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مجلة النفط والتعاون العربي
161
العدد
- 2017
أربعون
المجلد الثالث و ال
2016
أوابك العلمية لعام
�
ص لبحوث العلمية الفائزة بجائزة
�
عدد خا
28
18
Chapter 2 - Environmental Impact and Resource
Conservation
Environmental awareness in the last few decades has been a major driver of the
petroleum industry to produce better products and lessen their environmental
impact. Resource conservation has become more desirable since the correction of
crude oil prices in the 1970s where every country tried to use less to satisfy a
growing demand. Used lubricating oils play a role in both the above targets as we
shall see.
Collection of Used Oils:
The collection of used lubricating oils is probably the hardest step in a chain of
salvaging the resource whether for energy recovery, re-refining or disposal. It is
a logistical problem that requires careful study and consideration before any
decision is made. The problem arises from the multitude of points of generation,
small and big, around any country that may impact the method of utilization.
The distribution of lubricating oils should be the starting point because the
volume of generated waste oil is proportional to that. The companies do have the
data base for such information where a planning body can collate the numbers
from different distributors. The re-refining facility or fuel processing plant
location should be decided in such a way as to minimize the cost of collection,
storage and final transportation to the facility or end user.
Used oil generating points should be provided with a storage tank or tanks
proportional to the expected generation of the used oil. It is better to standardize
these tanks and fittings so as the collection trucks may use the same procedure at
each place.
If the distances to the re-refining facility are close the collection trucks can deliver
directly there. But if the area covered is large, regional or national, then
intermediate storage facilities are the norm before larger trucks can collect from
these storage sites to the processing facility.
Concentration should be first on large volume used oil generators such as airports,
the military;
truck fleets garages, taxi company’s service stations before getting
to the smaller points such as service stations, small lube change shops and so on.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) points to the necessity of “providing