Technical Information Bulletin INSH-01 January 1, 2008
USING SPILL HAND IN PETROLEUM AND SALT CONTAMINATED SOILS
Background: SPILL HAND was developed to bridge the gap between the very sophisticated technical (and largely academic) world of pollution remediation and the very real HANDS-ON situations that exists in our nation’s oil and gas producting fields. We offer an alternative to “office talk” and “vague environmental policies” by placing a very powerful, highly active remediation tool directly in the field with the people that are in a daily position to make a difference. In short, an executive committee decision from today’s office meeting can be put into action in the field the very next day. Oh, and you help plant a tree for every five bags that you use.
Usage: SPILL HAND is formulated to mitigate and/or remediate virtually every type of spill that might affect soils in and around oil and gas production wells, facilities, and all working operations. This includes most types of oilfield chemicals, saltwater spills, waste oil leakage, and of course produced oil and condensate. No scientific analyses or engineering design is necessary in the field to determine conditions before using SPILL HAND. No specialized training of field hands or purchasing of new equipment is required to get started using SPILL HAND.
Safety and Environmental: SPILL HAND is non-toxic, environmentally helpful, and always increases the safety and environmental health of an area where it is used. SPILL HAND improves traction in slippery work areas, suppress harmful vapors, absorbs hydrocarbons and other liquids, adsorbs heavy metals, breaks down, captures sodium and other metal ions by chelation or adsorption, breaks heavier hydrocarbon chains apart, begins the bioremediation, and finally re-establishes a favorable soil environment either to just lay on your work pad to trap the next drip or to promote vegetation growth or agricultural activity.
NEW OR EMERGENCY SPILLS:
Gaugers, pumpers, and work crews should carry SPILL HAND with them on their daily routines for the occasional pipeline/flowline leaks, stuffing box failures, workover spills, tank leaks, load line drips, or produced fluid overflows. Responsible companies can also make a practice of requiring workover rigs, frac units, wireline operators, swabbing crews and all other well service entities to sprinkle SPILL HAND on their own hydraulic and crankcase oil drip areas where feasible.
Directions: Simply open the easy-open end of the SPILL HANDTM bag and distribute an even coat of material on the free liquids, continuing coverage until all wet surfaces appear dry. Allow a few minutes for sufficient action before disturbing, then remove or relocate if desired or simply blend in with the existing soils where permissible, adding more material as wet pockets are encountered.
OLD AND EXISTING SPILLS:
Typical oil and gas operations have indications of past spills. Whether a release caused a minor grass kill, or a longer-term full-soaking of upper level soils, SPILL HAND will go to work for you.
Lightly contaminated soils: This occurs from a limited release where petroleum contaminants are restricted to surface staining only and may or may not have included saltwater. Under these conditions, our goal is to bioremediate the low concentrations of hydrocarbons while both chelating and adsorbing sodium and other harmful metal ions, and establishing a healthy soil environment to promote and re-establish native plant or agricultural-based growth. Recommended application of SPILL HAND: 1 bag (40#) per 150 square feet tilled, plowed or raked into a depth up to 6”.
Medium Contaminated soils: This occurs from a release that is either from large quantities of produced fluids, soaking up to 6” into the soil or from several separate release events. However, not so contaminated that the soils are completely lifeless, over-compacted, or completely sodic (salty) and without proper structure. Our remediation goals are the same as with the lightly contaminated soils, but using a little more SPILL HAND: Recommended application of SPILL HAND: 2 bags (80#) per 150 square feet tilled, plowed or raked into a depth up to 6”.
Heavy Contaminated soils: This is from a release that is either from large quantities of produced fluids, soaking up to 6” into the soil or from multiple separate release events. With heavy contamination, the soils are completely lifeless, over-compacted and/or sodic (salty) in nature. They may even appear asphaltic* (see note following recommendations) on the surface where weather and sun do their job. Our remediation goals and recommendations are the same as with the medium contaminated soils, but requiring two of the same applications of SPILL HAND spaced four to eight weeks apart, depending upon weather and water on the treatment site. Recommended application of SPILL HAND: Two applications of 2 bags (80#) per 150 square feet tilled, plowed or raked into a depth up to 6”. NOTE: Asphaltic or severely oily/paraffin-rich soils may require additional treatment with an environmentally-friendly solvent or cleaning agent before treatment with SPILL HAND. Clean Land Product’s WASH HAND – ARC (Asphaltenes Remover Concentrate) is an excellent environmental and economical choice for this purpose.
NOTE: Temperature and moisture levels play and important role in the entire remediation event. Water allows the mobility of ions for chelation and adsorption as well as provides a medium for bioremediation to begin. Warmer temperatures speed the process of bioremediation and therefore shorten the necessary treatment time. When quick remedial times are necessary, attention should be given to both soil moisture levels and temperature.