The term "Oil Sludge" is used, in general, to designate waste generated due to storage of crude/products, containing mixtures of Oil, water and solids. The ratio of different phases, fluctuates depending upon the origin of the crude oil, or location of the accumulation.
a) Sludge from Crude Oil b) Sludge from products
Sludge from Refineries and installations can be further classified as
1) Tank Bottom Sludges, 2) Lagoon Sludges, 3) Landfills
Oily Sludges are categorized as Hazardous Wastes under the Environment Protection Act and Hazardous Wastes Handling Rules. These sludges cannot be disposed off as landfill, even if they are de-oiled unless they are totally remediated.
High Oil content sludges in refineries
Solution: Recovery of useful oil and treatment of solids and water:
Generally the refinery sludges contain oil content more than 40% and several methods are deployed to separate the oil, water and solids. In this process, the recovered oil is pumped back into the refinery process, while the solids and water are supposed to be treated before disposal.
The equipment used for extraction of oil include decanters, tricanters, centrifuges and hydrocyclones as the per the process design. Large quantities of solvents are needed for these operations and usually refineries provide the same. The cost of plant, machinery, solvents, and operations are very high for all these types of process. The recovery method is adopted only if the sludge quantities are in thousands of cubic metres. In view of the very large quantities of accumulated sludge in the refineries, the value of recovered oil is substantially high and thus profitable to the refineries.
Low Oil content sludges in refineries and depots
Solution: Treatment of sludge at the site:
The sludges containing recoverable oil less than 40% are considered as low oil content sludges. Usually the product sludges accumulated at the installations, terminals and depots come under this category. These sludges have to be treated and made harmless before disposal. Some the methods deployed worldwide for this purpose are :
1) Bio venting
This method involves the use of air movement to provide oxygen for aerobic degradation.
2) Phytoremediation
This is a process of sludge management through planting of trees and vegetation. The plants/vegetation to be planted and identified after ascertaining the type of contamination and the vegetation is planted whereby, they absorb the contaminating substances.
3) Bio- remediation This system uses a process in which indigenous or inoculated microbes degrade the organic contaminants in the sludge.
4) Enhanced Bio-remediation
This process uses the naturally occurring microbes in the soil/atmosphere to decontaminate the sludge. Water based external non-ionic biological formulations activate the growth of natual bacteria.
This is the method originally conceived from the principals, but modified and improvised by our founders for better results suitable to each local condition.
Consistent success rate
This method has proved to be successful and economical at various places in India, Malaysia, Kuwait and Brunei. The track records of our founders at more than 10 occasions, each case, a typical speciality of its own are described with photographs>>>
This is the trusted, effective and time tested solution for disposal of all types of sludges.>>>>>>
