Degradation of hydrocarbon components in mix/bury/cover drilling waste using the white rot fungi Pleurotus ostreatus

Abstract

The oil and gas industry has constructed numerous wellsites which have accompanying drilling waste disposal areas (DWDA’s). The waste disposed of in the DWDA contains toxic products and has typically been remediated using standard dig and dump methods. A sustainable remediation method using mycoremediation, a form of bioremediation using Pleurotus ostreatus (P.ostreatus), was carried out. The experiment was run in a factorial design and consisted of various levels of amendments, which include calcium nitrate and surfactant. A total of five levels of treatments were found to be effective yielding an average Total Extractable Hydrocarbon (TEH) reduction of 48% over the three-month duration of the project. The most effective treatment consisted of a 5% w/v inoculation of P. ostreatus, 30:1 calcium nitrate, and surfactant amendments and lead to a 65% TEH reduction. Further studies should be completed, including pilot tests, to determine the effectiveness of the treatment in a field based environment and treatment duration. Additional amendments may be considered to allow for optimal growth of the fungal mycelia.