This was presented in National conference on - Climate change, Oil spills and radiation risk:New environmental challenges......

1. SCOPEforSCOPEfor
Improvement:Improvement:
Drilling FluidsDrilling Fluids
GuidelinesGuidelines
of Indiaof India
Environment Policy and Research India (EPRI)
219, Gopi Cine Mall, Nana Shankar Sheth Road, Dombivli (W) – 421202
Ph: 0251 – 3192839; Website: www.eprindia.com; Email:
info@eprindia.com
Avick Sil and KanchanAvick Sil and Kanchan
WakadikarWakadikar

2. What is Drilling FluidsWhat is Drilling Fluids
Drilling fluids are suspension of finely divided heavy materials such as
bentonite and barite
Uses
Drilling natural gas, oil and water wells
Why
Reduces friction and torque
Increases drill rig performance and life
Control water loss
Stabilizes bore holes
Sil, A., Wakadikar, K., Kumar, S., Tandon, S., Sivagami, S. P. M., Kumar, R., Hettiartchi, J. P. 2010. Toxicity characteristics of
drilling mud and its effect on aquatic fish populations. Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste (doi:10.1061/
(ASCE)HZ.2153-5515.000009).

3. TypesTypes
Oil Based Fluids (OBFs)Oil Based Fluids (OBFs)
Water Based Fluids (WBFs)Water Based Fluids (WBFs)
Synthetic Based Fluids (SBFs)Synthetic Based Fluids (SBFs)
Best performance
Poor environmental performance and eco-toxicity
Do not provide optimal performance
Best environmental performance in terms of their non-toxic
nature and biodegradation
Drilling performance - OBFs
Eco-toxicity and biodegradation - WBFs

4. CompositionComposition
Emulsifiers - Aid in forming and maintaining the emulsion
Gellants/Wetting agents - Ensures the solids in the mud are
in wet phase
Bentonite - Aid in suspending drill cuttings in the mud
Barite - Increases the weight of the drilling mud
SBFs
Bentonite 18%
WBFs
Sil, A., Wakadikar, K., Kumar, S., Tandon, S., Sivagami, S. P. M., Kumar, R., Hettiartchi, J. P. 2010. Toxicity characteristics of
drilling mud and its effect on aquatic fish populations. Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste (doi:10.1061/
(ASCE)HZ.2153-5515.000009).

5. Facts & FiguresFacts & Figures
Year Place Quantity
1967 Scily Island 38 million gallon
1977 North Sea 81 million gallon
1978 France 66 million gallon
1979 Gulf of Mexico 140 million gallon
1979 Tobago 46 million gallon
1983 Iran 80 million gallon
1983 South Africa 78 million gallon
1988 North Sea 43 million gallon
1989 Alaska 10 million gallon
1989 Canary Island 19 million gallon
1991 Kuwait 460 million gallon
1991 Italy 42 million gallon
1992 Uzbekisthan 88 million gallon
1994 Russia 2 million barrel
1996 Welses 70,000 tonnes
1999 Atlantic Coast 3 million barrel
2000 Rio de Jeneiro 343,200 gallon
2002 Spain 20 million gallon
2003 Pakistan 28,000 tonnes
2004 Alaska 337,000 gallon
Year Place Quantity
2005 Louisiana 7 million gallon
2006 Louisiana 71,000 barrel
2006 Philipines 530,000 gallon
2007 South Korea 2.8 million gallon
2008 Louisiana 419,000 million
gallon
2009 Australia 52,000 million gallon
2010 Texas 462,000 gallon
2010 Louisiana 60,000 barrel
1 barrel – 117 litres
1 gallon – 3.8 litres
Mumbai
2010 – Approx. 1200 tonnes
2011 – Approx. 400 tonnes

6. ThreatsThreats
Threat to aquatic life
Indirect impact on terrestrial organisms
Flora and fauna
Indirect impact on humans

7. MoEF Notification……….MoEF Notification……….
The Ministry of Environment and Forest
(MoEF), India, Notification G.S.R. 546 (E)
states that LC50 (96 h) must be greater than
30000 mg/L (MoEF, 2005)
Missing link.. .. … …..
No toxicity range
Nothing mentioned about
biodegradability
No risk assessment
No mentioned about test organisms
Testing criteriaMoEF, 2005. Ministry of Environment and Forests notification, New Delhi, India, G.S.R.546
(E)
Thus it has a benchmark concentration of 30000 mg/L

