OILY SLUDGE /OIL CLEANING

Trading

Basic activities

 1.  Oily sludge recycling

 2.  Cleanup of soils (sands) polluted with oil products by  applying biotechnological

      methods (using biological compounds)

 3.  Cleanup of ground waters from pollution with oil products

 4.  Gathering and industrial recycling of waste oil products

 5.  Cleanup of bottom sediments in oil tanks

 6.  Recycling of acid tars

 7.  Crude oil refining

Oily Sludge Recycling

Galsana Ltd., incorporated as a subsidiary of Gals-K Limited  Liability Company with a purpose of environmental engineering and remediation has accumulated an extensive body of experience in recycling oily sludge accumulations (stable oil emulsions) resulting from oil spills in oil fields and at refining facilities.

 In the course of the latest four years the firm has been successfully conducting recycling operations at the facilities of the petroleum producing directorate «Dolynanaftogaz» (an affiliate of the Open joint-stock company «Ukrnafta») in the town of Dolyna, Ivano-Frankivsk region. There, in soil pits covering the area of 25000 m2, over the period of 40 years, up to 100,000 m3 of oily sludge (stable oil emulsions) were accumulated. The pits produced a damaging impact on the environment.

Using the latest state-of-the-art technological innovations developed in Ukraine and worldwide in terms of gathering and recycling oily sludge, the firm in 1997 successfully completed research, design and engineering arrangements, accomplished equipment installation and commissioning, and started direct remediation actions at polluted facilities, namely the recycling of oily sludge. For this purpose the firm acquired a modern integrated oily sludge recycling unit manufactured by KHD (Germany) having the throughput of up to 15 m3 of sludge per hour.

The intake of oily sludge from pits is conducted by auger pumps with the aid of special booms. The latter facilitate the lifting of the upper sludge layer towards the pumps. The recovered sludge is injected into a technological tank where the material is subjected to a preliminary treatment. Subsequently the oily sludge is fed by the auger pump to the recycling unit.

The unit operates automatically. It secures the injection of demulsifiers and flocculants, the heating of the sludge to the temperature of 80 – 90°C and its processing in a high rpm three-phase centrifuge. As a result, the sludge is separated into three components, namely water, solid impurities and regenerated oil. The regenerated oil complies in every respect with the specifications stipulated by the State Standard GOST 9965-76, namely the content of water does not exceed 1%, and the content of solid impurities is not greater than 0.05%. Such specification is consistent with the requirements for oil which underwent preliminary treatment and is ready for further recycling at refineries.  

In the course of four years Galsana Ltd. successfully recycled the total volume of oily sludge accumulated at the facilities of the petroleum producing directorate «Dolynanaftogaz». 

Galsana Ltd. is ready to undertake similar operarions in other regions of the world. 

The professional competence of Galsana Ltd. and its right to conduct environmental remedial operations is confirmed by the license issued by the Ministry of ecology and natural resources of Ukraine (series AA # 052468 of October 9, 2001).  

 Pit for oily sludge and bottom sediments removed   in the course of oil tank cleanup at the facilities of the oil and gas producing directorate «Dolynanaftogaz»

(a subsidiary of the OJSC «Ukrnafta), the year 1999  

 Cleanup of Soils Polluted with Oil Products 

Galsana uses biological treatment for clean up of polluted soils.

Biological methods become highly efficient in cases when the quantity of crude oil & refined products is too small in order to apply mechanic methods of picking them up from polluted areas.

Biological methods of oil decomposition are based upon the inputs of specially selected oil oxidizing microorganisms and forced oxidation of oil & refined products by these microorganisms till the formation of carbon dioxide which may be bound into carbonates, on one hand, & water, on the other hand.

The suggested compound is an association of destructor strains which were separated from natural conditions and which underwent a selection in terms o most active destruction of hydrocarbons. Each member of the association performs a specific function, thus enhancing the performance of the compound as a whole.

