Tezislər / Theses

 
 
 
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN WHILE
DRILLING OIL AND GAS WELLS 
Ilkin Hazizade 
Baku Higher Oil School 
Baku, Azerbaijan 
[e-mail] 
Supervisor: Samira Musayeva 
Despite the fact that renewable energy sector is growing each day it is 
still not enough to meet the demands of humanity. In other words, we are 
still dependant on non-renewable energy sources and petroleum is one of 
these sources. However, while drilling wells we harm the local ecosystems 
and animals living in those areas as well. These are the main ecological-
problems caused by drilling oil and gas wells: 
1) Noise pollution 
2) Light pollution 

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THE 3
rd
 INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES OF STUDENTS AND YOUNG RESEARCHERS 
dedicated to the 99
th
anniversary of the National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev
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3) Chemicals being disposed of from the wells during drilling 
4) Wildlife being destroyed in order to drill oil wells there
To begin with, noise pollution is is possible in both onshore and offshore 
drilling processes. In some cases sounds which are release while drilling can 
travel almost 4000 km far. This results in disorder of breeding, feeding, 
migration and even losing the hearing ability of marine animals.
Secondly, artificial light used while drilling wells causes light pollution. 
Especially, in onshore drilling field excessive amount of light is used and 
create light polution. For instance, it is evident from the photos taken by 
NASA that North Dakota’s Bakken oil field is burning as bright as the 
Chicago, which means that an oil field can cause the same proportion of light 
pollution like a megalopolis does. 
Third, drilling fluids and cuttings, excess cement, produced water being 
disposed of from the wells in the offshore drilling can have devastating effect 
as it pollutes water. When these chemicals are dissolved in the water it can 
decrease the number of marine animals in the sea and even it can result in 
people being poisoned while consuming those sea products. 
Fourth, particularly in the onshore drilling wildlife is destroyed with the 
purpose of drilling oil wells there. As natural habitats are destroyed while 
drilling oil wells some animals start to migrate, as a result of which 
unbalanced migration of animals starts which can also become problem for 
other species living in the close ecosystems. In addition, it can make some 
animals become extinct. Furthermore, while building new oil fields they not 
only cut trees and drill the ground but also they build new roads in the fields 
and generate excessive amount of dust there which is again problem for flora 
and fauna of those ecosystems.
One of the solutions for some of these ecological issues that are created 
while drilling is that produced water that is generated in the drilling process 
can be cleaned from dangerous chemicals in it and can be used as fresh 
water in the oil and gas platform or it can be injected into the reservoir in 
order to increase the pressure in the reservoir. Another alternative for the 
usage of this water is that it can be disposed to the sea as well. Secondly, 
we can seperate oil from the oil-based fluids and use it for different purposes. 
Unfortunately this will not completely prevent oil-based fluids being disposed 
to the sea; however, as we separate the oil out of the fluid its volume will be 
decreased and it will lessen fluid’s harmful effect.