Tehran Oil Refining Company has signed a memorandum of understanding to use the expertise of the Research Institute of Applied Sciences at Shahid Beheshti University’s Academic Center of Education, Culture and Research for desludging oil tanks.
The MoU seeks to use the technological and innovative services and products of ACECR to clean up all types of sediments and sludge in the oil tanks of Tehran Refinery, the Oil Ministry’s news agency Shana reported.
Based on the agreement, the research institute of the Shahid Beheshti University branch of ACECR will use a bacterial powder under the trade name of Bioremer, to remove oil pollution and sludge in the refinery. It will also cooperate with Tehran Refinery for holding specialized training courses and workshops regarding the desludging of oil tanks.
Desludging is the first step in cleaning oil tanks.
Crude oils have the propensity to separate into heavy and light hydrocarbons. This is often aggravated by cool temperatures, the venting of volatile components from the crude and by the static condition of fluid during storage.
Heavy hydrocarbons that separate from the crude oil and settle at the bottom of storage vessels are known as “tank bottoms”, or “sludge”. It is a combination of hydrocarbons, sediments, paraffin and water. Sludge can accelerate corrosion, reduce storage capacity and disrupt operations.
Crude oil sludge consists of 67% oil, 25% solids and 8% water. Regular oil tank cleaning and sludge removal are necessary to maximize storage capacity and prevent blockages and corrosion.
Bioremer is a powder formulation of oil-degrading microbial strains, biosurfactants and nutrients designed to bioremediate hydrocarbon pollutions in soil and water.
Tehran Oil Refining Company is located 15 kilometers south of the capital. It produces 7 million liters of unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87 (regular) per day. The company’s daily diesel output is 8 million liters.
The company accounts for 50% of jet fuel produced in Iran. It receives 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day as feedstock, a part of which is converted to jet fuel conforming to international standards.
The refining facility has been introduced by the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company as the top refiner in terms of measures taken to help preserve the environment.
The ranking came after NIORDC surveyed criteria such as green space, wastewater treatment, air pollutants and energy management.
As per environmental laws, industries and production units should allocate 10% of their total area to green space. In addition to complying with regulations, Tehran Oil Refining Company has 293 hectares of green space.