Thus, representatives of one species have a high speed of growth & quick adaptation. Besides, they are capable of emitting emulsifiers into the habitat. These emulsifiers facilitate the contact of cells with the substrate and the input of the latter into the cell. Representatives of another species are capable of penetrating into the thickness of pollution because of their unique capability of consuming hydrocarbons by the whole surface of the cell. The third microorganism species grows rapidly and is capable of synthesizing a wide range of ferments, thus allowing utilizing various forms of hydrocarbons. 

The efficiency of the hydrocarbon destruction by using the above mentioned bio-destructor compound is achieved by the selection of destroying cultures within the association, the creation and maintenance of optimal conditions of their growth.

The bio-destructor is neither toxic nor pathogenic. It does not contribute to the formation of toxic compounds in aerial environment and in sewage waters in the presence of other substances.

Soil Cleanup Using Biological Treatment

A solution to the problem of remediating the aftermath of oil and petroleum product spills in onshore areas requires an individual approach.

Major difficulties are encountered in dealing with substantial oil spills which polluted not only soil but also ground waters.

A complete remediation of the aftermaths of such spills may be divided into three phases:

1. Soil cleanup to the depth of < 50 cm.

2. Soil cleanup in the depth interval from 50 cm to the level of ground waters.

3.  Ground water cleanup.

We can carry out a comprehensive cleanup of soil and ground waters. The program of cleanup of soil polluted with petroleum products which is referred to in our presentation, concerns only the first phase of remediation.

The answers to the questions raised frequently are set forth herein below:

• The treatment of soil is conducted by using a biotechnological method and not a purely biological method.

Biological compounds intended for the biotechnological treatment of soil are produced by a specialized Ukrainian enterprise. These compounds are produced on our orders and in accordance with our specifications.

• The list of basic equipment required for biotechnological treatment includes :

1. A bulldozer-type machine for isolation (confinement) of oil-polluted land sites 1 unit.

4. Special machines and devices designed to loosen and moisten the soil. 

For the treatment of soil polluted with oil and petroleum products the following biological compounds are used: bio-destructor compounds similar to those referred to earlier in our presentation, special active additives and auxiliary materials constituting the know-how of our firm.

The practical experience alongside of a long-term research realized by specialists and aimed at biodegradation of oil and petroleum products, corroborated the efficiency of the biological method of destroying hydrocarbons in the environment. The practice made it obvious that biodegradation of oil and petroleum products with the use of bacterial compounds permits to quickly restore environmental equilibrium in the disaster areas.

The efficiency of the method consists in the fact that the destruction of oil and petroleum products remains within the limits of environmental standards in accordance with the customer s specification without the formation of toxic products. 

• The biological compounds (in our case   associations of oil-destroying microorganisms) operate only within a soil layer which undergoes technical treatment and which is saturated with oxygen. The thickness of this layer is < 50 cm.

• Long-terms experience indicates that bio-destructors operate efficiently only under conditions which were artificially created. This permits us to successfully utilize our method. Bio-destructors do not operate in subsoil or in Oil & Gas reservoirs. This is absolutely ruled out.

• After the treatment of soil is over, the killing of bacteria is not needed since the biological compound does not constitute a danger for human health. This is corroborated by the conclusion of the sanitary-hygienic expert examination. Furthermore, as we have already mentioned earlier, microorganisms require nutrition and special conditions which are artificially created by our method.

• After biotechnological treatment of the polluted area, petroleum products are transformed into a harmless mass which constitutes a basis for the formation of humus or bottom silt. Products originating from bio-destruction are chemically neutral and do not produce any injurious effect. This circumstance permits to normalize the soil status and improve its structure. The remediate area may be used for cultivating agricultural crops, grass or other plants.

• As we have already mentioned earlier, the decomposition of petroleum products with the utilization of bio-destructor microorganisms is a harmless process. It produces a positive influence on the environment since it restores a natural phyto-biocenosis and a biological value of the area.

• The process of biotechnological treatment of a polluted area is not time consuming. For a single (one-fold) biotechnological treatment of 1 sq. km of polluted area, a period of 15-25 days will be required. In case of a highly intensive pollution, recurrent treatments of the area will be needed with intervals of 2-4 weeks. The duration of each treatment will be the same, i.e. 15-25 days.