Lamor tackles oily sludge in Kazakhstan with comprehensive environmental solutions

Challenge

The customer of Lamor, a renowned company, ranks among the top ten oil-producing companies in Kazakhstan. However, the limited availability of information regarding waste volumes and contaminant concentrations in the region posed a challenge in identifying the most suitable treatment approach. In 2018, Lamor visited the site to gather data and samples from the accumulated waste. We discovered the pit contained three main layers: a surface oily layer, middle layer of stagnant water, and bottom layer of contaminated soil. The task involved effectively treating each layer separately while recovering a substantial amount of oil from the sludge. Ultimately, we separated the oily sludge into three phases: recovered oil, contaminated water, and dry solid.

Solution

We employed our advanced technology to address the liquid oily waste issue. We treated the collected oil through separation and decanting, removed all the sand and stones and created pumpable oil which was sold back to the customer. The bottom contaminated soil layer was treated with electrode installation, water spraying, biologically active substances, and ground reclamation.

Following the successful completion of the first pit, we worked on pits #2 and #3, with a combined volume of 22,000 cubic meters, securing additional agreements for continued work from 2023 to 2025.

“We are committed to the environment and reducing environmental pollution, and at the same time dedicated to producing high-quality resources”, says Petri Vänskä, Director, material recycling technology.

Impact

The positive result of this process is the recovery of over 10% of the waste volume, or more than 40% of the surface oily sludge, which will be recovered as oil. This not only reduces the environmental pollution caused by the waste material but also provides a valuable oil resource that can be mixed with crude oil. Furthermore, the recovered oil is expected to be of high quality.

What’s more, the technical water obtained during the process can be used for irrigation, lessening the need for freshwater resources. Additionally, the process takes advantage of warm weather conditions to lower sludge heating costs, illustrating that it is a cost-effective solution.