2018 Award of Excellence, Best in Category goes to TenCate Geosynthetics
2018 Award of Excellence, Best in Category
Removal, transport, treatment and final disposal of sewage sludge SEP-3090 from Ecopetrol Refinery at Barrancabermeja, Colombia, S.A.
Project Details
Fabric: Geotube®
Producer: TenCate Geosynthetics
Engineer Name: Eng. Nelson Riaño
Fabrication Company: TenCate Geosynthetics
Project Manager Name: Eng. Mauricio Rendon Gomez
Installation Company: GeoSoluciones
Please describe the project specifications
The separating unit, in addition to receiving storm water waste from the industrial area also converges as "fresh" catalysts of the UOPI cracking unit, which, according to reports from the refinery operation, presents problems in the loading process of the hoppers, as well as sludge of the U-2900 water plants, by dragging or disposing of the process units to the rainwater systems. The volume to be pumped was 22.300m3 and it took a total of 191 (34 days) pumping hours. In the end there were 3,000ton of dewatered sludge,
• % Dewatered Solids: 50%
• %SST Effluent: 80 PPM
Geotube® 90 x 100 – 4ea
• Circumference 90ft (27.43m)
• Width 41ft (12.5m) – when empty
• Length 100ft (30.48m)
• Fill Height 7.5ft (2.20m)
Dewatering Cell:
• Length: 115ft (35m)
• Width: 197ft (60m)
What was the purpose of this project? What did the client request?
The purpose was to remove the sludge by a pumping system into Geotube® units and then allow the sludge to dewater, lose volume and, finally to dispose of at the lowest water content possible to a certified land fill.
What is unique or complex about the project?
• Work within a refinery
• High standards of safety at work.
• Handling and pumping of hazardous waste.
• Rainy weather most of the time.
• Pumping 1,000ft (300m) in distance.
• There was no possibility of entering the lagoons, pumping must be made from the outside
• Because of high risk of explosion, a hydraulic pump was to be used. Submersible, electric pumps were not allowed on site.
• Having been able to enter a refinery to carry out a job of this type (the first time in Colombia and perhaps in all of the world).
• To comply with occupational safety and health standards. Geotube® technology has not only met these standards but exceeded them all.
• Because it is a hazardous waste, it was done in the cleanest, quickest way, and at a lower cost than conventional sludge removal done in the past.
• Presence of sulfates and CO2.
• Mud with traces of oils and crude oil.
• The hydraulic unit of the excavator was used to operate the hydraulic pump.
• It was a plant stop - it was necessary to carry out simultaneous operations with other suppliers, which meant meeting daily schedules and deadlines.
What were the results of the project?
This was the first time that a work of this style was done in a refinery. The customer stated that the previous work always showed problems and serious safety hazards at work and also with the crews that carried out the removal of solids from the separator. This project was done with only a few, highly trained people and was completed in one third of the time they had estimated, resulting in half the cost as budgeted.
This clean-up has opened up the possibility of doing four more projects within this refinery and the possibility of moving to the refinery in Cartagena. The refinery’s Labor union showed its satisfaction with the technology and was happy to have taken part of this unique project. There was total customer satisfaction.
