in regulations and treatment methods have improved environmental outcomes, waste handling remains a critical challenge.

Water and drill cuttings

Over 95% of oil and gas waste comes from produced water and drill cuttings, byproducts of drilling and extraction processes. These materials require careful management to prevent environmental harm.

Reinjection into reservoirs

Around 70-80% of ‘produced’ water is reinjected into wells to maintain pressure for oil recovery. The remaining portion is treated for reuse, recycling, or disposal.

Offshore disposal

Some drill cuttings, drilling fluids, and treated produced water are disposed of offshore. While past practices caused significant environmental damage, stricter regulations have reduced impacts.

Onshore waste management

Around 120,000 tonnes of waste, including spent chemicals, oils, scrap metals, tank sludge, and radioactive scale, is transported onshore for specialised treatment, recycling, or disposal.

Declining waste volumes

As the UK moves away from fossil fuels, the total volume of oil and gas waste decreases year-on-year, reflecting reduced extraction activity.

Hazardous and radioactive waste

A small but significant portion (~1%) of oil and gas waste contains hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials, requiring stringent handling and disposal under special regulations.

Commercial waste disposal in the oil and gas sector

The oil and gas industry doesn’t operate in isolation; it relies on a wide network of businesses to support its workforce and infrastructure. In major hubs like Aberdeen, Newcastle, Hull, and London, the following industries play a crucial role in keeping the sector running.

Retail and hospitality: Businesses cater to the thousands of workers involved in oil and gas projects, providing accommodation in hotels, restaurants, and essential services.
Warehouses and equipment: Suppliers ensure vital tools, machinery, and safety gear reach offshore and onshore sites.

With so many businesses operating alongside the sector, waste management is a major challenge, from commercial food waste and packaging in hospitality to industrial and hazardous waste from supply chains. Ensuring compliant and cost-effective waste disposal is essential.

The best way to manage commercial waste efficiently is by comparing waste collection quotes. Whether you need regular pickups, hazardous waste disposal, or commercial mixed recycling collection, we help businesses secure the best prices and services.

Oil and gas waste operations

Unlike standard commercial properties, commercial waste disposal in the oil and gas sector is highly complex. Offshore platforms, drilling sites, refineries, and pipelines generate diverse and often hazardous waste streams, requiring specialist handling and disposal.

To ensure compliance, efficiency, and environmental responsibility, the industry relies on specialist commercial waste disposal services, including:

Decommissioning and recycling: Recovering and processing metal infrastructure from disused rigs, wells, and vessels.
Marine waste transportation: Moving hazardous sludges, wastewater, and chemicals from offshore to onshore treatment facilities.
Radioactive waste management: Handling and safely disposing of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) from drilling and production.
Waste exports: While disposal is banned, certain waste types can be exported for incineration or recycling, reducing landfill impact.

Waste minimisation in oil and gas

Despite its environmental challenges, the oil and gas sector has implemented business waste minimisation strategies, to improve efficiency and cut commercial waste disposal costs.

Reinjection of produced water and drill cuttings deep into underground reservoirs reduces waste while enhancing oil and gas recovery by maintaining reservoir pressure.
Decommissioning of North Sea oil and gas assets has resulted in thousands of tonnes of metal being recovered and recycled in UK onshore facilities.
Increased recycling and circular economy initiatives have led to reduced reliance on landfill and more sustainable waste practices across the industry.

While the sector is often scrutinised for the environmental impact of its commercial waste, these cost-driven waste reduction efforts have also contributed to building UK recycling infrastructure and advancing circular economy mechanisms.

Oil and gas waste regulations

Standard UK commercial waste regulations apply to oil and gas waste once it reaches onshore, past the low tide mark. However, offshore waste, where the majority of oil and gas waste is generated, falls under a different set of specialist regulations due to its hazardous nature.

Regulations for Oil and Gas waste

These are the key specific regulations governing oil and gas waste:

Radioactive Substances Act 1993: Governs the handling and disposal of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) from drilling and extraction.
Special Waste Regulations 1996: Regulates the treatment and transport of hazardous and special waste from offshore and onshore sites.
Petroleum Act 1998: Covers waste disposal regulations related to petroleum extraction, including decommissioning processes.
UK Ship Recycling Facility Regulations 2015: Ensures sustainable disposal of ships and offshore platforms at authorised facilities.

Regulatory authorities with waste management powers

The following agencies enforce oil and gas waste regulations:

Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED): Oversees offshore waste disposal, decommissioning, and environmental compliance.
Offshore Safety Directive Regulator (OSDR): Enforces safety and environmental compliance in offshore waste operations.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA): Regulates marine waste transport and offshore environmental safety.
The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA): Manages industry-wide waste disposal and decommissioning strategies.

Oil and gas waste management technology

The oil and gas industry has long invested in cutting-edge technologies to improve efficiency and profitability. With increasing environmental pressures, companies are now using this financial power to develop advanced waste management technologies that handle, treat, and dispose of difficult-to-recycle waste.

Drilling waste treatment

Separating drill cuttings: Equipment like shale shakers, de-sanders, de-silters, and centrifuges separate rock and soil fragments from drilling fluids, reducing waste and allowing fluid reuse.
Thermal desorption units: These systems use heat to separate hydrocarbons from drill cuttings, recovering reusable oil and producing dry, non-hazardous solids for landfill or reuse.
Reinjection technology: Drill cuttings are ground into fine particles and injected underground with produced water, reducing surface waste and environmental impact.

Hazardous waste processing

Bioremediation: Uses microorganisms to break down hazardous substances like tank sludge and oily waste, offering a low-emission, energy-efficient solution.
Advanced water treatments: Membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, and evaporation systems treat produced water for reuse in operations or safe discharge.
Waste-to-energy technology: Incineration, gasification, and pyrolysis convert oil and gas waste into usable energy, reducing landfill dependency.

Radioactive waste processing

Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) Treatment: Descaling, encapsulation, and specialised disposal technologies ensure the safe handling and disposal of radioactive waste.

Environmental impacts of oil and gas waste

Oil and gas waste can cause serious environmental damage if not properly managed. While regulations have improved waste handling, contamination, pollution, and radiological risks remain.

Below, we look at oil and gas waste’s key impacts on the environment:

Seabed and soil contamination

Improper drilling mud and cuttings disposal can pollute offshore seabeds and onshore soil. This contamination affects ecosystems, disrupts marine life, and may lead to groundwater pollution.

Water pollution

‘Produced water’, containing hydrocarbons, salts, and chemicals, can contaminate seawater and freshwater sources. Leaks from pipelines, tanks, and equipment further increase the risk of pollution.

Radiological risk

Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) in oil and gas waste poses health and environmental hazards. Strict handling, treatment, and disposal methods are required to prevent exposure.

Legacy pollution from past operations

Decades of oil and gas extraction have left drill-cutting piles up to 60 metres high on the seabed. Some contaminants have been found 4km from offshore platforms, highlighting long-term pollution risks.

Untreated waste disposal

Before strict regulations, spent drilling fluids were dumped into landfills and oceans without treatment, leading to severe pollution. The EU Waste Framework Directive (2008) introduced mandatory treatment before disposal.