Baker Hughes has added drilling and completion fluids, production chemicals, and additives used in cementing and stimulation operations to its SmartCare™ family of environmentally responsible solutions, becoming the first oilfield services company to apply a comprehensive standardized environmental assessment process to products beyond those used in hydraulic fracturing. The expansion gives operators greater confidence that the chemicals they deploy have been thoroughly qualified to meet existing and anticipated regulations – without sacrificing performance.

 

Before awarding the “SmartCare solution” designation, a dedicated team of chemists and researchers evaluate and rate the components of a chemical product for potential environmental and health impacts. The product is further qualified for optimal performance, cost effectiveness, and compatibility with other chemical treatments. Insights gained from the rigorous evaluation also guide the research and development of increasingly sustainable SmartCare solutions.

 

“The ‘SmartCare solution’ designation makes it simple for an operator to choose responsible, high-performing chemical products,” said Art Soucy, Baker Hughes President of Global Products and Services. “As new requirements take shape, the SmartCare family will be continuously updated and expanded so our customers can confidently comply with regulations and still deliver on production targets.”

 

Based in part on the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), the chemical evaluation and review process used to qualify SmartCare solutions is conducted chiefly in-house at a dedicated Baker Hughes laboratory in St. Louis, Missouri. A third-party group is engaged to assess products supplied by vendors who wish to keep components confidential or maintain trade secrets.