Government of Saskatchewan ministries, Crown corporations and organizations are implementing contingency plans to minimize the impacts of postal service disruption.

Les ministères, sociétés d’État et organismes du gouvernement de la Saskatchewan mettent en œuvre des plans d’urgence visant à réduire les répercussions de l’interruption du service des postes.

Google Translate Disclaimer

A number of pages on the Government of Saskatchewan's website have been professionally translated in French. These translations are identified by a yellow box in the right or left rail that resembles the link below. The home page for French-language content on this site can be found at:

Renseignements en Français

Where an official translation is not available, Google™ Translate can be used. Google™ Translate is a free online language translation service that can translate text and web pages into different languages. Translations are made available to increase access to Government of Saskatchewan content for populations whose first language is not English.

Software-based translations do not approach the fluency of a native speaker or possess the skill of a professional translator. The translation should not be considered exact, and may include incorrect or offensive language. The Government of Saskatchewan does not warrant the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information translated by this system. Some files or items cannot be translated, including graphs, photos and other file formats such as portable document formats (PDFs).

Any person or entities that rely on information obtained from the system does so at his or her own risk. Government of Saskatchewan is not responsible for any damage or issues that may possibly result from using translated website content. If you have any questions about Google™ Translate, please visit: Google™ Translate FAQs.

Reporting the Disposal of Well Drilling Waste

As a condition of their well licence, all operators or licensees must report how they manage and dispose of their drilling waste for each well drilled in Saskatchewan in accordance with the GL99-01 Drilling Waste Management Guideline.

Drilling Fluid Waste

Most of the wells drilled for oil or gas use a liquid system to manage the wellbore stability during drilling that consists of:

  • Water;
  • Drilling muds (freshwater, saltwater-based or hydrocarbon-based);
  • Additives; and
  • Various other wastes specifically related to the drilling activity.

As the wellbore is drilled, the drilling fluid becomes contaminated with formation material generating liquid and solid wastes. In some cases, the drilling fluid can be reused or recycled; however, the majority of the time it is disposed of.

Acceptable Disposal Methods

See the GL99-01 Drilling Waste Management Guideline for acceptable disposal methods in Saskatchewan, including options for:

  • On-lease land
    • Land-spreading
    • Residual solids disposal (RSD)
  • Off-lease land
    • Land spraying disposal after completion of drilling
    • Land-spraying while drilling (LWD)
  • Land treatment
  • Alternatives
    • Disposal at waste processing facility
    • Road bed incorporation
    • Encapsulation (process of adding a polymer film to drilling fluid to coat drill cuttings and wellbore walls to create a barrier)
    • Solids washing

Reporting on Well Drill Waste Disposal

To report well drill waste to the Government of Saskatchewan, complete the Notification of Drilling Waste Form (A1) in accordance with GL99-01 Drilling Waste Management Guideline.

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