Case Study: an Ecuador based operating company validates centralized cuttings reinjection with SLB's subsurface assurance FEED study

Subsurface Assurance FEED Study Validates a Centralized CRI Project in Oso Field,

SLB worked with an Ecuador based operating company in the Oso field to identify, evaluate, and design a centralized cuttings reinjection (CRI) facility in a constrained area with limited space and a restricted landfill permitting process. The operator needed a way to handle growing drilling waste volumes while reducing environmental and social risk, and SLB’s M-I SWACO team proposed a subsurface assurance FEED study to assess whether CRI was feasible.

SLB executed a FEED study covering subsurface characterization, fracture simulation, well design, and surface equipment planning, then performed injectivity testing to calibrate the geomechanical model and validate operating conditions. The study confirmed a suitable formation for waste containment, identified safe injection zones and operational parameters, and resolved prior concerns about high pressure by accounting for poroelasticity and fracture complexity; injection capacity increased to 7.5 bbl/min from a previous 2.5 bbl/min limit, with tests completed without reaching maximum allowable surface pressure.