Petrotech Services provide a complete and total sludge management service to both oil refineries and power stations in both the UK, Europe and Worldwide.

• Our services include site surveys that are designed to help quantify the problem.
• Unique sludge removal equipment to optimize minimum manpower and eliminate where possible.
• Specialised 2 + 3 phase centrifuges to enable maximum oil recovery and minimise waste for off-site disposal.

Dedicated to solving existing problems within the sector and through research and development focusing on developing ideas for the future, alongside working to the individual clients requirements and budget.

Equipment sales are carried out and tailor made to the clients requirements, which is dependent on the size of the problem and the timescale for completion. Petrotech Services will help and assist in every way to ensure the client has the best solution, from site evaluation, design, build, commision to operate.

We also offer a service package to maintain the equipment, and operate if required.

Petrotech Services are a company which strives to be the market leader in the way forward in tank cleaning technology, and are constantly updating and improving our equipment with the aim of reducing and where possible eliminating man entry into confined space.

We have two main options at our disposal to reduce man entry:

1st option

• We can offer a system where man entry is reduced by the use of a Hydraulic driven dozer, this is where instead of the conventional method of putting men in tanks and removing the sludge manually, a dozer is taken into the tank in kit form and assembled inside, which is then manoeuvred around the tank to mix and homogenise the sludge allowing easy removal by specifically designed and safe positive displacement sludge pump to designated treatment point or tank.
  
  Benefits
• Reducing man entry considerably
• Option to operate equipment remotely and eliminate man entry until jetting stage
• Time turnaround on tank substantially shortened
• Risk factor of operating inside confined space reduced

2nd option

• The sludge volumizing system (SVS)
  
  Petrotech Services have designed and developed a unique volumizing system which in short eliminates man entry into the tank right up until the final cleaning stage.
  
  Objective
  
  To remove tank bottom sludge's from crude oil tanks eliminating man entry until final stages of cleaning commences.
  
  The system works by drawing crude oil from the tank inlet and circulating crude through a 6” line up and over the tank shell, then down into the fluidic nozzle system which is placed and securely fitted over the centre roof man way. Once in place the pumps are started up and begin to circulate the crude through the heat exchanger and on to the nozzle, the nozzle works rotating at 360 degrees  and re-circulates at a volume of between 250-300 m3 per hr working at 6 bar.
  
  After 7-10 days of circulating (depending on tank diameter and volume) any waxy sludge banks that were present in the tank are now blending into the crude oil which has been added to aide circulation, and therefore putting the tank into a fluidic state.
  Continuous monitoring of tank temperature and sample monitoring will determine when the tank contents are ready for transfer.
  
  Depending on the clients wish, a centrifuge and pre-treatment system can be placed at tank side and connected up to the tank circulation line and at the same time as circulation we can draw off sludge from tank bottom and pump through the centrifuge and produce solids to eliminate tranfer to adjacent tank.

Within Petrotech Services we have the ability to separate sludges utilizing either 2 phase or 3 phase centrifuges, dependant upon the clients wish.

2 phase machines are mainly used upon ponds and separators where a high content of water and solids are present and a quick de-watering process and solid production is required, but can also be used on Crude Oil tanks when a quick turnaround is required where the aim is to take away the solids and transfer remaining liquid to another tank.

3 phase centrifuges are where the client wishes to recover maximum hydro carbons, the 3 phases produced are Oil, Water and Solids. Typically oil is transferred to adjacent tank or place shown by client, water goes to the oily drain and solids sampled ready for off-site disposal.

This is particularly interesting to clients with the oil being of such high value

High pressure water jetting is a discipline that we carry out in the following fields:

Crude oil and fuel oil tanks
Tube bundles
Heat exchangers
Silos and Vessels
Concrete cutting

Our unique and proven cold cutting systems are used widely in the petroleum industry where the potential for working in a dangerous area is live and where safety is paramount.
Cold cutting is regularly carried out in dangerous environments where no heat or spark is to be generated.
Examples:

Cold cutting of entrance holes into tanks and vessels
Petrol tanks both in and on the ground
Flare line cutting
Crude oil tank floor removal (where the possibility of leakage or gases could be present).

De-commisioning of plant and sites

We believe that Research and development is a key way forward to working closely within the Petroleum Industry on solving both daily spontaneous problems that arise and also the long term perspective.

With the ever changing legislation, we feel key to the growth of Petrotech Services is to stay one step ahead, and we believe we can do this by continuing our desire to remain the market leader and developing new technologies.

An important part of this is client feedback on both how contracts are carried out and how to be sustained for the future, therefore please do not hesitate to contact us with any question you may have.

New Technologies being constructed

We are currently undertaking trials utilizing Infra red technologies, working on solids with high hydrocarbon content to enable acceptance under the WAC legislation.

Please contact for more information.

Petrotech Services has the technology and resources to react to Environmental problems which have been a long standing thorn or maybe a spillage which has just occurred and an instant response is required.

Example

Lagoon

A sludge lagoon was used to store tank sludge for a number of years which was open to the atmosphere, first the liquid phase was mixed, heated and pumped from the lagoon to the treatment system ready to be centrifuged to recover maximum hydro carbons, then the solid phase at the bottom was washed with hot water to free any remaining contamination and soil base removed until no contamination was present.

• Before

• After

Tank roof

This tank has been landed incorrectly due to high levels of sludge banks inside and crude oil spilled out onto the roof.
First the roof was cleaned and landed safely then a full tank desludge and process commenced.

• After