Nuverra Awarded North Dakota Research Grant To Study Beneficial Use Of Recycled Drill Cuttings
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Nuverra Environmental Solutions (NYSE: NES), one of the largest U.S. providers of environmental solutions to the energy market, announced today it has been awarded a $744,000 scientific research grant by the North Dakota Industrial Commission Oil and Gas Research Council to demonstrate the beneficial use of recycled oil well drill cuttings through Nuverra's TerrafficientSM process.
"We believe the conversion of drilling waste to valuable products that can be entirely reused will have a significant impact toward reducing the environmental footprint of oil and gas development, reduce material and transportation costs, and support environmental sustainability," said Mark Johnsrud, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.
"As the industry generates higher volumes of drill cuttings with multi-well pads and higher well densities, we identified the need for an alternative that will reduce the volume of waste and provide beneficial reuse options for the treated cuttings," Mr. Johnsrud explained. "The Terrafficient process makes it possible to turn drilling waste into reusable products, and we intend to prove that out through three demonstration projects funded, in part, by this grant.
"We look forward to working with the State of North Dakota, McKenzie County, and a team of experts, independent researchers and scientists to demonstrate that Terrafficient is an environmentally sustainable, efficient and economical option for the industry and the community," Mr. Johnsrud concluded.
The North Dakota Industrial Commission Oil and Gas Research Council grant program funds projects that support the Council's mission to promote the growth of the oil and gas industry through research and education. The grant program revenue is generated from the state's share of the oil and gas production tax and the oil extraction tax. Grants are awarded following a formal application and review process and based on criteria including promotion of wise and efficient use of energy and environmentally sound exploration and production methods and technologies.
Terrafficient is an integrated process that removes and recovers water and residual hydrocarbons and significantly reduces naturally occurring salt content in the drill cuttings. The resulting material has a variety of potential reuse applications, including gravel road resurfacing, general fill for use in road base, and municipal landfill daily cover.
The performance of the Terrafficient product will be evaluated using a combination of laboratory characterization and bench-scale studies, followed by field-scale demonstration tests to include:
- A road surfacing demonstration project in McKenzie County to evaluate the performance of road surface materials comprising Class 13 aggregate blended with treated drill cuttings.
- A road fill demonstration project located at Nuverra's Environmental Treatment Center in McKenzie County.
- A landfill daily cover demonstration project at the McKenzie County Landfill.
It is anticipated the data collected will demonstrate the safe commercial implementation of Nuverra's Terrafficient process and provide supporting data needed for the North Dakota Department of Health to establish quality regulations to ensure environmental protection.
The data and scientific research for this project will be collected and analyzed by an independent team consisting of the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), the Civil Engineering Department at the University of North Dakota, the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute of North Dakota State University, and the North Dakota Department of Health. Additionally, McKenzie County and Knife River Corporation will partner with these organizations on selected demonstration tests by providing field support for material preparation and installation. Laboratory and bench-scale studies and field-scale monitoring will be led by EERC.
About Terrafficient
Terrafficient is an integrated process for recycling drill cuttings based on a highly specialized, scientific, total-system approach to solids management. Services include field coordination, special collection, transportation, documentation, advanced treatment, distribution, recycling, reuse and/or responsible disposal. With Terrafficient, customers can reduce solid waste volumes, increase efficiency on location and convert drill cuttings into reusable materials.
Terrafficient end product applications include road base, gravel additive, general construction fill and flowable fill, as well as other products in development. Additionally, the Terrafficient process recovers water and hydrocarbons from drill cuttings for reuse and reduces carbon emissions to the atmosphere.
For more information about Terrafficient, go to www.nuverra.com/terrafficient.
About Nuverra
Nuverra Environmental Solutions is among the largest companies in the United States dedicated to providing comprehensive and full-cycle environmental solutions to customers in the energy market. Nuverra focuses on the delivery, collection, treatment, recycling, and disposal of restricted solids, water, wastewater, waste fluids and hydrocarbons. The Company provides environmentally compliant and sustainable solutions to customers who demand stricter environmental compliance and accountability from their service providers. More information about Nuverra on the Company's web site at http://www.nuverra.com, and in documents filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, on the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov.
Forward-Looking Statements
The information contained herein includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ materially from results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including risks and uncertainties disclosed by the Company from time to time in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, as well as its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its Current Reports on Form 8-K.
Liz Merritt, VP-Investor Relations & Communications
480-878-7452
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SOURCE Nuverra Environmental Solutions
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