Applications
This is where Envorem can
change the game
Boardroom Action
As the world transitions away from fossil fuels, the Boardrooms of oil producers are understandably focused on minimising cost, improving efficiency, and diversifying into new “green energy” markets to maintain shareholder value whilst simultaneously addressing ESG challenges. Costs that reduce the bottom line are unwelcome.
Many companies are now finding that storing these wastes in on-site ponds incurs a double cost as the cost to remove the sludge from the pit itself can be more than disposal. The sludge rarely flows and reaching the centre of any pit greater than 30m x 30m requires robotics for non-man entry.
Here is where our incredible green technology can completely change the game and make a big difference.
New Sludges
Before addressing legacy deposits, we must tackle the 120 million tonnes of new sludges produced annually. By embedding Envorem systems in crude oil production, on larger sites we can recover and return the oil from sludge to the production process before it becomes a byproduct for disposal.
The solids residue (around 10% of original sludge volume) may clean enough to be disposed of as non-hazardous waste [ref1].
The system takes sludge and using both its entrained water and some produced water as process water, separates the unwanted solids and returns the fluids to production. Only the recovered solids leave the site by truck:
A schematic of how this could work
- Wet crude sent from wells
- Sludge from separators to be processed by Envorem in-line sludge system
- Processed crude to the refinery
- Produced water in
- Produced water out
- Recovered wet crude re-enters the system
- Non-hazardous solids to landfill
- Produced water sent for treatment
Preliminary figures [ref2] suggest the benefit to the oil producer is:
- A 0.5% increase in production efficiency
- A 90% reduction in solid waste volume generated
- A reduction in sludge disposal costs of circa 40% (excluding oil value)
The environment benefits by:
- Elimination of pollution from sludge incineration or dumping
- A 0.5% reduction in the volume of oil extracted from the earth
- A reduction in the carbon footprint of oil production of circa 4%
All the technology is proven and we are ready to engage.
If you are an oil producer that wants to reduce your operating costs, improve production, reduce your environmental impact and lead not follow - then contact us!
Land Areas
In parts of the world, operations by the oil industry or civil unrest have caused large swathes of land to be contaminated with oil. Where the pollution is heavy, in-situ and bio methods can’t cope. Here, Envorem’s systems are unique, they can accept any level of oil contamination, solids content and water content.
The pictures below are from Libya, where tank farms have been destroyed, leaking millions of barrels of oil onto the land.
Ras Lanuf oil spill - estimated 240,000m3 contaminated soil
As Sidr oil spill - estimated 550,000m3 contaminated soil
Similar scenes are found in Kuwait, Iraq and huge areas in Canada from the tar sands operations. Digging up the contaminated soil, transporting it to a processing centre for incineration or other treatment is both costly and consumes huge amounts of energy, in just the excavation and transport alone. An additional complication is that in some areas, unexploded ordnance remains a factor.
Another example includes the potential to support Ogoniland in Nigeria deal with the decades of devastating oil spills. These spills have left behind vast tracts of land and water highly contaminated with hydrocarbons. Traditional cleanup efforts have struggled to address the scale of pollution effectively. Envorem’s technology provides a viable, scalable solution by enabling the on-site remediation of heavily contaminated soils. Our cavitation system efficiently removes oil, restores land to safe levels, and significantly cuts carbon emissions compared to traditional excavation and transport methods. By offering a faster, more cost-effective, and environmentally responsible alternative, Envorem can help reclaim Ogoniland for future generations.
Envorem is working on an exciting development we call “The Combine Harvester”. It works its way across large swathes of land, cutting to a depth of up to 1.8 metres in a single pass, processing the soil/sludge at a rate of 50 tonnes per hour and returning cleaned solids in its wake. A support train of containers on trucks recycle the process water. It is designed to be remotely controlled and able to sustain a blast from light ordnance. It is intended for use on both shallow “wet” lakes as well as dry deposits.
It’s too early to disclose further details but watch this space - this development will be a complete gamechanger. We will keep you up to date on our News page.
Aged Sludges
Sludges in pits can be 20-60% recoverable oil. With processing rates of up to 100m3 per hour, Envorem provides an eco-friendly and affordable way to quickly get rid of these pits for good!
Oil lake from Kuwait
If the sludge has been cast into open pits as opposed to closed tanks, the oil will have degraded, leaving behind the heavier, less valuable fractions. In some cases it can be blended with lighter oils and recycled back into oil production - otherwise, it is only really good for sequestration into road coverings (Tarmac) or roofing tiles.
Still, any return from the waste will offset the cost, and Envorem’s technology is still substantially cheaper and kinder to the environment than incinerating the sludge - so still a win!
What Envorem offers is an opportunity for the industry to clean up its legacy sludges without generating emissions and at a lower cost than has ever been possible. Depending upon the age of the sludge and the value of the recovered hydrocarbons, the clean-up costs might be mitigated or even be cost positive.
The benefit to the environment is:
- The polluting sludge pit/lagoon is remediated without creating emissions
- The risk of leaching into the surrounding environment is removed
- The risk to wildlife is removed
- The carbon footprint, and risks associated with transporting the sludge to an incinerator, are eliminated
The benefits to the oil producer are:
- The legacy pollution is dealt with without creating emissions
- Envorem system is mobile, so sludge can be treated at source - no costly and risky transport to an incineration plant
- Costs of Envorem treatment are substantially less than incineration or thermal desorption
- The hydrocarbons are recovered potentially further offsetting costs
- Residual solid waste is non-hazardous1 and can be safely used for landfill (back into the pit the sludge came from)