Publications

Bioremediation is a biological process inducing microorganism activities to neutralize/reduce concentration of contaminant in polluted soil. In normal condition, bioremediation process for drilling cuttings generally takes between 6-10 months to complete, depend on the initial TPH concentration and the characteristic of the solids.For solids wasted from recondition process of synthetic oil-based drilling mud, which has very fine particles, therefore it is very wet and sticky in its physical characteristic. The fine particles of the solids will increase the surface contact area between oil and particle, or in other words it will decrease the void volume (porosity). Furthermore, decreasing porosity will lead to a limited access for microbe to have contact with the pollutant (bioavailability), therefore the bioremediation process of the solids from drilling mud will take longer time to complete, that it could be more than 12 months, compare to normal bioremediation process of drilling cuttings that can be completed within 6-10 months.A laboratory test and pilot project of bioremediation using degradable additives enhancement had been conducted to break the time barrier. This additive is a substance which will enhance bioremediation process by breaking carbon chain of complex organic compound and stimulates microorganism growth.Although the technical implementation of bioremediation using additives enhancement is almost the same with the existing bioremediation procedure, there are some specific steps in the application to ensure that the additive substance shall work properly.Laboratory test and pilot project result shows that bioremediation process for drilling mud-solids, by implementing additives enhancement, can reduce TPH (Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon) content to below 1% in less than three months.Keyword: bioremediation, additives enhancement