Enhanced Fuel Oil Recovery Using Steam Injection and Dual Phase Vacuum Extraction at a Paper Recycling Facility in Dublin, Georgia, 1998 Environmental Conference Proceedings

W. Mark Bailey, P.G.

BE&K Environmental Company

Andrea Schneider

Southeast Paper Manufacturing Company

BE&K Environmental Company (BE&K) was retained by Southeast Paper Manufacturing Company (Southeast Paper) of Dublin, Georgia to perform a dual-phase fuel oil recovery pilot test beneath a diked containment area in support of planned, full-scale remedial activities. The containment area surrounds two fuel oil above ground storage tanks (ASTs), termed the Fuel Oil Day Tanks, which are used to store boiler fuel for mill operations. Sandy soils (building subgrade material), saturated with No. 2 and No. 6 fuel oil and perched on in-situ sandy clay, were discovered beneath the concrete containment floor during a dike repair project completed in Spring 1996.

The objective of the pilot testing was to evaluate free-phased product (fuel oil) recovery with and without steam injection utilizing vacuum extraction as the recovery mechanism. An existing steam system was utilized as the steam source. The steam injection enhancement appeared to produce a 55% increase in oil recovery over vacuum extraction alone. We are continuing to evaluate the pilot test results and develop design parameters and cost estimates to install a full-scale system consisting of steam injection/vacuum extraction using horizontal well technology.