Baroid Environmental Assurance Group
Our Track Record
Baroid's record of environmentally responsible product development has been driven by demands from our client base and changes in the regulatory landscape. Although a considerable amount of our portfolio is based on chemicals, a significant number of them are regarded as having little or no risk to the environment by some of the strictest regulators in the world - the North Sea countries governed under the OSPAR convention.
Our Global Approach
Although we have chemistries that can meet the strictest standards offshore in the North Sea environment, we also have alternatives such as salt free Boremax for onshore drilling. As well as a dedicated Environmental Assurance group within Baroid to assist in environmental issues, we can also draw on the expertise offered in other parts of Halliburton - such as REACH expertise, Chemical Compliance expertise or occupational hygiene and facilities management staff from within Halliburton HSE.
Greening our Portfolio
Our ongoing efforts in greening our portfolio are driven by selecting the most appropriate chemicals for the job, taking into account technical, economic, and local supply factors. Our environmental staff also works closely with State, Provincial and Government agencies so that we can anticipate changes in regulations that may affect our operations.
We have begun to strive beyond classical reduce, reuse, recycle policy to considering other effects of our activities on the environments. An example is in sourcing Barite, one of our most critical mineral powder resources and a finite resource, especially of the high grade material required in our operations in the offshore Gulf of Mexico region.
Pollution Prevention Initiative
Our Halliburton Activities
The Baroid Environmental Assurance Team assists in furthering the broader topics within Halliburton, such as assistance with Climate Change Policy, working with Chemical Compliance issues in other PSLs such as cementing, and giving advice on company strategies such as the chemical compliance element within the PII (Process Improvement Initiative).
Bioassay Assurance
We have a dedicated NELAC/GLP certified bioassay laboratory to allow us to screen chemicals to US GoM and North Sea standards. As well as a highly experienced supervisor, we have three technicians and a culturist. Chemistries being examined for technical performance in the laboratory can be brought to the Bioassay Lab for screening on the same site, thus giving us the ability to bring new, more environmentally responsible chemicals to the marketplace more quickly.
Our Publications
The key team members of the Environmental Assurance group are active in numerous industry forums, including American Petroleum Industry, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), IPIECA, OGP, AADE. They attend trade organizations and exhibitions and conferences.
Listed below are some key publications from the past few years:
Hall, J. (2005) Designing The Perfect Drilling Fluid Additive: Can It Be Done? SPE 95196-MS. SPE Asia Pacific Health, Safety and Environment Conference and Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, September 19-21 2005.
Hall, J. (2005) Finding a better way. In The Fundamentals of the Petroleum Industry 2005. 18th World Petroleum Congress, Johannesburg, South Africa. September 25-29, 2005. Petroleum Economist, London.
Hall, J. and Almond, S. (2005) OSPAR, Regulators Drive Design: How regulations have impacted a service Company’s Product Development Program. European Offshore Specialty Chemical Association/Royal Society of Chemistry. Chemistry in the Oil Industry IX Symposium, Manchester, UK, 31st October-rd-5th November 2005.
Hall, J. (2006) Offshore Chemical Redesign – An Opportunity to Improve Environmental and Technical Performance. Keynote speech, 7th SEFLU Seminar on Drilling and Completion Fluids, Margarita Island, Venezuela, 2006.
West, G., Hall, J., and Seaton, S. (2007) Chapter 2 Drilling Fluids in Petroleum Engineering Handbook. Larry, L. Lake Editor in Chief, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Richardson, USA.
Our History
These abilities of the Baroid Environmental Assurance group in its current configuration has been in place for many years, with the bioassay lab and environmental leads within Baroid each having over ten years experience with Halliburton.
For further information, contact Bioassay Lab Supervisor: Bob MacGregor, Ph.D.
