Treatment of Industrial Wastewater Contaminated with Petroleum Products

The engineering company ZIKO delivers ready-made solutions for removal of petroleum products from wastewater for enterprises in Lviv and other regions of Ukraine. The company also offers a wide range of filters, reverse osmosis systems, and other equipment for effective water treatment.

Company specialists:

• visit customer sites and perform a detailed water analysis;
• select equipment based on wastewater analysis results or design customized water treatment systems;
• install, commission, and start up systems for treatment of oil-contaminated wastewater, as well as provide maintenance and repair services.

A quality guarantee is provided for all equipment and the full scope of services.

Wastewater Treatment at Oil Refineries

High-quality removal of petroleum products from wastewater is a mandatory stage of refinery production cycles, as water is used as:

• a coolant for equipment, units, and finished products;
• a source of condensate and steam;
• a solvent for reagent mixing.

After use in these technological processes, wastewater may vary in contamination level and pollutant composition. It may contain:

• urea and ammonium ions;
• cyclic organic hydrocarbons and phenol;
• surfactants and paraffins;
• fatty acids, petroleum products, sulfates, and other contaminants.

Installation of oil separators or integrated systems for treatment of wastewater contaminated with petroleum products allows the effluent to be treated to a safe condition. After treatment, the water can be discharged into sewer systems, onto soil, into water bodies, or reused.

Technologies for Water Treatment from Petroleum Products

There are two main technologies for treatment of oil-contaminated wastewater:

• mechanical;
• physicochemical.

Mechanical Treatment of Wastewater from Petroleum Products

This wastewater treatment method used at oil refineries makes it possible to remove up to 65% of impurities from the effluent. Mechanical water treatment is based on sedimentation in oil separators. Wastewater is directed into tanks where, over a period of 6 to 24 hours, petroleum products are separated from the water. These tanks may be static or dynamic. In static units, the medium remains stationary, while in dynamic units it moves vertically or horizontally.

Physicochemical Treatment of Wastewater at Oil Refining Enterprises

This technology enables removal of both suspended solids and dissolved contaminants from wastewater. The most effective methods for treatment of water contaminated with petroleum products include:

• Flotation — removal of colloidal and dispersed contaminants using gas bubbles.
• Sorption — absorption of contaminants onto the surface of adsorbents (solid materials). Common sorbents include activated carbon, alumina gel, silica gel, and zeolites.
• Ion exchange — ion-exchange materials remove ions from the medium by replacing them with an equivalent amount of ions from the ion exchanger.
• Hyperfiltration — treatment of oil-contaminated wastewater using reverse osmosis systems. Wastewater is supplied under high pressure to semi-permeable membranes, where purification occurs at the molecular level.
• Neutralization — removal of acidic or alkaline components from the wastewater.
• Extraction — redistribution of contaminants between two mutually immiscible liquids.
• Evaporation — a method of wastewater treatment at oil refineries involving the passage of water vapor heated to 100 °C through the contaminated medium.

For more detailed information on methods for treatment of water contaminated with petroleum products, you may contact ZIKO specialists using the phone number provided in the “Contacts” section. Our managers will advise you on the selection of oil separators and provide comprehensive information on the technical characteristics and cost of water treatment equipment.

Equipment supply requests are also accepted via the company’s email address.