Refinery waste minimization
- Mobil Oil Corp., Torrance, CA (United States)
Waste minimization in petroleum refining is becoming increasingly important for doing business in the `90s. In 1993, the Mobil Torrance Refinery landfilled 97% less waste than the amount disposed in 1989. The refinery recycled less than 1% of the waste generated in 1989, and more than 70% generated in 1993. This paper presents the Refinery`s method of achieving these results. Success can be attributed to a structured, results oriented waste minimization program which evolved from a refinery waste engineer`s plan to an integrated team approach within the refinery, the west coast, and all of Mobil U.S. Marketing and Refining. The key elements of this evolved program are: Upper management support; corporate waste minimization committee; waste management costs and accountability at the lowest levels; setting goals; waste tracking; performance reporting and rewards/publishing successes. This program has led the refinery to utilize innovative approaches to waste management problems. This paper includes a discussion of the structure of the waste minimization program, soil remediation, catalyst recycling, sludge coking, resale/reuse of refinery by-products, and source reduction efforts. Technologies successfully employed in soil remediation are: chemical fixation, in-situ and ex-situ bioremediation, and pH neutralization. Several refinery by-products are now sold to other industries. All refinery catalysts are recycled or otherwise beneficially reused. Utilization of the Mobil Oil Sludge Coking (MOSC{trademark}) process has increased over 400% since 1991.
- OSTI ID:
- 96699
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9504134--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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