Technology development for treating sulfolane impacted soils and water

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Sulfolane, a highly polar water miscible and colorless organic solvent, is used extensively in natural gas processing plants and petroleum refining operations. Leachates from disposal areas, leaks during processes and seepage from producing wells have led to extensive sulfolane contaminated soil and groundwater around gas processing plants. Sulfolane contamination has been reported at different sites in Canada, Australia & USA. The goal of this project is to develop technologies to treat: (a) sulfolane contaminated water & (b) sulfolane contaminated soils. The technologies must be effective, on-site deployable & scalable leading to clean waters and soils that can be returned to site. For (a), studies on degradation of sulfolane in water using different advanced oxidative methods, identification of reaction kinetics, intermediates & end products as well as sulfolane adsorption onto known adsorbents, will be initiated. Tests will be conducted on both spiked waters & samples collected from different sites. For (b), three broad options will be considered: (i) treatment of sulfolane impacted soils by adding oxidants, (ii) soil washing followed by treating the wash water with technologies identified in (a) and (iii) bioremediation and combining it with advanced oxidation. Based on experimental results, and upon considerations of field applications, a technology for treating sulfolane in soils will be developed. The results of (a) and (b) will be advanced into the design, fabrication and testing of bench scale treatment systems. As a final step, large scale testing will be conducted in our modularly designed pilot scale soil treatment system, housed in a trailer mounted 45 foot sea-can. The project is being supported by two Canadian companies-an oil & gas producer and a remediation consulting company, ensuring that successful results can be immediately translated to treating contaminated waters and soils. In addition to providing a cleaner healthier environment, this project will lead to the development of a Canadian solution to a global problem thus providing opportunities to Canadian companies.