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Bilge Water from a Drill Ship
Frontier Drilling polishes bilge water dischargesBackground As an oil drilling company that operates ships all over the world, Frontier Drilling stays current on environmental regulations regarding ship discharges in waters from the Indian Ocean to the Arctic Ocean. To help meet worldwide water quality standards, all of Frontier Drilling's ships are equipped with a Oil Water Separator (OWS) system for their bilge water, which separates oil from water before the excess water is discharged overboard. Normally these oil water separator (OWS) systems are an effective, solution to removing contaminants from the bilge water. However, it is a regular occurrence for the OWS to bypass slugs of oil, breakdown, or operate in out of control conditions. A back up system is often needed to ensure compliance. "The back-up system (MYCELX) can take over to ensure continuity of function and conformity with the law," said Ola-Peter Tollefsen, an operations and marketing manager with Frontier Drilling. The Problem If an OWS fails, it can cause many environmental woes. Oily bilge water can poison fish and other marine organisms. Research has shown that the by-products from the biological breakdown of petroleum products, such as diesel fuel, oil and gasoline, harm fish and wildlife and pose threats to humans if they are ingested. Even sheen, the rainbow coloration that forms on the surface of contaminated water, can be blown onto the shoreline and cover small plants and animals, interfering with respiration and life cycles. This shoreline pollution also can cause animals to abandon nesting areas they may have been using for years. Vessel operators must comply with laws or they can be fined for considerable amounts of money. Such was the case recently, when a major cruise line company was fined $18 million for illegally discharging oily bilge water. The Solution The manager at Frontier Drilling purchased a MYCELX MX-22 filter unit, manufactured by MYCELX Technologies Corporation. The MX-22 is used as a back up system on the Frontier Duchess, one of the company's oil drill ships, ensuring no contaminants are discharged with the bilge water and allowing the ship to comply with stringent marine legislation in the waters near Singapore and India. MYCELX Polishing Unit Installed "I first read about MYCELX and its BilgeKleen unit on the internet," Tollefsen said. "I liked their concept of zero discharge of contaminated bilge water by means of a simple filter. Since I am involved in the offshore oil and gas industry, it was natural for me to try it out." MYCELX manufactures BilgeKleen units in all sizes, The smallest, the BK-1, is designed for use on pleasure boats and yachts, while much larger versions are available with flow rate capacities of up to 780 gpm. The MX-22, used on the Frontier Duchess, utilizes the same MYCELX technology as the smaller BilgeKleen systems. When infused into various filter media, MYCELX removes virtually 100 percent of hydrocarbon pollution from water. The amazing thing is that this can be done in a single pass with less than 0.5 psi of backpressure even when fully saturated. Once the pollutants come in contact with MYCELX, they instantly bond to the material and become extremely water repellent and thickened, which removes them entirely from the water. The Results The MX-22 filter was installed on the Frontier Duchess in the fall of 2000, and "it's working great," Tollefsen said. Before, if the OWS had malfunctioned and contaminated water had been discharged, the fine would have been steep. With the MX-22 filter, the Frontier Duchess' crew has no longer has to worry about the typical "out of control" conditions. The Benefits "I have not seen a better alternative to the MYCELX filter range on the market, and I find it a simple and cost-effective solution to ensure against pollution," Tollefsen said. "The cost-effectiveness may be measured as an 'insurance policy' against pollution to avoid spills that could result in fines. "It also shows potential clients, such as oil companies, and authorities that we are a serious and responsible drilling contractor that takes measures to protect the environment over and above what may be strictly required by law." The company is in the process of installing the filters on its entire fleet of drill ships, an act that will prove their commitment to environmentally responsible behavior. "I believe the MYCELX filter range has great potential, as pollution of the seas and inland waters is now a priority issue," Tollefsen said. MYCELX polishing filter products are designed to remove hydrocarbons ranging from raw BTEX to crude oil, sheen, chlorinated solvents, PCBs, POPs, TBT, and organically bound metals from water. Beyond the filter technology, MYCELX also has a full line of oil spill remediation materials ranging from specialty pads to sheen booms, marine & marina products, air filtration and industrial processing & wastewater systems. |