Reid Crowther offers Environmental services from Phase I investigations through Phase II evaluations and is able to organise and execute Phase III remediation using a variety of technologies available through its own resources or those of its alliance partners. The types of services available through Reid Crowther and its alliance partners include:

• Soil and Groundwater Contamination Investigations
• Environmental Studies
• Engineering Studies
• Geophysical Services
• Phase III Re-mediation Services

Phase I and Phase II Investigative Techniques
Soil & Groundwater Contamination Investigations
The types of soil and groundwater contaminants that have been successfully investigated using the techniques available through Reid Crowther include the following:

• Hydrocarbons
• Chemicals
• Leachate
• Methane Gas
• Heavy Metals
• Buried Materials

After investigation using these techniques Reid Crowther is able to offer remediation technologies depending on the particular needs of the site and Reid Crowther is able to undertake this remedial work as part of the overall package of services offered to its clients.

Environmental Studies
Reid Crowther has the tools available to assist with the preparation of environmental information which will assist those undertaking the following types of projects and/or activities

• Real Estate Transaction
• Site Assessment
• Site Characterisation
• Drilling Program Planning
• Remedial Design
• Remedial Action
• Lithologic Mapping
• Pump Test Locations
• Monitoring Programs

Engineering Studies
The techniques available through Reid Crowther and its alliance partners will be of benefit to engineering work on a variety of projects and the following types of assignments have been successfully undertaken using the tools available to Reid Crowther.

• Road and Bridge Construction
• Integrity Testing (concrete)
• Obstruction Clearance or Tunnelling
• Lithologic Mapping

Geophysical Services
Through the skill of its alliance partners and its own personnel, Reid Crowther is able to offer the following geophysical services:

• Marine Acoustic Profiling
• Gravity and Magnetic surveys
• Ground Penetrating Radar
• Seismic Reflection and Refraction investigations
• Geo-Visualisation Modelling

Remedial Technologies and Techniques Available
Reid Crowther is able to offer the following remedial technologies for diverse contaminated sites. These proprietary remedial methods include the following:

Hydraulic Fracturing
This is an in situ technology used primarily to enhance the remediation of low permeability soils. The hydraulic fracturing process creates permeable pathways in subsurface soils to expedite the removal of contaminants or to facilitate the introduction of reagents to degrade contaminants in the soil. Hydraulic fracturing can be applied in conjunction with conventional and innovative remedial technologies such as: dual phase extraction, soil vapour extraction, bio-venting liquid gasoline and solvent recovery, in situ bio-remediation, and injection processes.

The hydraulic fracturing process uses proprietary down hole equipment to enable the expeditious and cost-effective clean-up of contaminated sites underlain by tight, "problem" soils such as clays and silts. Clean up is achieved by physically splitting the soil to allow rapid movement of contaminants through the resulting fractures created in the soil. This enables the removal of subsurface contaminants at a much greater rate than conventional techniques and eliminates the need for costly and disruptive excavation of the site.

This proprietary technology is applied via vertical, directional and horizontal boreholes.

 

Soil Washing and Oilfield Solids Cleaning
Reid Crowther has access to technology to remediate waste streams containing solids. There are no moving parts and the system can be engineered to move solids up to 5 cm in diameter. It is designed and constructed for minimum maintenance and reliable operation. The JLF Soil Washer is capable of cleaning hydrocarbon-contaminated solids to meet Canadian agricultural discharge standards. The Soil Washer works by transferring energy and momentum from a stream of fluid to the contaminated solids requiring washing. The solids become entrained in the high impact fluid stream and are cleaned by a process of shearing. Very effective heat and energy transfer occur to provide efficient cleaning.

The JLF Soil Washing system for cleaning solids is very efficient in using energy for this purpose; this is because the rate of energy dissipation is exceedingly intense and is difficult to accomplish with other mechanical methods being offered as alternatives.

Oil Contaminated Drill Cuttings Remediation and Soil Remediation
Reid Crowther is able to offer, in conjunction with an innovative oil field services company, a complete service package or as individual services for oil based or invert drilling mud systems:

• On-site collection and storage of raw cuttings
• On-site treatment of raw cuttings and contaminated soils
• On-site land spreading and bio-degradation of treated cuttings
• Environmental reporting and referrals preparation for regulatory agencies

The systems available trough Reid Crowther provide collection and storage based on total containment. Raw cuttings are collected and stored in 4-sided storage tanks as centrifuge underflow and shale shaker screenings. A drilling residuals are prevented from contacting any land surface on location. The storage and collection tanks are designed to reclaim any free oil and recover any drilling fluids from cuttings through a closed circulation system of screens, troughs and self priming pumps.

A proprietary bioremediation technology has been developed and successfully implemented for the onsite treatment of raw drill cuttings. This methodology provides a cost effective and environmental viable alternative to incineration, land filling or washing.

A specialised mixing system blends collected cutting, or any other hydrocarbon contaminated soil, by calibrated weight measure with organic amendments producing a homogeneous mixture. The amendments provide aeration, biodegradation and hydrocarbon immobilisation. The mixture is land spread and biodegradation of the hydrocarbon occurs more quickly leaving the organics and clean soil/cuttings.

The process was developed in concert with Canadian regulatory bodies and more than meets the requirements of Environmental Regulatory Agencies.

Overall Support in the Oil Services Sector
Through its connections into the Alberta oil industry, Reid Crowther is able to offer its offshore client's a variety of skill in the oil services sector. If there is a need for a particular type of oil field service Reid Crowther is able to make the necessary arrangements for those services and also to provide the overall co-ordination and support that is so essential to success in the international oil field services area.

Reid Crowther can cover the spectrum of services that may be needed such as:

• Training of oil field workers either at their home locations or at specialist locations at bona fide training centres in Canada or Europe
• Provision of particular equipment which could be procured on either the new or used market
• Provision of chemicals needed to work in the oil sector

If there is a need for these services Reid Crowther will make efforts to secure these services on behalf of its clients