Q. What is the capacity of ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant) in PARCO?
What are the basis of this
capacity selection?
A. There are two trains of ETP in PARCO. Each train is designed to process 170 m 3/h effluent water
coming from Process Area and Tankage & offsite facilities. Hence, total treatment capacity is 340
m3/h.
ETP is designed to collect and to treat the expected effluent water from the refinery to be within the
stipulated effluent limits for the treated water as prescribed by PEQS. This system also collects slop
oil which is treated and pumped back to crude oil tanks (refinery feed tanks) to be used as feedstock
for Crude Distillation Unit.
The system is composed of the following seven major systems:
(1) Oily water collection system
(2) Slop oil recovery system
(3) Spent caustic neutralization system
(4) Effluent treatment plant
(5) Oily sludge handling system
(6) Bio-sludge handling system
(7) Sanitary waste treatment plant
Design Basis
The Oily Water Collection System is designed to have a total capacity of the process/utility waste
water, fire water and contaminated storm water which falls in the process paved area, based on
rainfall intensity of either 25 mm in 1 hour or 60 mm of rain in 24 hours.
The design capacity of the process waste water lift station inlet is 2,620 m3/hr in which the part of
waste water is transferred to ETP.
The design capacity of the tankage waste water lift station inlet is 460 m3/hr each. Total flow rate to
the ETP feed tank (called Diversion Tank) is the maximum one lift station plus one low flow lift pump
i.e. 510 m3/hr.
Most of the amount of waste water is transferred to the diversion tank by the lifting pumps
whenever the flow exceeds 170 m3/hr normal and 340 m3/hr maximum.
Details of Above Mentioned Seven Major Systems:
Oily water collection system
This system collects storm water (fire water) from areas where oil contamination is likely to be
present and collects process/utility waste water containing oils, BOD5, CODcr, SS contents, etc.,.
This system receives the waste water to the lift stations by aboveground or underground piping,
from which the oily water is transferred to ETP by lifting pumps, in order to treat it using a biological
process/sand filter process.
The system also includes to receive the treated waste water from WTP and Sanitary treatment
system and then discharge to outside of the refinery.
Slop oil recovery system
This system receives the skimmed oil from the process and/or tankage effluent skimming sumps and
the API skimmed oil sump in ETP to the tank by the lifting pumps.
The recovered oil is further separated oil and oily water by adding demulsifying chemical and
heating, before sending the skimmed oil to the light slop tank in the tankage area.
Spent caustic neutralization system
This system collects spent caustic solution from the process units to neutralize prior to send WTP for
further treatment.
Effluent treatment Plant (ETP)
This system treats the effluent waste water from the Oily water collection system to meet the
stipulated effluent limits for PEQS. Then, the treated effluent water from ETP is sent to the final lift
station basin to transfer them to nearest canal together with the treated sanitary water from the
sanitary waste.
Oily sludge handling system
The oily sludge system collects the oily sludge from the waste water treatment plant, crude/slop oil
tanks and H/E cleaning and dewatering the oily sludge to minimize the sludge volume.
Bio-sludge handling system
The bio-sludge system collects the bio-sludge from WTP and dewatering the oily sludge to minimize
the sludge volume.
Sanitary waste treatment plant
This system receives and treats sanitary water from buildings in the refinery.
Q. Composition of effluent water before and after treatment?
A.
Feed Stream (before treatment)
Parameter Value
Temperature 39 （℃）
pH Value 6-9 （－）
BOD5 at 20C 300 （mg/l）
CODcr 750 （mg/l）
Suspended Solids (TSS) 50-100 （mg/l）
Chromium, Hexavalent 0 （mg/l）
Chromium, Total 0 （mg/l）
Lead < 0.1 （mg/l）
Benzo (a) pyrene 0 （mg/l）
NH3-N 10 （mg/l）
Benzene <1 （mg/l）
Phenol <6 （mg/l）
Sulphide <5 （mg/l）
Oil and Grease 30 - 2000 （mg/l）
Alkalinity 200 as CaCO3 （mg/l）
ETP Outlet Stream (after treatment)
Parameter Unit Maximum
pH Value 6-9
BOD5 at 20C mg/l 30 (mg/l)
CODcr mg/l 150 (mg/l)
Suspended Solids (TSS) mg/l 30 (mg/l)
Chromium, Hexavalent mg/l 0.1 (mg/l)
Chromium, Total mg/l 0.5 (mg/l)
Lead mg/l 0.1 (mg/l)
Benzo (a) pyrene mg/l 0.05 (mg/l)
TDS mg/l 3500 (mg/l)
Benzene mg/l 0.05 (mg/l)
Phenol mg/l 0.3 (mg/l)
Sulphide mg/l 1.0 (mg/l)
Oil and Grease mg/l 10 (mg/l)
Total toxic metal (＊) mg/l 2 (mg/l)
(＊) Total concentration of toxic metals such as Pb, Cr Cu, Hg, Zn,
Cd, As, etc. should not exceed 2 mg/l.
Temperature increase less than or equal to 3 ℃.
Q. Does PARCO treated effluent water comply with EPA limits?
A. PARCO follows PEQS (Punjab Environmental Quality Standard). The limits are as follows:
pH 6~9
Oil and grease < 10 ppm
Suspended solids < 30 ppm
COD < 150 ppm
Sulphates < 600 ppm
Q. Does effluent water contains by-products? What by-products are separated and in what
quantities?
A. If treated water is considered the main product, then following by-products are separated during
treatment:
Oily sludge
Bio sludge
Slop oil
The quantities of these by-products are dependent on the contaminant load in feed stream.
