About Our Client

Our client for this project is one of the UK’s leading demolition and land remediation companies.

The Challenge

The cost to transport, treat and dispose of sludge and liquid waste offsite was prohibitively high. In addition, the removal of waste by truck would have an unacceptable impact upon local roads and residents. The waste material had the potential to contain hydrocarbons and be flammable.

What We Did

In response to there being multiple gasholders in different locations, Separo supplied a fleet of mobile treatment units and personnel. Each system had to be suitable for use in potentially explosive atmospheres and be capable of dewatering variable and often unknown/complex sludge and liquid waste streams.

Value Gained

Our ability to provide a number of mobile treatment units specifically designed for use in potentially explosive atmospheres minimsed risk, time and cost for the client. In addition, the volume of waste requiring disposal was significantly reduced.

Project Statistics

Approximately 5,000m³ of waste was processed by Separo across 10 locations. On average the waste volume was reduced by 83% resulting in estimated financial savings for the client of at least £1million.

Separo provided bespoke drilling waste treatment equipment and experienced personnel at three onshore locations in Norway. The objective was to de-water and de-weight various waste streams coming in from drilling operations in both the North and Barents Sea.

About Our Client

Our client is one of Norway’s leading waste management and industrial service providers.

The Challenge

The client had been awarded very large and varied contracts to receive and treat drilling waste. Under the terms of the contracts, the client had to treat and minimise the quantity of waste prior to disposal. The client facilities lacked the capacity to treat the volume of material and as such, they could have been in breach of contract.

What We Did

The nature of the waste varied by location and source. Consequently, Separo provided individual and purpose-built equipment for each of the three waste treatment facilities. Each treatment system was developed in consultation with the client and was designed to complement existing processes and procedures.

Value Gained

As a result of Separo's technology, our client was able to ensure that the company complied fully with the terms of its contract. Throughout the three-year operation, Separo increased the client’s capacity to treat high volumes of drilling waste and reduce the quantity of material requiring disposal or further treatment.

Project Statistics

In just one of the three facilities, approximately 65,000m³ of drilling waste was processed by Separo, reducing the quantity for disposal or further treatment by 75%.

Separo's Solids Control Services (SCS) division supplied a dual centrifuge system and flocculation unit for the drilling of a geothermal well in the UK. The well was drilled to a depth of 5275 metres - making it the deepest onshore well ever drilled in the UK.

About Our Client

Our client for this project was the project management team for the well.

The Challenge

Our client required a centrifuge system and flocculation unit for the processing of drilling mud during drilling.

Separo's SCS division was approached to supply a system and advised space was at a premium. Utilising our extensive fleet of decanter centrifuges and extendable frames we were able to supply a suitable solution based on a dual centrifuge system on an extendable double support frame, complete with pumps and conveyor system. To accommodate the space restrictions we were able to situate the flocculation unit on the ground level within the support frame.

What We Did

Following installation, the client was able to use the equipment to optimise the use of WBM during the project, allowing the mud to be reused.

Value Gained

The ability to recondition and reuse mud resulted in significant costs savings as well as reducing the carbon footprint of the project by reducing overall waste.

The project was based at a materials technology and recycling facility in Belgium. The facility had two very large storage/settlement ponds in which they receive process, surface and wash water from the entire premises.

The project involved undertaking the safe and efficient removal of sediment from the ponds followed by separation, recovery and recycling of solid material containing precious metal.

About Our Client

Separo were engaged by one of Europe's leading industrial services and waste management companies. Our client was looking for a proven and reliable partner for an industrial cleaning and waste management project in Antwerp, Belgium. The principal client for this project was a global materials technology and recycling group.

The Challenge

The client needed to empty the ponds, clean them for inspection and return to full capacity. As the sediment in the ponds contained valuable precious metals (that entered water streams during site operations) there was commercial and environmental pressure to separate, recover and recycle the solids.

What We Did

Separo recovered valuable raw materials for re-use by the site operator. The first step involved primary screening of pond slurry using large vibrating shaker screens. Effluent from this stage was then transferred into multiple tilting-plate clarifiers where suspended solids were extracted. Clarified water was either routed back into the pond or to the site wastewater treatment plant. Finally, the thickened solids from the clarifiers were dewatered using high-speed horizontal decanting centrifuges.

Value Gained

Separo turned waste into a resource. The site ponds were emptied, cleaned and returned to full operational capacity. Sludge and sediment was processed and valuable precious metals were recovered, recycled and returned to the client for use as a raw material.

Project Statistics

An estimated 15,000m3 of waste material was processed by Separo without a single health, safety or environmental incident. 6,580 tonnes of dry solids containing valuable precious metals were returned to the client as a resource.

As your fluid waste separation partners, we'll ensure you meet your compliance requirements, giving you complete peace of mind, whilst also helping you to reduce waste and recover valuable resources leading to a reduction in operational costs.

By choosing us you'll have full access to our proven problem-solving approach to even the most difficult separation challenges. You'll also benefit from our innovative and cost-saving solutions that have earned us a reputation for providing outstanding customer satisfaction.

Whether you're looking for a proven and reliable partner for drilling fluid solids control on and offshore, adsorption filtration for produced water or the recovery of oil, water and solids from a refinery tank, we're here to help you.

To speak to one of our experts about your project simply call +44 (0)1224 249220 or complete this short form.

Following a competitive tender process, Separo was awarded a contract to receive and process hydrocarbon sludge and effluent that had accumulated over several years in one of the UK’s largest ballast storage tanks.

Our primary objective was to minimise waste by separating the liquid and solid fractions and recovering water and oil.   

About Our Client

Our client is a blue-chip oil and gas exploration and production company operating in the North Sea. The project was undertaken at one of the most remote and inaccessible crude oil storage terminals in the UK (owned and operated by the client).

The Challenge

Due to the large volume of sludge within the tank, the client's ability to operate the storage facility at optimum capacity was being compromised. The sludge had to be removed in order that the tank could be used without restrictions and in accordance with statutory requirements. The un-treated quantity of waste presented a significant technical challenge and cost to the client.

What We Did

In order to minimise the time and cost associated with mobilising to such a remote and potentially hazardous location, Separo deployed a fully mobile, high-capacity separation system, specifically designed for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. The treatment system was delivered, installed and operated on a single trailer. In the absence of representative samples, Separos’ knowledge and experience were crucial in terms of identifying and implementing the most efficient and effective treatment process.

Over a period of six months Separo processed and separated 6,675m³ of hazardous hydrocarbon sludge and in doing so reduced the waste requiring off-site disposal by 70%.

Value Gained

As a result of Separo’s work, our client was able to ensure the integrity of the tank (by inspection and repair) and return the asset to full operational capacity. In addition, environmental and legal compliance was assured. Over a period of 6 months and approximately 3,000 man-hours, the hazardous waste was removed, processed and reduced in volume by 70%. This reduction represents a significant financial saving and is effectively self-funding. The project was completed by Separo with zero health, safety or environmental incidents.

Project Statistics

• Volume of waste prior to Separo process: 6,675m³
• Volume of waste after Separo process: 2,000m³
• Manhours worked: 3,000