Our Blog has Moved!

In order to make it more convenient for our readers and customers, we have moved our blog and it is now housed on our website!

There are already new blog posts for you to check out: The Benefits of Oil Skimming and Re-cap of HydroVision (with pictures).

So please go check it out and let us know what you think!

http://www.oilskim.com/blog

Fracking and Injection Wells: How Much Do You Know?

Do you know how many gallons of water are injected into disposal wells each day? I’ll give you a hint, the number is in the billions. In the United States, over 2 billion gallons of brine (water saturated with salt) are injected into Class II disposal wells every day. This water is the flowback fluid from hydraulic fracturing, the water that returns to the surface. Keep reading to learn the basics.

What is a Class II Well?

The EPA has well classifications based on the fluids to be injected, and Class II wells are for fluids associated with natural gas and oil production. There are three types of Class II wells: enhanced recovery wells, hydrocarbon storage wells, and disposal wells. There are approximately 144,000 Class II wells in operation within the United States. The EPA states that as much as 20% of all Class II wells are disposal wells. 

What is a Disposal Well?

What, exactly, is a disposal well? Disposal wells are used to inject fluid into an underground well that is not producing oil and gas. Historically, underground injection has been the primary disposal method used by the natural gas and oil industry for their produced water. These wells allow the companies to return the water produced during fracking to deep underground porous rock formations. Fluids include water, wastewater, brine (salt water), and water mixed with chemicals. Companies began the widespread use of injection of produced water generated during oil production into disposal wells in the 1930’s (EPA page). Discharging flowback fluids into disposal wells requires a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit (NPDES) under the Clean Water Act.

What are the Other Options?

Aside from disposal wells, other disposal options include: recycling for re-use in additional fracking jobs (which conserves water), treatment and discharge to surface waters, and storage in open air pits. One estimate by the EPA is that the water usage for hydraulic fracturing is 70 to 140 billion gallons annually, which is equivalent to the amount of water used in one to two cities of 2.5 million people. With such large water usage, recycling the water for re-use would be a great option over injecting it into disposal wells. 

Oil Skimmers are a great first step in recycling and re-using the flowback fluid by removing any oils and greases. Visit our website to learn more about tube Oil Skimmers. The Model 6V or the Model 5H can help remove waste oil from the surface of water or other liquids.

A Visitor From Egypt Comes to Oil Skimmers!

En route to New York to receive an award, after visiting California for a business conference, our Representative from Egypt was able to spend a few days with us at Oil Skimmers, Inc. It was great to have Ahmed stop by!

Vice President Jim Petrucci stands outside of Oil Skimmers, Inc.'s office in Cleveland, OH with our Representative from Egypt, Ahmed. We proudly flew the Egyptian flag next to our American flag while Ahmed was visiting.

Jim took Ahmed to see the Cleveland Indians play at Progressive field for the first time.

Thanks for visiting, Ahmed!

Check us out on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or if you prefer, find us on Google+!

Oil Skimmers, Inc. Introduces the Oil Recovery and Transfer System

The Model 6V Oil Holding and Distribution Tank System from Oil Skimmers, Inc. has received a make-over! The system has been re-engineered, re-designed, and re-named; it is now called the Oil Recovery and Transfer System (ORTS). The Oil Recovery and Transfer System includes a Model 6V Oil Skimmer, a built-in decanting system, an oil collection tank, adjustable motor controls, and tube guards for the collector tube. It has the same great oil recovery ability as the Oil Holding and Distribution Tank, with a better design and more options.

The ORTS oil skimming system is pre-assembled and pre-wired – the entire system arrives in one skid mounted package ready to operate – no assembly is necessary. This reduces installation time and cost. No additional mounting mechanism is needed, and the Oil Recovery and Transfer System has an efficient design with a small footprint, saving installation costs and space.

The engineering team at Oil Skimmers, Inc., can customize the system to meet the needs of a particular application. There is a wide range of options and modifications available, such as material of construction (aluminum, carbon steel, stainless), size and capacity, transfer pump with controls, collection tank level gauge, winterization package and/or controlled heating.

Visit the Oil Recovery and Transfer System page on our website for more information.

Below are pictures of several different customized units, two with smaller footprints that have a top-mounted motor, and two with a slightly larger footprint because customers wanted a back-mounted motor.

AIST 2012 Day 1 & 2 in Pictures!

As we mentioned in our previous post, this week our Eastern Region Sales Manger Rob Fiorilli and our Western Region Sales Manager Ken Gray have been at the annual Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST) show. Since the show is being held in Atlanta, GA, our GA representative, Rob Estill, has also been able to attend the show and share his immense knowledge about oil skimming applications with visitors.

Oil Skimmers, Inc.'s President Mike Gaudiani was able to spend time at the booth yesterday, and had a great time chatting with fellow exhibitors and with attendees!

