Environmental Firm Uses Belt Skimmer to Remove Oil from Hard-to-Reach Wells
CLEVELAND, OH -- Removing oil and hydrocarbons from water is particularly difficult in wells and areas where access is limited. Abanaki Corporation, the world leader in oil skimming technologies, has developed a variety of oil-in-water extraction solutions for these types of demanding applications.
Abanaki's PetroXtractor® well oil skimmer is used for the removal of oil, fuel, and other floating hydrocarbons from water where access is limited. One PetroXtractor application, implemented by BJAMM Environmental, Inc. of Canal Fulton, Ohio, in collaboration with the Ohio EPA and the Bureau of Underground Storage Agency, dealt primarily with gasoline stations that use underground storage or industrial sites concerned with ground water contamination. BJAMM works with sites like this to define potential risk and provides ongoing monitoring and reporting until a 'no further action' status is achieved.
BJAMM became aware of Abanaki's oil skimmer technology as part of its ongoing research to find the latest resources and tools to provide better service to its customers. The PetroXtractor is ideal for removing floating hydrocarbon liquids and can help reduce the oil or fuel content in water to an acceptable EPA level. Designed for those applications that have limited access and a deep drop between the mounting surface and the surface of the liquid, the PetroXtractor is especially successful in groundwater remediation systems, monitoring wells, recovery wells and underground tanks.
In dealing with spills, BJAMM has several alternatives at its disposal. The firm can use monitoring wells to check contamination levels, and in some cases, use the Abanaki PetroXtractor oil skimmer to bring contaminate to acceptable levels. For the monitoring and recovery of free floating gasoline products, BJAMM may use an existing monitoring well or will drill new wells if necessary.
'Abanaki's one-inch belt works in these small wells, and in some cases will reduce the number of new wells needed,' explains Dave Sears, a Research and Development Troubleshooter for the company. BJAMM has mounted the skimmer on a mobile hydraulically elevated table. 'The platform can be raised/lowered about 20 inches. This allows us to move the PetroXtractor from one well to the next and adjust for variations in water level,' he added. Recovered gasoline products are then discharged into 55 gallon drums. A local waste management company disposes of the drum.
A dependable and cost effective means of removing floating hydrocarbons from water, the Abanaki PetroXtractor oil skimmer unit can be used anywhere electric power or compressed air is available. Explosion proof and pneumatic motors are an option for use in areas where combustible fumes may be present. The skimmer's rugged construction keeps it running under the most severe conditions.
Sears feels 'the skimmer does a good job' and noted that Abanaki's field support has helped make the unit a great fit for his particular application. 'The original one-inch belt supplied with the PetroXtractor tended to twist and curl,' he explained. 'We told Abanaki that we thought it might be too thin. They responded by supplying a belt with a thicker backing, and this has worked much better.' He said he expects to use the skimmer on other sites for gasoline products and has a proposal pending to use it for oil recovery in industrial settings.
About Abanaki Corporation: Abanaki, the world leader in oil skimmer products, manufactures a wide range of products to remove oils, greases, solvents, and related hydrocarbons from water. Skimmer models are available with removal rates ranging from 1 to 200 gallons per hour in both stationary and portable systems. Use of Abanaki equipment often allows water and oil to be recycled, thus avoiding contingent liabilities and costs associated with disposal. Besides off-the-shelf oil and grease skimmers, Abanaki supplies custom designed (turnkey) pollution control systems for a wide variety of applications. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Abanaki has served a global customer base in industries as diverse as iron and steel, wastewater, paper, food processing, automotive, environmental remediation, and recycling for more than 40 years. Today, under the corporate motto 'Clean Our World®,' Abanaki continues to address pollution in industry through innovation, customer commitment, and environmental stewardship within its own operations.
Customer comments
No comments were found for Environmental Firm Uses Belt Skimmer to Remove Oil from Hard-to-Reach Wells. Be the first to comment!