High-Temperature Reprocessing of Petroleum Oily Sludges

Abstract

Summary Crude oil tank bottoms and other petroleum oily sludges and emulsions containing paraffins and volatile hydrocarbons can be economically reprocessed with heavy-oil dehydration facilities to recover residual hydrocarbons and to achieve volume reductions. The main factors affecting the use of this alternative are (1) the characteristics of the sludges requiring treatment, (2) the availability of waste heat or existing high temperature (>350°F) dehydration facilities, (3) air emissions from the process, and (4) effluent criteria for treated residues. This paper discusses operational variables that affect high-temperature reprocessing (HTR) and illustrates an application of the process. The example pilot project evaluated the feasibility of high-temperature reprocessing for tank-bottom sludges and skim oils from Kern County, CA, light- (>30°API) oil-producing leases. The process performance was quantified in terms of general operating parameters (flash point and paraffin, oil, water, and solids content); specific constituent analyses for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX); and analyses for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) content. Information on the percent removal of these parameters, characteristics of the treated residues, and the hydrocarbon recovery efficiency of the process are presented.