Drilling wastes can dwarf the hole itself — 2–3× by volume — and Indonesian law treats anything oily as B3 (hazardous) with strict storage, labeling, and manifest rules. A new camp plan breaks the streams apart, treats them on site, and ships out less, targeting oil-on-cuttings below 1% and effluent that meets national standards.
Waste streams and legal thresholds
A remote exploration camp is a factory for waste: drilling fluids and cuttings, chemical residues (paints, solvents, spent oil and filters), domestic solid waste (food scraps, packaging, recyclables), and sewage/greywater. Drilling dominates — cuttings and fluid can exceed the drilled hole volume by 2–3× (onepetro.org). In one example, drilling 50 ft of a 12¼″ hole produced 22.4 m³ of wet cuttings versus 16 m³ of hole; scale that up and a full 1 km well can generate on the order of 1,000+ m³ without treatment.
Indonesia classifies oil/chemical‑contaminated waste as B3 (hazardous). Under Permen LHK 6/2021, B3 wastes must be labeled and packaged in sturdy metal or plastic containers with tight seals and strong lids (universaleco.id), stored only for limited periods (≤90 days if ≥50 kg/day is generated) (universaleco.id), and transported with a government manifest (cradle‑to‑grave tracking) (journal.lemigas.esdm.go.id).
Domestic camp waste is covered by Law 18/2008, which bans unsanctioned open burning and disposal (citarumharum.jabarprov.go.id). Any discharge must meet water quality standards, including Permen LHK P.68/2016 for treated sewage: pH 6–9, BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) ≤30 mg/L, TSS (total suspended solids) ≤30 mg/L, oil & grease ≤5 mg/L, NH₃‑N ≤10 mg/L, coliform (indicator bacteria) ≤3000/100 mL (ro.scribd.com). With Indonesia’s municipal waste at ~33.8 million tons in 2024, performance targets and constraints are tight. The upshot: complete segregation of hazardous vs non‑hazardous, strict packaging/storage, and tracking are mandatory to avoid severe fines or shutdowns (mdpi.com) (citarumharum.jabarprov.go.id).
Source segregation and labeling protocols
Sorting starts at source. Dedicated, clearly labeled containers separate each category — black drums for oily/B3 waste, yellow/red for biomedical, green for food/organic waste, blue for recyclables. In drilling, clean mud is recycled in the mud system while cuttings land in lined pits or skip bins. Chemical and oily wastes (used engine oil, solvents, contaminated rags) go straight into appropriate B3 containers. Non‑hazardous solids (food scraps, packaging, recyclables) are split into general refuse bins.
Mixing B3 with municipal waste is explicitly prohibited (citarumharum.jabarprov.go.id), and training/signage make that stick (“oil rags → B3 drum,” “plastic bottles → recycling”). The plan logs every B3 drum when filled, labels contents/codes, and removes them on schedule. Targets: >90% correct sorting for each stream, zero cross‑contamination in audits, and recoverables (metal, plastic) exceeding 50% of general waste by weight when segregation works (typical urban recycling rates range 30–60%).
Bunded storage and capacity design
Hazardous wastes sit in a dedicated B3 yard with bunded concrete flooring and cover; containers conform to Permen LHK specs (sturdy metal or heavy‑duty plastic barrels with leak‑proof lids) (universaleco.id). Incompatibles (acids vs organics vs reactive materials) are separated. Secondary containment is sized to ≥110% of the largest container. For drilling cuttings, lined storage berms or steel skips are used; in a typical well example of 85 m³ of OBM (oil‑based mud) cuttings, that equates to roughly 4–5 × 20 m³ bins (halliburton.com).
Timeline is a compliance driver: B3 waste is never stored over 90 days when generation is >50 kg/day (universaleco.id), which sets transport scheduling (e.g., shipments every 2–3 months). Non‑hazardous bulk refuse (food/wood) is compacted/baled and secured until removal. Capacity is sized to field reality — for ~100 m³ of wet cuttings per well, storage must hold at least 2–3 wells before evacuation. With remote logistics costs up to ~$230/ton (mdpi.com), on‑site treatment/disposal minimizes on‑site storage time. KPI: no overflow or leaking containers, all >200 L B3 drums intact, labeled, and moved before deadlines (universaleco.id).
Treatment trains by waste category
Drilling waste (cuttings & fluids). Water‑based mud cuttings (mostly rock) can be dried and disposed as inert fill if oil/chemical levels meet local soil standards. OBM cuttings require hydrocarbon removal. The plan uses solids‑control and cuttings‑drying equipment — a trailer‑mounted cuttings dryer plus centrifuge — with case studies showing oil‑on‑cuttings (OOC) below 1% (halliburton.com). In one well, a mobile vertical dryer and bioremediation produced 0.6% TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbons) and 85 m³ of cake (halliburton.com) (halliburton.com) — a >90% volume reduction relative to untreated waste (∼1500 m³ wet). Dried, low‑TPH cuttings are compacted for non‑sensitive landfills or engineered fill; residual high‑TPH waste goes to accredited incineration/thermal destruction, a common international practice (mdpi.com).
Hazardous chemicals and oily waste. Spent solvents, paints, and oil filters are collected in metal drums for off‑site processing; used oil is sent to re‑refineries where possible. Sludges and cleaning wastes are stabilized on site (e.g., cement solidification) or sent to B3 landfill/incineration. A portable incinerator is planned for small quantities of non‑recyclable hydrocarbons if local regulations allow (some countries permit small camp incinerators under Abatement Permits). Ash is handled as hazardous residue and collected.