See some pictures from the show (so far) below! Check back next week for our full review and re-cap of the show. Rob Fiorilli will be providing some insight into his experience at AIST 2012.

Booth #1065 - Oil Skimmers, Inc.

President Mike Gaudiani discusses oil skimming with visitors.

Rob Estill and Ken Gray share their knowledge with visitors  at AIST 2012.

Rob Estill answers questions about the Model 6V Oil Skimmer.

The show started on May 7th and runs through May 10th, so if you are in the Atlanta area please stop by and visit the guys at booth #1065!

Check out our Facebook page or our Twitter for up-to-date information on the show :)

The Secret to Continuous, Efficient Oil Removal in Steel Mills

In anticipation of next week’s annual Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST) trade show, we are sharing a case study about a steel mini-mill that solved a waste oil problem with the use of our Oil Skimmers.

NLMK Indiana (formerly Beta Steel) is a steel mini-mill that produces and sells hot-rolled steel in the north central United States and Canada. The plant produces about 700,000 tons a year and employs about 400 people.

NLMK Indiana’s raw materials are scrap metal and chemical additives. The scrap metal is melted and recast into slabs, which ultimately become coils of flat steel that customers purchase to make a variety of durable products. The heat-intensive process uses water to cool in-process materials to specified temperatures. 

During hot strip mill production, tramp oil mixes with the water, and this mixture collects in two basins and a scale pit. Before the water can be cooled and reused, the oil must be removed to keep the cooling towers and other plant equipment running smoothly, and to prevent contamination of the product.

PROBLEM: The plant had employed a company to periodically vacuum the oil out of the water as it sat in the pit and two collection basins — one with a 490,000-gallon capacity and the other one with a 285,000-gallon capacity. But this method did not adequately separate the oil and water, and it didn't provide an option to operate continuously, as the plant does.

SOLUTION:  NLMK Indiana now uses six Oil Skimmers, Inc. oil-recovery systems to remove the tramp oil from the water in the collection basins as well as from a scale pit at the hot-strip mill. In a unique anti-clogging design, the Oil Skimmers have a polyurethane tube that attracts and collects the waste oil/grease as it floats on top of wastewater. The tube passes through a scraper system to remove the oil, which flows into a containment drum.

BENEFITS: The system operates independently and can run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This was a significant improvement over periodic vacuuming, Ehren Plew, Plant Mechanical Engineer, said. The skimmers run whenever needed and for as long as needed.

“They are relatively maintenance-free, and they are certainly trouble-free,” Plew said. “They run 24/7 with no manpower. It would be uneconomical to have a vacuum truck running 24 hours a day.” Additionally, the skimmers are more effective at separation, according to Plew. “The vacuum truck sucks out a lot of water, and these remove just the oil. So there is a lot less waste.”

Jim Petrucci, Vice President of Oil Skimmers, Inc., said the vacuum method of oil removal has its place in the industry, but it’s not the best choice for an ongoing need, such as steel mini-mills. 

"Our system runs continuously. Vacuuming is great when you have a spill, but it doesn’t address continuous build up.” 

NLMK Indiana uses the Model 5H Oil Skimmer and the Model 6V Oil Skimmer. Both are made with internal components of high-strength steel and bronze for durability. External parts are made from abrasive-resistant ceramic. The machine has a lifespan of more than 25 years.


If you have any questions or comments, please share! We love to hear from our readers!

  Above: Model 5H Oil Skimmer side-mounted on a tank. 

To see a video of the Model 5H in operation, visit our Youtube page.

Science and Fracking: What Do We Know?

A very interesting article, Hydraulic Fracturing and Laboratories: What Does it Mean for You? by The Association of Public Health discusses how fracking has been in use for decades, but the science used to test and research the effects it has on our environment is just in the beginning stages. The EPA is conducting research on fracking and its potential impact on groundwater, but the full report is not set to be released until 2014. With an industry growing as quickly has the fracking industry, two years of high-volume operation before we gain a better understanding of potential pitfalls is a large gamble to take.

So far, fracking has been blamed for contaminated drinking water and dangerous emissions (such as methane gas leaked from drilling equipment) in states such as PA, WY, TX, CO, NM, and OH. No comprehensive investigation by state or federal government has been done on how fracking affects human health, but the instances of people (and animals) becoming seriously ill near fracking sites continues to rise. ProPublica also published a more in-depth article, Science Lags as Health Problems Emerge Near Gas Fields, earlier this year. While a bit longer of a read, it is a great resource for information. Beware, it may leave you with more questions than answers!

What is your opinion on fracking and its environmental effects? Do you think with more regulation meant to control contamination and pollution that hydraulic fracturing can be safely used?

Let's start a discussion! Leave your comments below!

If you need more information on what fracking is, read our blog post. There is also a blog post regarding what chemicals are used in fracking fluid.