Oil Recovery from Petroleum Sludge by Solvent Extraction

摘要

Technical problems associated with sludge deposition in storage units of petroleum industries are enormous. The conventional methods of management are laborious and uneconomical; the hydrocarbon contents are lost to the pits, causing environmental problems. Solvent recovery of the hydrocarbons from accumulated sludge in storage facilities of oil industries in the Niger delta area of Nigeria was carned out. A recovery of about 67.5% hydrocarbon oils was obtained, out of which 86.7% were aromatic. Gas chromatographic analysis of the extracted oil showed it contained the hydrocarbons in the range of C9-C25, which is good petrochemical industry feedstock. Hexane and xylene showed high potentials for hydrocarbon oil extraction from the sludge, reducing the quantity of solid waste to the barest minimum.