Domestic sewage and greywater. Toilets route to septic tanks or a package sewage treatment plant (STP), with effluent meeting Permen LHK P.68/2016 (pH 6–9, BOD ≤30 mg/L, TSS ≤30 mg/L, oil & grease ≤5 mg/L, NH₃‑N ≤10 mg/L, coliform ≤3000/100 mL) (ro.scribd.com). The camp STP is sized at 100 L per person per day; packaged units such as compact sewage plants fit this remit. Treated greywater from sinks/showers goes to sedimentation or constructed wetlands before reuse or discharge — for sedimentation, a unit like a clarifier aligns with the plan’s approach. All effluent is tested weekly; violations prompt additional treatment (e.g., activated carbon filters).
Where oil & grease limits apply (≤5 mg/L), primary treatment remains part of the toolkit (ro.scribd.com), consistent with the plan’s reliance on physical settling and polishing without open burning or dumping (citarumharum.jabarprov.go.id).
General solid waste (food/paper/plastic). Organic waste heads to a composting unit or biodigester; open burning/dumping is illegal (citarumharum.jabarprov.go.id). Compost, if pathogen‑free, is used for non‑sensitive soil amendment. Recyclables (paper/cardboard, plastics, glass, scrap metal) are compacted/baled for regular shipment to mainland recyclers; plastic bottles and cans separated in camp can yield a recycling rate >50% of “dry” waste. Non‑recyclable paper and inert waste is incinerated at camp; the on‑site landfill is used for ash.
Medical/sharps waste. With a medic on site, sharps and infectious materials are autoclaved (steam‑sterilized) or handled by a licensed biohazard contractor. In remote settings an autoclave/incinerator combo eliminates pathogens; ashes are locked and shipped out. All medical waste is handled as B3 under health regulations.
Quantitative outcome. The treatment strategy minimizes final landfilled volume: for drilling cuttings, the target is <100 m³ of dry, low‑TPH cake per well (vs 1000+ m³ raw) (halliburton.com) (onepetro.org). For domestic waste, recycling >50% by weight is expected. Liquids aim for 100% compliance with effluent standards. Daily records capture, for example, “% of OBM cuttings passing 1% TPH after treatment,” using the 0.6% TPH case result as a benchmark (halliburton.com).
Off‑site disposal and manifests
After treatment, residuals move off site under Indonesian and international rules. Hazardous wastes (remaining drilling cuttings, chemical sludges, incinerator ash) go to licensed facilities with the required manifest — options include cement kiln co‑processing (thermally destroying organics), high‑temperature incineration, or engineered B3 landfills. Oil‑contaminated soil has been thermally treated in Indonesian cement kilns (researchgate.net). Non‑hazardous solids (pre‑screened inert ash, non‑recyclable combustibles) go to the nearest municipal landfill (TPA). Sewage effluent that meets standards is discharged to surface water or percolation pits away from locals. All hazardous loads travel with cradle‑to‑grave manifests (journal.lemigas.esdm.go.id).
Because transport and disposal costs are high — remote logistics can reach ~$230 per ton (mdpi.com) — the plan emphasizes minimizing shipped volume. One case reduced a well’s off‑site cuttings from ~102 tons to near zero (85 m³ of essentially inert cuttings) (halliburton.com). At $230/t, that’s a ~$23,000 per‑well saving (halliburton.com) (mdpi.com). The operating principle is explicit: “No untreated waste leaves the camp.”
Monitoring, metrics, and continuous improvement
KPIs track diversion rates, disposal volumes, and compliance. The plan monitors tons of B3 waste shipped per month and targets a ~90% reduction versus a no‑treatment baseline. Effluent quality is logged daily against Permen LHK P.68/2016 limits, with excursions triggering corrective actions (e.g., extra filtration or polishing via activated carbon). Storage turnaround stays under 90 days for large generators (universaleco.id).
Regular audits enforce the bans on illegal open burning or dumping (citarumharum.jabarprov.go.id). Monthly reports reconcile generation vs treatment vs disposal. Over a year, the expectation is >90% of camp waste either recycled or treated on site, with only inert remainder sent off. Targets include “<1% of cuttings exceed 1% oil content” and “0 violations of disposal permits.” The plan is updated as technology or regulations evolve.
Operational outcomes and economics
The data‑driven program delivers environmental protection and cost control:
- On‑site drilling waste treatment drops off‑site volumes by ~90%, as demonstrated in practice (halliburton.com).
- Regulatory compliance is designed in: 100% of hazardous waste moves with manifests (journal.lemigas.esdm.go.id), sewage meets effluent standards (ro.scribd.com), and no unauthorized burning occurs (citarumharum.jabarprov.go.id).
- Cutting tonnage shrinks, lowering transport costs by $20K+ per well and avoiding fines/penalties for mismanagement (halliburton.com) (mdpi.com).
- Circular resource use improves with water‑based mud reuse and camp recycling; recovered oil from cuttings can partially recycle back into drilling fluids, reducing fresh fluid needs.
Standards and sources
The plan draws on Indonesian regulations (Permen LHK 68/2016, 6/2021, Law 18/2008), container and storage duration guidance (universaleco.id) (universaleco.id), and an aspirational benchmark from Norwegian “zero discharge” standards (ro.scribd.com). Technical cases quantify waste volumes and reductions (halliburton.com), while disposal economics (~$230/t in remote areas) and compliance risks inform the cost‑benefit calculus (mdpi.com) (mdpi.com).
