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 expert,
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
liz.merritt@nuverra.com
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SOURCE Nuverra Environmental Solutions