Benzene Leaching and TPH Degradation in Soils Amended With Oil-Based Drill Cuttings.

With the explosion of oil and gas drilling across the United States, there is an abundance of waste such as Oil-Based drilling mud (OBM). OBM is a by-product of deep and horizontal drilling and is produced through the use of diesel fuel to help lubricate the bit, seal formations and suspend cuttings. A common method of disposal of OBM in Oklahoma is land application. This allows microbes in the soil to consume the hydrocarbons and process them into CO2 and H2O. When land applying OBM, there is a risk of accumulating an excess amount of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) and for benzene to leach which can be detrimental to the plants, soil and water quality. Due to this risk, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) has set threshold loading rates for TPH at 40,000 lbs/acre.  The objective of this experiment was to monitor benzene leaching and TPH degradation in soils amended with OBM under different rainfall regimes. Five TPH concentrations and four water regimes were used. TPH degradation, benzene and trace metal concentrations in leachate will be analyzed. Further results will be discussed.