8. Where World StandsWhere World Stands
Toxicity Rating LC 50 (mg/L)
Very toxic < 1
Toxic 1-100
Moderately toxic 100-1000
Slightly toxic 1000-10,000
Almost non-toxic 10,000-100,000
Non-toxic > 100,000
Toxicity Grades for Drilling
Fluids
Biodegradability: > 60%
Specifies test organisms
Different test at every level
Specific Toxicity grading
OECD, 1992. OECD Guideline for testing of chemicals, acute toxicity test for fish
OSPAR, 2006. Protocols on methods for testing of chemicals used in offshore oil industry, OSPAR commission
USEPA, 1996. Ecological effects test guidelines, OPPTS 850.1075, fish acute toxicity test, freshwater and marine

9. What They Have – Eco-toxicologyWhat They Have – Eco-toxicology
Title Adopted
in
Last
Updated
Alga, Growth Inhibition Test 1981 2006
Daphnia sp. Acute
Immobilisation Test
1981 2004
Fish, Acute Toxicity Test 1981 1992
Fish, Prolonged Toxicity Test:
14-Day Study
1984 -
Avian Dietary Toxicity Test 1984 -
Avian Reproduction Test 1984 -
Earthworm, Acute Toxicity
Tests
1984 -
Terrestrial Plants, Growth Test 1984 2006
Terrestrial Plants, Growth Test 1984 -
Fish, Early-Life Stage Toxicity
Test
1992 -
Daphnia magna Reproduction
Test
1998 -
Fish, Short- term Toxicity Test
on Embryo and Sac-fry Stages
1998 -
Honeybees, Acute Oral Toxicity
Test
1998 -
Title Adopted
in
Last
Updated
Honeybees, Acute Contact
Toxicity Test
1998 -
Fish, Juvenile Growth Test 2000 -
Soil Microorganisms:
Nitrogen Transformation
Test
2000 -
Soil Microorganisms: Carbon
Transformation Test
2000 -
Enchytraeid Reproduction
Test
2004 -
Earthworm Reproduction
Test (Eisenia fetida/Eisenia
andrei)
2004 -
Sediment-Water Chironomid
Toxicity Using Spiked
Sediment
2004 -
Terrestrial Plant Test:
Vegetative
Vigour Test
2006 -
Determination of the activity
of anaerobic bacteria -
reduction of gas production
from anaerobically sewage
sludge
2007 -
Source: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/9/11/33663321.pdf

10. What They Have – DegradationWhat They Have – Degradation
and Accumulationand Accumulation
Title Adopted in Last Updated
Ready Biodegradability 1981 1992
Inherent Biodegradability: Modified
SCAS Test
1981 -
Inherent Biodegradability: Zahn-
Wellens/EMPA Test
1981 1992
Inherent Biodegradability: Modified
MITI Test (II)
1981 -
Simulation Test – Aerobic Sewage
Treatment
1981 2001
Inherent Biodegradability in Soil 1981 -
Bioconcentration: Flow-Through Fish Test 1981 1996
Biodegradability in Seawater 1992 -
Aerobic and Anaerobic Transformation in Soil 2002 -
Aerobic and Anaerobic Transformation in Aquatic Sediment Systems 2002 -
Aerobic Mineralisation in Surface Water – Simulation Biodegradation
Test
2004 -
Ready Biodegradability - CO2 in sealed vessels (Headspace Test) 2006 -
Anaerobic Biodegradability of Organic Compounds in Digested Sludge: by
Measurement of Gas Production
2006 -

11. So where we areSo where we are…………….….…..…..
Become OECD Member
Others…...
Better Guideline
Oil spill modeling system
Risk assessment criteria
Mapping eco sensitive areas
Making data bases
Biodegradability
Toxicity gradation/rating

12. avick1411@gmail.com (Avick Sil)avick1411@gmail.com (Avick Sil)
wakdikarkanchan@rediffmial.com (Kanchanwakdikarkanchan@rediffmial.com (Kanchan
wakadikar)wakadikar)