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Figure 20: Cuttings Discharged to Sea per Operator
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
A C E G I
K M O Q S U W Y AA AC AE AG
Discharged Cuttings (Tonnes)
Water-Based Cuttings
Oil-Based Cuttings
Source: EEMS July 2016
4.4 Production Chemicals
Last year, there were three main categories of production chemicals discharged to sea, as illustrated in
Figure 21 overleaf. Twenty-two of the 35 reporting operators discharged less than the average of 816 tonnes per
operator; eight reported between one and two thousand tonnes; and the remaining five reported larger amounts.
On a per operator basis, the mass of chemicals used ranges from 0 to 3,200 tonnes, but this does not directly
correlate to production and so the operator that used the most chemicals is not necessarily the one that produces
the most. This is due to the differing well conditions that dictate the amount of chemicals required.
From one tonne of production chemical, 2,875 tonnes of oil equivalent were produced in 2015. This is slightly
higher than in 2014 when 2,797 tonnes were produced for each tonne of production chemical and reflects both
improved performance from existing assets and new fields with more efficient technology coming on-stream.
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