Chapter 26
Field Study X: Oil Waste Processing Using
Combination of Physical Pretreatment
and Bioremediation
Petra Najmanová and Robert Raschman
Abstract In this chapter, a field study from an oil field in Kazakhstan is described.
This study ranges from lab- and pilot-scale tests to the application of a new on-site
technology. Although it is related to biodegradation only marginally, this study shows a
new approach to the remediation of sites with enormous oil contamination. The dense
medium separation technology is based on the physical pretreatment (gravity separation in heavy suspensions), followed by bioremediation. Contaminated soil heavily
polluted with petroleum substances, including macroscopic petroleum conglomerates
with a fraction !1 mm, is initially treated by grading. The fine-grained fraction is
decontaminated by biodegradation. The coarse-grained fraction is divided by the
heavy-suspension separation into a heavy product and a light product. The light product
consists of large and light petroleum conglomerates, which are treated by combustion
or other processing. The heavy product made up of soil with other petroleum substances
is treated by crushing and biodegradation together with the fine-grain fraction. Part of
the process comprises recycling of process water and heavy suspension, where the
process water is also used to wet the material during biodegradation.
Keywords Bioremediation · Oil waste · Heavy suspension · Soil separation
26.1 Introduction
Waste emerging from upstream oil industry usually contains a mixture of contaminated soil, drilling muds, and oil in various states of weathering. A massive
contamination level of 10% petroleum hydrocarbons excludes direct processing by
bioremediation technology. A new technology for the removal of petroleum
P. Najmanová (*)
DEKONTA, a.s., Stehelčeves, Czech Republic
Department of Biotechnology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague,
Czech Republic
e-mail: najmanova@dekonta.cz
R. Raschman
DEKONTA, a.s., Stehelčeves, Czech Republic
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
J. Filip et al. (eds.), Advanced Nano-Bio Technologies for Water and Soil Treatment,
Applied Environmental Science and Engineering for a Sustainable Future,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29840-1_26
535
Field Study X: Oil Waste Processing Using
Combination of Physical Pretreatment
and Bioremediation
Petra Najmanová and Robert Raschman
Abstract In this chapter, a field study from an oil field in Kazakhstan is described.
This study ranges from lab- and pilot-scale tests to the application of a new on-site
technology. Although it is related to biodegradation only marginally, this study shows a
new approach to the remediation of sites with enormous oil contamination. The dense
medium separation technology is based on the physical pretreatment (gravity separation in heavy suspensions), followed by bioremediation. Contaminated soil heavily
polluted with petroleum substances, including macroscopic petroleum conglomerates
with a fraction !1 mm, is initially treated by grading. The fine-grained fraction is
decontaminated by biodegradation. The coarse-grained fraction is divided by the
heavy-suspension separation into a heavy product and a light product. The light product
consists of large and light petroleum conglomerates, which are treated by combustion
or other processing. The heavy product made up of soil with other petroleum substances
is treated by crushing and biodegradation together with the fine-grain fraction. Part of
the process comprises recycling of process water and heavy suspension, where the
process water is also used to wet the material during biodegradation.
Keywords Bioremediation · Oil waste · Heavy suspension · Soil separation
26.1 Introduction
Waste emerging from upstream oil industry usually contains a mixture of contaminated soil, drilling muds, and oil in various states of weathering. A massive
contamination level of 10% petroleum hydrocarbons excludes direct processing by
bioremediation technology. A new technology for the removal of petroleum
P. Najmanová (*)
DEKONTA, a.s., Stehelčeves, Czech Republic
Department of Biotechnology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague,
Czech Republic
e-mail: najmanova@dekonta.cz
R. Raschman
DEKONTA, a.s., Stehelčeves, Czech Republic
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
J. Filip et al. (eds.), Advanced Nano-Bio Technologies for Water and Soil Treatment,
Applied Environmental Science and Engineering for a Sustainable Future,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29840-1_26
535