Bit Recycling Programs

We at Oerlikon Metco take environmental responsibility seriously and we are doing our part in the global footprint reduction of carbon. What’s more, our bit recycling programs allow our customers to benefit at the end-of-life stage of their assets by utilizing reclaimed tungsten carbide (WC) gathered from otherwise scrap bits to be used as feedstock for new bit fleet builds.

A Benefit for Our Customers and the Environment

Compared to virgin-manufactured material, industrial use of recycled tungsten carbide provides significant reductions in energy consumption and resulting greenhouse gas emissions without compromising performance in matrix drill bit applications. With increasing global awareness and environmental responsibility concerns, use of recycled material also offers corporate public relations opportunities for our customers, and eventual regulatory compliance advantages.

Our advanced technology enables us to utilize all available tungsten-based matrix components in the recycling of WC material, leaving a carbon footprint that is approximately 50 times less than that of manufacturing virgin WC powder.

Saving 30,000 Tons of Carbon Dioxide Per Year

Collecting and reclaiming tungsten carbide powder from matrix drill bits used in the extraction of oil and gas helps us save about 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide which would otherwise have been released from the manufacturing of WC from raw materials.

30,000 tons of carbon dioxide are equivalent to:

Greenhouse gas emissions from more than 6,000 cars driven for a year
Greenhouse gas emissions from more than 11 million liters (3 million gallons) of gasoline consumed
Greenhouse gas emissions from electricity use of more than 5,000 homes per year
Carbon sequestered by more than 400,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years

Oerlikon Metco is proud to deliver significant reductions in energy consumption and resulting greenhouse gas emissions without compromising performance in matrix drill bit applications.