Modular oil-based sludge separation and treatment system

Abstract

A modular apparatus having certain processing equipment mounted on portable skids that are adaptable and versatile to permit customized arrangement for oil-recovery processing of a wide range of oil-base sludge compositions in a cost-efficient manner. In one aspect, the invention is directed to a modular apparatus optimally configured for oil recovery of sludge having a high concentration of low density solids, wherein the apparatus may include a pumping skid, a shaker skid, a heating skid, a chemical skid, a phase separator skid, a gas purification skid, a decanter skid, and an oil purification skid. In another aspect, the invention is directed to a modular apparatus optimally configured for oil recovery of sludge having a high concentration of high density solids, wherein the apparatus may include a pumping skid, a shaker skid, a heating skid, a first chemical skid, a decanter skid, a second chemical skid, a phase separator skid, a gas purification skid, and an oil purification skid. In still another aspect, the invention is directed to a modular apparatus optimally configured for oil recovery of sludge having a very low solids content, wherein the apparatus may include a pumping skid, a shaker skid, a heating skid, a chemical skid, a phase separator skid, a gas purification skid, and an oil purification skid.

1 . A modular apparatus for recovering oil from oil-based sludge, comprising:
 a pumping skid having a pump operable to homogenize an oil-based sludge;   a shaker skid having a screen that removes particulates from the oil-based sludge as the sludge traverses the screen to form a debris-free sludge;   a heating skid having a heat exchanger operable to heat the debris-free sludge as the debris-free sludge flows through the heat exchanger to form a heated sludge;   a chemical skid having at least one chemical injection mixer operable to inject a chemical into the heated sludge and mix the chemical with the heated sludge to form a chemically-treated sludge;   a phase separator skid having a three-phase separator operable to separate the phases of the chemically-treated sludge to form a first solids component stream a first water component stream, a first oil component stream, and a first gas component stream,   a decanter skid having a decanter centrifuge operable to remove solids from the first oil component stream to form a second solids component stream and a second oil component stream; and   an oil purification skid having a disk stack centrifuge operable to remove water and solids from the second oil component stream to form a third solids component stream, a second water component stream, and a third oil component stream.   
     
     
         2 . The modular apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pump is a submersible pump operable to homogenize an oil-based sludge located inside a sludge pit and to pump the sludge out of the sludge pit to the shaker skid. 
     
     
         3 . The modular apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the shaker skid further comprises a holding tank operable to accumulate and contain the debris-free sludge for providing a steady state flow rate of the debris-free sludge to the heating skid. 
     
     
         4 . The modular apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the phase separator skid further comprises a surge tank operable to separate solids from the chemically-treated sludge. 
     
     
         5 . The modular apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the decanter skid further comprises a heating tank operable to accumulate and heat the second oil component stream. 
     
     
         6 . The modular apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a gas purification skid having at least: one piece of equipment selected from the group consisting of a free water knockout pot and an activated carbon filter, operable to remove hydrocarbons from the first gas component stream. 
     
     
         7 . The modular apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second oil component stream has a BS&W of less than 2%. 
     
     
         8 . The modular apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the third oil component stream has a BS&W of less than 1%. 
     
     
         9 . A modular apparatus for recovering oil from oil-based sludge, comprising:
 a pumping skid having a pump operable to homogenize an oil-based sludge;   a shaker skid having a screen that removes particulates from the oil-based sludge as the sludge traverses the screen to form a debris-free sludge;   a heating skid having a heat exchanger operable to heat the debris-free sludge as the debris-free sludge flows through the heat exchanger to from a heated sludge;   a first chemical skid having at least one chemical injection mixer operable to inject a chemical into the heated sludge and mix the chemical with the heated sludge to form a first chemically-treated sludge;   a decanter skid having a decanter centrifuge operable to remove solids from the first chemically-treated sludge to form a first solids component stream and a decanter-processed sludge;   a second chemical skid having at least one chemical injection mixer operable to inject a chemical into the decanter-processed sludge and mix the chemical with the decanter-processed sludge to form a second chemically-treated sludge;   a phase separator skid having a three-phase separator operable to separate the phases of the second chemically-treated sludge to form a second solids component stream, a first water component stream, a first oil component stream, and a first gas component stream, and   an oil purification skid having a disk stack centrifuge operable to remove water and solids from the first oil component stream to form a third solids component stream, a second water component stream, and a second oil component stream.   
     
     
         10 . The modular apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the pump is a submersible pump operable to homogenize an oil-based sludge located inside a sludge pit and to pump the sludge out of the sludge pit to the shaker skid. 
     
     
         11 . The modular apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the shaker skid further comprises a holding tank operable to accumulate and contain the debris-free sludge for providing a steady state flow rate of the debris-free sludge to the heating skid. 
     
     
         12 . The modular apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the decanter skid further comprises a heating tank operable to accumulate and heat the decanter-processed sludge. 
     
     
         13 . The modular apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the phase separator skid further comprises a surge tank operable to separate solids from the second chemically-treated sludge. 
     
     
         14 . The modular apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a gas purification skid having at least one piece of equipment selected from the group consisting of a free water knockout pot and an activated carbon filter operable to remove hydrocarbons from the first gas component stream. 
     
     
         15 . The modular apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the decanter-processed sludge has a BS&W of less than 2%. 
     
     
         16 . The modular apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the second oil component stream has a BS&W of less than 1%. 
     
     
         17 . A modular apparatus for recovering oil from oil-based sludge, comprising:
 a pumping skid having a pump operable to homogenize an oil-based sludge;   a shaker skid having a screen that: removes particulates from the oil-based sludge as the sludge traverses the screen to form a debris-free sludge;   a heating skid having a heat exchanger operable to heat the debris-free sludge as the debris-free sludge flows through the heat exchanger to form a heated sludge;   a chemical skid having at least one chemical injection mixer operable to inject a chemical into the heated sludge and mix the chemical with the heated sludge to form a chemically-treated sludge;   a phase separator skid having a three-phase separator operable to separate the phases of the chemically-treated sludge to form a first solids component stream, a first water component stream, a first oil component stream, and a first gas component stream; and   an oil purification skid having a disk stack centrifuge operable to remove water and solids from the first oil component stream to form a second solids component stream, a second water component stream, and a second oil component stream.   
     
     
         18 . The modular apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the pump is a submersible pump operable to homogenize an oil-based sludge located inside a sludge pit and to pump the sludge out: of the sludge pit to the shaker skid. 
     
     
         19 . The modular apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the shaker skid further comprises a holding tank operable to accumulate and contain the debris-free sludge for providing a steady state flow rate of the debris-free sludge to the heating skid. 
     
     
         20 . The modular apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the phase separator skid further comprises a surge tank operable to separate solids from the chemically-treated sludge. 
     
     
         21 . The modular apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising a gas purification skid having at least one piece of equipment selected from the group consisting of a free water knockout pot and an activated carbon filter, operable to remove hydrocarbons from the first gas component stream. 
     
     
         22 . The modular apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the first oil component stream has a BS&W of less than 2%. 
     
     
         23 . The modular apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the second oil component stream has a BS&W of less than 1%.