For more than a decade, the leaders of Backyard Environmental Solutions — Member Managers Roger Simons and Conor O’Reilly and Thermal Technologies Manager Jason Ridenour — have been focused on a better solution to handling waste from the oil and gas industry. They started out very small but have since grown the Oklahoma City-headquartered company into a multilocation firm with about 45 employees.
“We started out selling shaker screens, which are kind of like an oil filter on a car, so when oil-based mud returns from the well bore, it’s the first filter that it hits before separating the liquids from the solids,” recalled Ridenour. “I went around and knocked on doors for business. At one time, we had about 20 rigs that we were working with.”
The three founded Backyard Environmental Solutions in Omega, Okla., and over the years moved to an office in the state’s capital city. They also added additional leadership staff that includes General Manager Thurman Trammell, Oklahoma Operations Manager Shayla Sublette and Controller Sheila Cardwell.
“The three of us who started the company all lived here initially, so it made sense for us to do business right in our backyard, hence the name,” shared Ridenour. “The main office is where everything happens in terms of the business side, such as billing. Conor and I work out of here, and he’s focused on attaining additional work. I focus on day-to-day tasks and operations.”
The tasks have changed considerably during the past 12 years as Backyard Environmental Solutions transitioned away from selling shaker screens to opening facilities in Foster, Okla., and Tarzan, Texas, that handle fluid and solid exploration and production (E&P) waste. That includes recovering oil-based drilling waste that’s typically disposed of and transforming the solid waste into a road base.
“We turned to permitted commercial facilities for oilfield generated waste, including tank bottoms, oil-based mud, water-based mud and frac sand,” explained Ridenour. “We accept material and process it for customers in the Mid-Continent and Permian Basin areas. We use an environmentally friendly solution and technology to treat and recycle it.”
Saving with KSM and Komatsu
Processing the material is equipment intensive, and when Backyard Environmental Solutions needed machinery, it turned to Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. (KSM) to build its fleet.
“We were looking for machines to get started, and I contacted Kirby-Smith, showed them what we had, told them our plan, and they said they were here to help,” stated Ridenour. “That stood out to us, because some others weren’t willing to help. Kirby-Smith has always been willing to support us. That includes them doing the maintenance through Komatsu Care, which has proven to be more cost-effective than us doing it ourselves. At a certain number of hours, we swap out equipment and get something new.”
Backyard Environmental Solutions works closely with KSM Territory Manager Brad Howard to purchase a range of Komatsu equipment. Its fleet includes PC138USLC, PC290LC and PC360LC excavators, WA250 and WA380 wheel loaders, HM400 trucks, D71PX-24 dozers, D71PXi-24 intelligent machine control (IMC) dozers, and PC360LCi-11 IMC excavators.
“Brad helps us size the machines for our needs,” said Ridenour. “We told him what we needed for our application, and he put the specs together and came up with a recommendation. Based on his experience and knowledge, we leaned on him. For instance, in Texas we need bigger excavators, so we use the PC360 models to add aggregate to the mud and mix them together to solidify it. When it passes the filter test, we transport it to our landfill with the 40-ton trucks, and the dozers are used to place it. The loaders are also used for mixing and loading trucks. It’s a similar process in Oklahoma. What we have found is that the Komatsu equipment is reliable, and we believe it’s the best for what we do.”
Ridenour added that the IMC machines save time and provide value by allowing Backyard Environmental Solutions to offset 2 feet to 3 feet and keep operators from damaging liners. Backyard Environmental Solutions uses Komatsu’s Smart Construction Dashboard to record and monitor quantity information that’s being transmitted from the IMC machines.
“It’s our experience that the intelligent machines have increased production because the integrated GPS helps us grade faster,” Ridenour added. “Another advantage is the ability to measure landfill capacity and know how much material has been taken in and placed. We can use that information for reporting purposes, and it gives us an accurate picture of where we are in terms of how full a pit is and how close we are to needing to start a new one.”
Faith in their plans
Backyard Environmental Solutions’ leadership is looking at and planning for possible expansion. According to Ridenour, they see the most growth potential in Texas, so they have contracted additional facilities in that area.
“We can cash flow them, and as the opportunity presents itself, we’ll move forward with opening new yards,” commented Ridenour. “Within the next couple of years, we would like to have five yards going. You never know in our industry what’s going to happen long term, but we have faith in our plan, so we’re going to stick to it and stick with what we know we’re good at.”
*The opinions expressed here are based on the customer’s specific experience. Results may vary.
