As sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest oil producer, Angola has seen the application of world-class waste management standards in its oil and gas sector.
Most of the waste from the offshore platforms comprises drill cuttings, which emanate from many kilometres of offshore exploration drilling.
According to Bruce Engelsman, principal engineer at SRK Consulting, these have to be brought ashore, treated and disposed of responsibly, primarily 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 landfill.
There is also hazardous waste from offshore and onshore facilities that is incinerated, and 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.
