Introduction
Developments in new technologies are crucial in reducing the environmental degradation caused by all sectors of the offshore industry. Nowadays, the private sector is increasingly orientated towards a more preventive and cleaner approach with respect to offshore activities. A variety of regulatory measures have been introduced to promote this.
Such regulations are becoming more stringent, especially as environmental affairs are now in the media spotlight. Increased public interest can often sway opinion regarding the disposal of waste into the marine environment. Oil companies continually need to re-evaluate how the amount of waste fluids produced from offshore activities can be decreased. Areas of focus include reducing the discharge of harmful materials to sea and reducing the onshore disposal of waste.
CETCO Offshore
CETCO Offshore specialises in the removal of hydrocarbons from wastewater streams so that these fluids can be discharged directly into the environment. CETCO provides technical expertise to a wide range of highly specialised markets. Its parent, AMCOL International Corp. (New York Stock Exchange: ACO), headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois, produces and markets a wide range of specialty mineral products used for industrial, environmental and consumer-related applications.
CETCO Offshore’s wastewater treatment technology was first introduced in 1996 in the Gulf of Mexico. CETCO Offshore has since expanded their operations into Canada, South America, the UK and Norwegian North Sea sectors, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan and West Africa. Utilising a patented cyclonic separation unit (CrudeSep™) and downstream adsorption media (CrudeSorb™), CETCO Offshore effectively treat a wide range of produced waters worldwide.
Utilising CrudeSorb™ as a stand-alone package or in conjunction with upstream separation tanks and chemicals, CETCO Offshore also treat a wide range of other offshore wastewaters, including well test returns, well clean-up fluids, completion brines, acid flow backs, cooling mediums, bilge water and deck drainage waters.
Crudesorb™ Adsorption Technology
Crudesorb™ is a proprietary adsorption media based on resin, polymer and clay technology. It has been proven to be extremely efficient at removing oil, grease and soluble organics from water. Crudesorb™ has been developed specifically for this purpose and is packaged in radial-flow non-ferrous canisters comprising a cloth mesh and polycarbonate sealing caps at either end of the canister. Housing the Crudesorb™ adsorption media in this way allows for quick media change outs – essential on temporary flow back applications.
The adsorption process is also optimised through several design features incorporated into the pressure vessels that house the canisterised media.
- Exposure to hot wastewaters (150ºF) can generate minimal creep in canisters rated for much higher temperatures. In typical canisterised systems, creep has been shown to cause canister bypass. This occurrence has been virtually eliminated in the Crudesorb™ canisters by utilising spring-loaded sealing caps that apply a continuous load to the stack of canisters assembled over centralising rods. Zero leakage of oil and grease has been achieved even at differential pressure values of up to 50 pounds per square inch.
- Gravity separation is encouraged in the pressure vessels; coalescence begins as oil droplets grow on each canister’s exterior filter cloth. A large accumulation area at the top of each vessel serves to collect the coalesced oil droplets. The accumulated oil is purged from the vessel by a programmed or manual cycle. Entrained gases, which separate from the aqueous phase in the polishing vessels, also accumulate in this area but are removed during the purge cycle.
- Radial headers (patent pending), which can be easily removed, serve as the foundation for all canister centralising rods. These headers optimise vessel capacity and streamline vessel maintenance.
Utilising Crudesorb™ technology on temporary flow back applications eliminates the treatment upsets and downtime that often occur when such fluids are handled through existing production facilities. CETCO Offshore offer a service to isolate, handle and process all wastewater fluids for discharge overboard – ensuring maximum productivity whilst maintaining environmental compliance.
Category:
Environment
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