However, as per design figures, the quantities produced during treatment are as follows:
Oily sludge 11.3 m3/h
Bio sludge 3.1 m3/h
Slop oil 220 m3 per month
Q. Processes and Equipment used at ETP
A.
Three main types:
- Primary
- Secondary
- Tertiary
Major Equipment:
- Bar screen
- Rope skimmer
- API separator
- Skimmed Oil separation through drum skimmers
- Equalization Tank
- Flash Mixing Basins
- Dissolved Air Floatation
- DAF scum/sludge separation through DAF skimmers and scrappers
- Aeration Basins
- Clarifiers
- Sand Filters
- Sanitary Waste Treatment
- Oily sludge thickening
- Bio sludge thickening
- Slop oil treatment
The major purpose of this plant is to separate oil and sludge from waste water stream. Therefore, all
these above mentioned processes and equipment are selected based on treatment of oily water.
Details of ETP
This system consists of the following major sections.
(1) API oil/water separator basins
(2) Equalization tank
(3) DAF basins
(4) Biological aeration basins and Clarifiers
(5) Sand filters
API oil/water separator section
Process/utility effluent water or oily storm water from the process waste water lift station is
led to API oil/water separator.
The API oil/water separator basins are equipped with a chain driven scraper and an
automatic rotary drum skimmer at the basin outlet.
The API separate oil and oily sludge from the effluent. The treated water is fed to DAF unit
through an equalization tank. by API effluent pumps
The sludge is, then sent to the oily sludge handling system.
Separated oil is sent to Slop Oil holding tanks.
Equalization tank section
The treated API effluent water, neutralized spent caustic and recycled filter back wash water
receives to the equalization tank, to produce a constant feed quality and quantity to the DAF
units..
The air supplies to the equalization tank by an equalization tank air compressor through
diffusers at the tank bottom.
DAF unit section
The API effluent water stored in the equalization tank transfers at a constant flow rate to the
flash mixing basin.
Then the ferric chloride as coagulant and DAF polymer are injected in proportion with the
DAF feed flow rate by an injection pump to make flocs.
The caustic soda or the sulfuric acid is also dosed to adjust pH.
The DAF effluent is recycled to mix plant air to be saturated with air.
Then, the suspended solids in the waste water adheres by the fine bubbles and are
accumulated at the surface of DAF basin as scum. The scum removes by the DAF skimmer
and then transfers to the oily sludge handling system.
The DAF bottom sludge removes by the DAF scraper and then transfers to the oily sludge
handling
System.
Biological aeration/Clarifier section
The treated effluent from the DAF basins flows by gravity to two biological aeration basins,
to reduce the biological oxygen demand (BOD5) to the acceptable limit of effluent.
The ammonium phosphate as the nutrients is injected and adjusted in proportion to the feed
flow rate, by the variable speed pump.
The air supplies to the biological aeration basins by air blowers through air diffusers to
maintain a dissolved oxygen (DO) level.
The clarifiers separate the biological solids from the effluent from the aeration basin. The
clarifier bottom sludge is recycled to the aeration basins to maintain concentration of MLSS.
A part of the recycle excess sludge from is routed to a bio sludge treatment system by timer
control.
The sludge scraper mechanism installed in the clarifier collects surface scum. The scum is
also routed to a bio sludge treatment system by level on-off control.
Sand filter section
The clarified water flows by gravity to the rapid gravity type dual media filters which are of
rectangular design and of concrete.
The filters are normally repeating the service and back washed by automatic sequence.
Four filters may be in operation under the full plant flow.
The treated water passing through the filters is introduced to a treated water sump by gravity
through a back wash sump by overflow. The treated water is pumped up to a final lift station
sump by on-off level switch.
The filters are automatically back washed by the filter high differential pressure. The filter
back wash water is led to a back wash sump. The washed water is sent back by gravity to a
washed water sump, then transferring it to Equalization Tank by the washed water transfer
pumps.
Oily sludge handling system
An oily sludge settling tank receives the oily sludge from API separator, DAF unit,
miscellaneous oily sludge from crude and slop oil tank and H/E cleaning by containers or
trucks.
The oily sludge is sent to an oily sludge thickener which will concentrate the sludge up to 3
% from 2 %.
The thickened oily sludge is then sent to an oily sludge centrifuge decanter which dehydrate
the sludge to a 20 % solid cake.
The dehydrated oil sludge cake from the decanter is transferred to the open top container by
a cake conveyor and then it may be conveyed to an offsite landfill application.
Bio-sludge handling system
Aerobic digester receives bio-sludge from the biological treatment unit. Air distribution pipe
system provides sufficient air for digestion, to maintain a dissolved oxygen (DO) level.
The bio-sludge is sent a bio-sludge thickener which will concentrate the sludge up to 3 %
dry solids. The thickened bio-sludge transfer to a bio-sludge belt press which dehydrates the
sludge to a 17 % dry solids cake.
The dehydrated bio-sludge cake from the belt press is transferred to an open top container
by a bio-sludge cake conveyor.
Sanitary Waste Treatment plant
Two packaged rotating biological contactors receive sanitary waste water from the office,
buildings, toilets, and kitchen facilities.
The sanitary effluent treat at the aeration section and flows to the clarifier section.
The treated sanitary effluent flows by gravity into a hypochlorite contact tank.
The hypochlorite is dosed in to the contact tank by the injection pumps at start/stop signals
of a sanitary waste feed pumps.
The disinfected sanitary treated water which is introduced to a sanitary treated effluent tank
(is normally transferred to a final lift station sump.
In case of shortage of BOD5 in the biological aeration basins, the sanitary treated
water is led to aeration basin in WTP.
Initiatives
- Re-use of treated effluent as make up for fire water and raw water.
