A new approach to the treatment of oil waste has been presented by the Minister of Energy of Neuquén, Gustavo Medele. The project, still in the pilot phase, seeks to use encapsulated shale waste for the construction of roads . Medele has highlighted this strategy as a potential solution to the environmental and logistical challenges facing the oil industry in the region.
Ecological advances in pavement
The provincial government is evaluating the proposal of AESA, a service firm in Vaca Muerta, which suggests converting this waste in capsules that would function as a base for the pavement. According to Medele, this technique would not only facilitate final disposal of waste, but would also mean considerable savings by reducing the need to transport these materials outside the site.
In accordance with the increase in oil production in Neuquén, which currently reaches 350 thousand barrels per day, with expectations of doubling, the minister has highlighted the urgency of seeking sustainable alternatives to manage the waste generated. This situation has pushed the capacity of existing facilities to the limit, making it essential to find innovative solutions for the treatment of this waste.
Positive point of oil waste on asphalt
Likewise, this proposal seeks to directly benefit the community, translating large industrial projects into tangible improvements for the population. Medele emphasized the importance of reducing road infrastructure costs through carbon encapsulation , in a joint effort between the public and private sectors.
At the same time, the Ministry of Energy has initiated dialogues with the Canadian embassy in Argentina to exchange knowledge on the reuse of different types of waste. These conversations are part of a broader strategy to efficiently and sustainably manage industrial waste, including the use of tires in road construction.
Medele provided these details during her participation in Vaca Muerta Insights, an event where public policies and challenges in the energy sector are discussed together with Andrea Corfini, representative of Río Negro. During his speech, Medele highlighted the importance of connecting large projects with direct benefits for local communities , such as those of Añelo, Rincón de los Sauces and Chos Malal.
In an effort to expand the scope of the project, the possibility of implementing advanced recycling and treatment technologies that not only handle waste oil, but also other industrial materials, is being considered. This integrated approach could establish Neuquén as a model of sustainability in industrial waste management, promoting practices that could be replicated in other regions of the country and the world.
Source: Mejorenergia.com.ar
Photo: shutterstock
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