Ponca City, Okla., Feb. 13, 2002 -- The Conoco Refinery in Ponca City has received a Return on Environment® (ROE) Partnership Award from BetzDearborn for an innovative bioaugmentation program that avoided environmental problems and a refinery shutdown while saving $19,839.
The ROE Award is presented worldwide to a select group of industrial, commercial and institutional establishments whose strong working relationship with BetzDearborn has resulted in significant environmental, health and safety benefits while at the same time reducing operating costs.
Because of the abnormally high chemical oxygen demand (COD) in feedwater for the refinery's activated sludge unit, the microbial population was completely killed. Effluent was failing quality specifications, threatening a shutdown. The equalization tanks were partially filled with solids, reducing settling time and increasing hydrocarbon carry over to the activated sludge unit.
To minimize the risk of permit violations, BetzDearborn introduced a hydrogen peroxide treatment program that reduced COD. The microbial population was reestablished with three proprietary bioaugmentation products. A special treatment kept the freeze-dried microorganisms viable during a long shipment. Other products used included a polymeric coagulant and an emulsion breaker. The final step was to test effluent from the crude unit desalters and develop a treatment program that removed solids at the oil recovery unit, reducing COD levels in the activated sludge unit feedwater.
The gradual recovery of the microbial population prevented environmental problems and a refinery shutdown. COD levels dropped from more than 1,000 ppm to less than 500 ppm. The net annual savings totaled $19,839.
The ROE Award, a handcrafted Irish crystal globe depicting the earth enclosing a chemical flask, was presented to Nick Spencer, Ponca City Refinery Manager of Conoco, Inc., by David Dowd, Area Manager of BetzDearborn, who said, "Environmental responsibility and cost reductions are not incompatible goals, as your innovative program to restore effective waste treatment has demonstrated."
BetzDearborn is a global company headquartered in Trevose, Penn. that supplies specialty chemicals and engineered programs for the treatment of water, wastewater and industrial pr4ocess systems. For more information, visit the BetzDearborn web site at www.betzdearborn.com.
