Bioremediation

• Land-farm or compost to allow aerobic degradation

Thermal

• Direct or indirect fired, or microwave, incineration/volatilization using heat

Grinding

• Hammer/rotary mill which grinds solids and generates heat to desorb oil

Chemical Solvent

• Hydrocarbon solvent (aromatic, C5-C6) used to dissolve oil from sand surface

Bio/Chemical Surfactant

• Biological/chemical additions to reduce surface tension and desorb oil

Mechanical Scrubbing

• High shear action through abrasion/attrition to shear oil from sand particle

Various Combination of Above Actions

• e. hot water, soap, and shearing action – washing machine

All of these have been used in the upstream oil & gas industry, and the most common approach in offshore operations is Mechanical Scrubbing.

References:

1. Rawlins, C.H. and Wang, I. 2001. “Design and Installation of a Sand-Separation and -Handling System for a Gulf of Mexico Oil Production Facility”. SPE Production and Facilities, August, pp. 134-140. https://doi.org/10.2118/72999-PA
2. Rawlins, C.H. 2019. “Enhanced Production Through Surface Facilities Sand Management.” SPE Distinguished Lecturer presentation. Link here

Next week I will define oil & gas sand cleaning.