Crude Oil Spill

A crude oil pipeline ruptured causing numerous gallons of oil to leak into a nearby river. Crude oil contains petrochemical compounds that are harmful to the environment. These compounds include but are not limited to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), C19-C35, C9-C18, C5-C8, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX), and several volatile organic compounds.

Crude oil pipelines are typically used to route product from producers to refineries. Pipelines have strict regulations to follow to ensure the integrity of the pipes and safety to the community. With strict regulations in place to maintain the pipelines and identify when leaks are present—The US has seen a rapid decline in the amount of crude oil pipeline leaks.

Hydrosil was contracted to assist in remediating the surface water in the creek. Twelve large frac tanks were filled with contaminated water from the crude oil spill. The water contained oils, several long chain hydrocarbons, VOCs, and hazardous pollutants. The treatment train was designed by the consultant onsite to target the specific compounds that were identified in the water. The target flowrate was 500 gallons-per-minute (gpm).

The treatment train began with a dissolved air floatation (DAF). A DAF system is a treatment system for clarifying water using chemicals to separate suspended solids, metals, and particulate from water. The chemicals that are used in the DAF system are little to no concern for the HS-200 as the chemicals are added in small doses (typically on the lower spectrum between 5-7 ppm).

Following the DAF system was a series of pressure vessels containing HS-200 (Organoclay) 14×40 mesh. The HS-200 is Hydrosil’s pure organoclay that is designed to adsorb up to 75% its’ own weight in oil. The HS-200 was selected as a pretreatment to granular activated carbon to target the oils. Utilizing HS-200 as a pretreatment to activated carbon allows the activated carbon to target the smaller chain hydrocarbons such as BTEX, styrene, and other hydrocarbons. The influent data showed the inlet oil to the HS-200 had a concentration of 200 ppm, and at discharge from the HS-200 it was under 1 ppm. Hydrosil was on standby with an additional 128,000 pounds of HS-200 if large peaks of oil or other hydrocarbons would exhaust the media. However, no replacement of the HS-200 was necessary for the project. The spent HS-200 was disposed of in accordance with state and federal regulations. When the HS-200 was selected for the treatment train—Hydrosil already had the product in inventory and was ready to be loaded on a truck. This project was an emergency treatment job that posed challenges such as construction delays and incremental weather as this project took place during the winter months.

After three months of treating nearly fifty-five million gallons of water, Hydrosil’s HS-200 was successful in reducing high level concentrations of oils and petrochemical hydrocarbons including BTEX by achieving 99% reduction in concentrations.