Here are the specific laboratory analyses and tests routinely carried out in lab for environmental studies, regulatory compliance, and monitoring in the oil & gas industry.

  1. Produced Water / Effluent Water Analyses.
  2. pH, salinity, TDS, conductivity
  3. Oil & Grease (n-hexane extractable)
  4. Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH C6–C40)
  5. BTEX + MTBE (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes)
  6. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) – 16 EPA priority + alkylated
  7. Phenols (total & individual)
  8. Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, V, Hg, As, Zn, Cu, Fe) by ICP-OES/MS
  9. Anions (Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, HCO₃⁻, NO₃⁻)
  10. Total Suspended Solids (TSS), COD, BOD₅
  11. 2. Groundwater & Surface Water Monitoring.
  12. Same suite as produced water above
  13. Microbiological (Total coliforms, E. coli, Pseudomonas)
  14. 3. Soil & Sediment Analyses (Pre/Post-Spillage & Remediation)
  15. Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) banded C6–C10, >C10–C16, >C16–C35, >C35–C40
  16. BTEX & PAHs (including benzo(a)pyrene)
  17. Total Recoverable Hydrocarbons (TRH)
  18. Heavy metals (same list as water)
  19. pH, EC, CEC, nutrients (N, P, K), organic matter
  20. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons – low & high molecular weight
  21. Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
  22. Grain size distribution (for remediation endpoint)
  23. 4. Air Quality & Emission Monitoring
  24. Particulate Matter (PM₁₀, PM₂.₅, TSP)
  25. SOx, NOx, CO, H₂S, VOCs (photo-ionisation detector + canister sampling)
  26. Methane & Non-Methane Hydrocarbons
  27. Flare combustion efficiency (CE ≥ 98% required) – CO/CO₂ ratio, unburnt hydrocarbons
  28. 5. Drilling Fluids & Cuttings Analyses
  29. Oil-based mud (OBM) on cuttings (Retort % oil, TPH)
  30. Synthetic-based mud (SBM) – same
  31. Heavy metals in cuttings
  32. Barite purity & contaminant check (Hg, Cd)
  33. 6. Oil Spill Fingerprinting & Forensics.
  34. GC-FID chromatogram + diagnostic ratios
  35. GC-MS biomarkers (terpanes, steranes, pristane/phytane)
  36. PAH distribution & alkylated homologues
  37. 7. Waste & Sludge Characterisation
  38. Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons
  39. Flash point, ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity (hazardous waste classification)
  40. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) for metals
  41. Paint Filter Test (free liquid)
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