Improved Treatment and Value-Added Utilization of Petroleum Sludge Waste

石油和天然气工业在其原油勘探、生产、运输、储存和精炼过程中产生了大量的石油污泥。由于石油污泥的危害性及其在世界范围内不断增加的产生量，对石油污泥的有效处理引起了人们的广泛关注。大多数传统技术都存在效率低、处理时间长、可能产生二次污染和成本高的问题。此外，它们不足以满足严格的环境法规。因此，工业和政府迫切需要开发有效处理石油污泥废物的改进方法。本研究计划旨在探讨石油污泥管理的改进处理和增值利用方法。主要研究内容包括三个方面：(a)推进基于超声辐照、冻融处理、溶剂萃取和离子液体萃取的联合方法提高石油污泥采收率的研究与开发；(b)通过筛选和鉴定具有高石油烃（PHC）降解能力和生物表面活性剂生产能力的微生物菌株，开发生物表面活性剂增强石油污泥修复技术；(c)开发基于共热解的石油回收方法和基于石油污泥的吸附剂用于环境重金属去除。本研究将危险石油污泥废弃物作为一种有用的资源，既可用于采油，又可用于开发新的吸附材料进行环境修复。将制定一些环境友好的办法，以改进加拿大目前昂贵和低效的石油废物管理做法，并将大大有助于改善受石油污泥处置影响的社区的健康。这项研究也将有助于吸引和培养一批有才华的学生，他们将有能力应对加拿大未来的环境挑战。

A significant amount of petroleum sludge is generated by the oil & gas industry during its crude oil exploration, production, transportation, storage, and refining processes. Due to its hazardous nature and the increasing quantity being generated around the world, the effective treatment of petroleum sludge has attracted widespread attention. Most conventional technologies are associated with low efficiency, long treatment time, possible secondary pollution, and high cost. Furthermore, they are inadequate to meet stringent environmental regulations. As a result, there is a pressing need from industry and government for the development of improved approaches to effectively deal with petroleum sludge waste. This research program is designed to investigate improved treatment and value-added utilization approaches for petroleum sludge management. It consists of three main research tasks: (a) to advance the research and development of improved oil recovery from petroleum sludge using a combined approach based on ultrasonic irradiation, freeze/thaw treatment, solvent extraction, and ionic liquid extraction; (b) to develop bio-surfactant enhanced remediation of petroleum sludge by screening and identifying microbial strains with high petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) degradation and bio-surfactant production ability, and (c) to develop a co-pyrolysis based approach for oil recovery and petroleum sludge based adsorbents for the environmental removal of heavy metals. Hazardous petroleum sludge waste is regarded as a useful resource in this research, and it will be utilized for both oil recovery and the development of new adsorbent material for environmental remediation. A number of environmentally friendly approaches will be developed to improve the current costly and inefficient petroleum waste management practices in Canada, and will greatly contribute to improved health in those communities that are impacted by petroleum sludge disposal. This research will also help to attract and train a number of talented students, who will be capable of addressing Canada's future environmental challenges.