Institut Francais Du Pe'trole

Jean Ducreux

Eric Lafargue

Daniel Pillot

Francedillaois Marquis

Christian Bocard

Daniel Ballerini

Marc Baviere

Nicole Monin

A device for evaluating at least one pollution characteristic of natural soils contaminated by hydrocarbon compounds, said device comprising a first heater heating said sample in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, a measuring device determining an amount of hydrocarbon compounds released after feeding the sample into said first heater, a sample transfer device transferring the sample from the first heater into a second heater operating in an oxidizing atmosphere, a CO.sub.2 measuring device determining CO.sub.2 contained each effluent discharged from the two heaters, said CO.sub.2 measuring device measuring continuously the CO.sub.2 throughout the heating cycle of the first and the second heaters and including a device measuring CO contained in each effluent discharged from the two heaters, a temperature controller controlling the temperature of samples waiting to be fed into said heating means, and a device determining the pollution characteristic.

Method for evaluating a pollution characteristic of a soil sample

A method of evaluating at least on type of pollution characteristic in a soil sample contaminated by hydrocarbon compounds, a method wherein the soil sample is first heated in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, then in an oxidizing atmosphere. The method comprises several temperature rise stages from which at least five quantities Q.sub.0, Q.sub.1, Q.sub.2, Q.sub.3 and Q.sub.4 are measured, wherein the quantities represent concentrations of hydrocarbon compounds in the soil sample. At least one type of pollution characteristic of the sample is determined from quantities Q.sub.0, Q.sub.1, Q.sub.2, Q.sub.3 and Q.sub.4.

The invention relates to a decontamination process for a porous medium polluted by hydrocarbons according to a composition containing a surface active agent as glycolipids in their crude or modified form is introduced, for example by at least one input well, in the optional presence of hydrocarbon-destroying bacteria and at least one part of the composition containing at least one part of the hydrocarbons is collected, for example by a production well.

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Bougival, France

Jean Ducreux