General Information about the sector
Crude oil and natural gas as natural raw materials need to be treated in order to obtain the necessary characteristics to turn to useful saleable products. For this reason, refining process is carried out. Both crude oil and natural gas are natural hydrocarbons and are found in many and different areas of the world, in a variety of composition and quantities. These hydrocarbons are transformed into different products in refineries. Some examples are the following:
- Fuels for different means of transport (cars, ships, airplanes etc.)
- Combustion fuels for heat and power generation for industrial, commercial and domestic use.
- Raw materials for chemical and petrochemical industries.
- Other products as paraffins/waxes, bitumen and lubricating oils.
- Energy as by-product in the form of the heat (steam) and power (electricity).
Industrial Activity (NACE Code C19.2)
|
Section |
Division |
Group |
Description |
|
C |
|
|
Manufacture |
|
|
C19 |
|
Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products |
|
|
|
C19.2 |
Manufacture of refined petroleum products |
Brine effluent generated in Oil - Petroleum refinery
Desalting units are used for the removal of contaminants as water inorganic salts, sand, water-soluble trace metals, silt, rust and other suspended solids from crude oil. These impurities are characterized as bottom sediment (Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for the Refining of Mineral Oil and Gas, 2015). The following table summarizes the pollutants present in the saline effluent generated from desalting process according to Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for the Refining of Mineral Oil and Gas (2015) and U.S Environmental Protection Agency).
Composition of the wastewater generated in the desalting process
|
Water pollutants (mg/l) |
BREF (b) (2015) |
|
Suspended solids |
50 – 100* |
|
Oil/oil emulsions |
High |
|
Dissolved hydrocarbons |
50 – 300* |
|
Phenols |
5 – 30* |
|
Benzene |
30 – 100* |
|
BOD |
High* |
|
COD |
500 – 2000* |
|
Ammonia |
50 – 100* |
|
Nitrogen compounds (N-Kj) |
15 – 20* |
|
Sulphides (as H2S) |
10* |
|
Na+ |
12000-150000 |
|
Mg2+ |
500-25000 |
|
Ca2+ |
1000-120000 |
|
Cl- |
20000-250000 |
|
SO42 |
0-3600 |
|
HCO3- |
0-1200 |
|
K+ |
30-4000 |
|
Br- |
50-5000 |
|
I- |
1-300 |
|
Temperature (oC) |
115 – 150* |
|
*N.A. : Not applicable |
|
Brine effluent generated in Oil - Petroleum refinery
Desalting units are used for the removal of contaminants as water inorganic salts, sand, water-soluble trace metals, silt, rust and other suspended solids from crude oil. These impurities are characterized as bottom sediment (BREF (b), 2015, Pak & Mohammadi, 2008). The following table summarizes the pollutants present in the saline effluent generated from desalting process.
Composition of the wastewater generated in the desalting process
|
Water pollutants (mg/l) |
BREF (b) (2015) |
EPA (1997) |
Pak & Mohammadi (2008) |
|
Suspended solids |
50 – 100* |
N.A. |
N.A. |
|
Oil/oil emulsions |
High |
N.A. |
N.A. |
|
Dissolved hydrocarbons |
50 – 300* |
N.A. |
N.A. |
|
Phenols |
5 – 30* |
N.A. |
N.A. |
|
Benzene |
30 – 100* |
N.A. |
N.A. |
|
BOD |
High* |
N.A. |
N.A. |
|
COD |
500 – 2000* |
N.A. |
N.A. |
|
Ammonia |
50 – 100* |
N.A. |
N.A. |
|
Nitrogen compounds (N-Kj) |
15 – 20* |
N.A. |
N.A. |
|
Sulphides (as H2S) |
10* |
N.A. |
N.A. |
|
Na+ |
N.A. |
12 000 – 150 000 |
65 633 |
|
Mg2+ |
N.A. |
500 – 25 000 |
1 000 |
|
Ca2+ |
N.A. |
1 000 – 120 000 |
8 350 |
|
Cl- |
N.A. |
20 000 – 250 000 |
118 925 |
|
SO42 |
N.A. |
0 – 3 600 |
216 |
|
HCO3- |
N.A. |
0 – 1 200 |
153 |
|
K+ |
N.A. |
30 – 4 000 |
N.A |
|
Br- |
N.A. |
50 – 5 000 |
N.A. |
|
I- |
N.A. |
1 - 300 |
N.A |
|
Temperature (oC) |
115 – 150* |
N.A. |
N.A. |
|
*N.A. : Not applicable |
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