FIELD TESTING OF TECHNOLOGIES TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ASSOICATED WITH OIL AND GAS ACTIVITIES

The Environmentally Friendly Drilling (EFD) program, managed by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), provides unbiased science to address environmental issues associated with drilling and production operations. The objective is to identify, develop, and transfer critical, cost effective technologies, from site selection through gas compression, in order to provide stakeholders industry with the ability to develop reserves in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.

Over 40 field trials of various technologies have been safely and successfully performed by the EFD team over the past four years. These field trials have covered the full lifecycle of drilling, completion and production operations, from site selection through gas compression, including public perception studies. Many of these field trials have been related to hydraulic fracturing operations, including produced water handling / processing and air emissions.

The presentation will present an overview of the EFD Program and then focus on selected field trials that have been completed. Included will be how information is presented to the public and other stakeholders through a virtual drilling rig site and a virtual hydraulic fracturing site. The selected field trials will cover produced water chemistry and processing technologies, flaring mitigation, engine emissions and public perception.