As Sub-Saharan Africa's Africa's second-largest oil producer, Angola has seen the application of world-class waste management standards in its oil and gas sector.
SRK Consulting has been involved in landfill design and environmental impact assessments in Angola for almost 20 years, according to Bruce Engelsman, the principal engineer at SRK Consulting.
"Most of the waste from the offshore platforms comprises drill cuttings, which emanate from many kilometres of offshore exploration drilling. "These have to be brought ashore, treated and disposed of responsibly, especially to manage the hydrocarbon content in this waste stream."
A Specialist Angolan firm treats these cuttings extracting the oil in the cuttings using the latest Danish thermal desorption technology before the material can be sent to the landfill. There is also hazardous waste from offshore and onshore facilities that is incinerated as well as general domestic waste which is landfilled. In line with best practices and Angolan regulations, emissions emanating from treatment are scrubbed and monitored as part of closely managed waste disposal.
