Opportunity
We were commissioned to undertake the feasibility study, options appraisal, concept design and detailed design for a centralised waste facility at the oilfield capable of managing the growth in hazardous and non-hazardous waste that will result from this substantial growth in operations. And this had to be done within a tight time frame of just 12 months.
Solution
We seconded two of our senior technical staff to work in CPE’s Beijing office. They provided training and capacity building for 25 CPE staff, focusing on operational best practice, health and safety, and good housekeeping, such as storage of hazardous materials used in upstream processes. We worked with CPE at Halfaya to produce a comprehensive waste characterisation survey that identified types and quantities of waste.
This included an audit for municipal solid waste and a review of operational process data to identify sources of hazardous waste, such as surplus chemicals, flare pit acidizing waste, process water treatment sludge, filters, engine oil, drilling waste, produced water, laboratory chemicals and drill cuttings.
We developed a bespoke waste flow model to illustrate the data, identify peak waste management demands, and help guide operation of the facility up to 2040. Technical workshops were held at CPE’s offices for their senior managers and technical staff to deliver value for money objectives and improve operational sustainability.
Outcome
Our extensive waste management experience ensured an exhaustive approach to the capture of waste arisings data covering the wide range of activities undertaken across the oilfield. There was extensive liaison between our project manager, the oilfield operator and its sub-contractors to ensure CPE and its parent company, PetroChina, were regularly updated on project progress and data generation. We drove strong collaboration by making use of our experts in the UK, UAE, South Africa, Hong Kong and India to deliver the complex infrastructure design needed for the waste facility.