Bioremediation of drill cutting and oily sludge at oil installations of Cairn India Pty Ltd: Feasibility study

CEIL has been carried out hydrocarbon exploration in the Districts of Barmer and Jalore in north-western Rajasthan. The exploration and drilling operation generates wastes that are classified as hazardous due to presence of hydrocarbon compounds. These wastes comprise of drill cuttings, spent drilling fluid and oil contaminated wastes. TERI has deveoped a microbial consortium that can degrade different hydrocarbon compounds that contaminates the drill cutting. The process is an ecologically sound and invloves indegenous sludge eating bacteria. The residues from the biological treatment are usually harmless products (carbon dioxide, water and fatty acids). The project aims at performaing a feasibility study of the bioremediation potential of the Oilzapper for the drill cuttings and oily sludge generated by CEIL. If sucessful this bioremediation technology will be implemented fo the wastes generated by CEIL duirng the exploration and drilling process.