CR3 used patented Green Chemistry to decontaminate a refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit at short notice, with no external effluent disposal and an estimated USD 150,000 saved.
When a refinery in Malaysia had to shut down a Crude Distillation Unit at short notice for urgent inspection, speed was the main constraint. The unit required man-entry, which meant it had to be degassed, decontaminated and made safe within a narrow window.
Emergency shutdowns leave little time to prepare. In this case, the refinery needed the Crude Distillation Unit decontaminated and certified safe for man-entry quickly, without compromising the inspection schedule.
Refinery decontamination also brings an effluent problem. Conventional methods produce effluents with high emulsion content and high chemical oxygen demand (COD), which require dedicated wastewater treatment. Most sites are not set up to handle these directly, so the effluents add cost, time, or both. This refinery needed an approach that produced condensates its existing effluent treatment plant could process without exceeding parameters.
CR3 applied patented Green Chemistry using ZymeFlow UN657. Before mobilising, the chemistry was tested and approved for routing straight to the site’s existing effluent treatment plant (ETP), using industrial test methods.
The CR3 team mobilised to site within 24 hours and carried out a full survey to define the scope of the decontamination. A specialised procedure was then developed, with the team ready to begin work within 72 hours of the initial survey.
Decontamination of the Crude Distillation Unit was completed well within the 12-hour KPI. The chemistry achieved effective pyrophoric passivation and sludge conditioning, evidenced by the cleanliness of the trays on opening for man-entry. No preliminary steaming or blinding was required.
Because the condensates could be routed directly through the site’s existing ETP, the work required zero external disposal or treatment. This saved the refinery an estimated USD 150,000 in associated costs, and returned the unit to inspection faster than conventional methods would have allowed.
This project shows how patented Green Chemistry can shorten emergency decontamination while removing the effluent-handling burden that conventional methods create. For refineries facing tight shutdown windows, the combination of speed and on-site effluent compatibility offers a clear operational and commercial advantage.
To learn more about CR3’s decontamination services, please click the link below: