Atlantic Richfield Company

Winton G Aubert

Thomas K Perkins

Wayne A Kriel

Edward Malachosky

Terry J Moore

C Richard Knowles

A method is provided for remediation of soils contaminated with at least one volatile organic contaminant, such as benzene, toluene, xylene, polynuclear aromatics and the like. The method includes placing a layer of a vapor barrier material over the contaminated soil and thereafter treating the soil so as to stabilize the soil and thereby reduce emissions of the volatile organic contaminants therefrom. The vapor barrier material is selected from oil-based muds, natural gels, and aqueous surfactant-based foams, and in particular, certain aqueous surfactant based foams which are relatively easy to generate and use, as well as being long-lasting in effect. The method may obviate the need to chemically treat a remediation site, or erect costly containment structures, such as a tent or canopy, to reduce emissions of the volatile contaminants during soil remediation activities.

Soil remediation method

Volatile organic compounds, including, in particular, the BTEX group, present in wastewater and groundwater in concentrations of about 1.0 PPM to 100 PPM, may be removed by adsorption onto a polymer coated porous substrate. The substrate is preferably selected from a group consisting of mullite, diatomaceous earth and ground structural brick and fire brick. The polymer coatings may be applied by immersing the substrate in a solution of the polymer or the polymer coating may be generated on the substrate by polymerization of a substrate coated resin. Polystyrene, polypropylene glycol, polymethyl silicone, polyesters and polyurethanes may be used as the coating material. The adsorbent composition may be disposed in a packed column, as a liner for storage pits, as a barrier for surface bodies of water and groundwater flow, and may be regenerated or disposed of by deep well injection.

Extraction and disposal of organic wastes with polymer coated porous

Mine tailings and similar materials are disposed of by replacing the tailings in underground mineworks including the shafts, adits and drifts by forming a slurry of tailings using dredging or similar mixing processes and pumping the slurry to the mineworks. Cementitious materials may be added to selected quantities of the tailings slurries to form cement plugs for placement at selected intervals in the mineworks to minimize connectivity of the mineworks shafting, adits and drifts. The mineworks may be dewatered to provide a source of water for the slurrification process and the water may be reused after separation from the slurry. The disposal process provides a convenient way of replacing mine tailings in a repository of similar mineralogy and at least partially eradicates abandoned mineworks, including shafting, adits and drifts, which otherwise might require continual monitoring and dewatering.

Mine tailings replacement

Organic waste such as hydrocarbon waste, refinery sludges, tank bottom sludges, certain wastes from paint, solvent and wax manufacturing and active metals and active metal oxide compositions are disposed of by combining such compositions with bentonite and water to adsorb the waste composition into the bentonite followed by injection of the waste, bentonite and water slurry into a subterranean disposal zone to fix the waste material within disaggregated matrix or created fractures.

Organic and metallic waste disposal in bentonite-water mixtures

Liquid wastes and slurries of ground solids wastes are injected into earth formation zones which have a fluid content of fluid similar to the liquid wastes or slurry which is below the irreducible saturation level for the liquid wastes or slurry to be injected. The formation may be non-hydrocarbon bearing or a depleted hydrocarbon bearing reservoir which has been depleted by enhanced fluid recovery techniques below its ambient irreducible fluid saturation value.

Growing community of inventors

Plano, TX, United States of America

Winton G Aubert