Document ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2003-0074-0587
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2003-12-24T05:00Z

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Need
to
return
call
by
/
at/
between
and
.
Signature:
Project
No.:
DISTRIBUTION
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Project
Name:
National
Strategy
TELEPHONE
CALL
RECORD
Outgoing
Call
Date:
11/
26/
03
Time:
1:
00PM
Company
Name:
Petrolite
(
Baker
Hughes)
Contact
Name:
Dave
Szykowny
Phone
No.:
925­
682­
3313
Name:
Arash
Hooshangi
Eastern
Research
Group,
Inc.

GENERAL
SUBJECT
:
VSEP
System
by
New
Logic
Application
in
Petroleum
Refining
TOPICS
DISCUSSED
AND
ACTION
TAKEN
Dave
Szykowny
is
an
engineer
with
the
Petrolite
division
of
Baker
Hughes
company.
I
received
his
phone
number
from
New
Logics
and
they
identified
him
as
a
contact
person
for
the
VSEP
system.
Dave
started
by
stating
that
he
believed
the
VSEP
system
is
an
enabling
technology
that
will
reduce
operating
costs
and
will
turn
petroleum
refineries
into
zero
dischargers
in
the
future.
He
provided
some
background
history
and
he
mentioned
that
this
system
was
originally
developed
by
Petrolite
in
the
60'
s.
When
the
patent
expired,
New
Logic
started
to
develop
a
similar
system.
A
few
years
ago,
Petrolite
recognized
what
New
Logic
had
done
and
decided
to
join
them
in
the
effort.
For
that
reason,
New
Logic
and
Petrolite
have
made
a
joint
venture
in
which
Petrolite
has
assumed
the
role
of
testing
and
completing
the
model
that
was
developed
by
New
Logic.
They
have
identified
two
areas
where
this
system
can
be
used
to
reduce
TOC
and
oily
solids
from
wastewater
systems.
1)
Desalting
units
to
remove
oily
solids
2)
Selenium
removal
from
stripped
sour
water.
They
have
done
pilot
work
in
both
areas
and
the
result
has
been
promising.
Mr.
Szykowny
mentioned
that
as
a
next
step,
they
will
build
a
full­
scale
pilot
system
running
24
by
7.
Mr.
Szykowny
believes
that
the
major
advantage
that
their
system
has
is
that
by
having
most
oily
solids
removed
from
the
waste
streams,
the
wastewater
treatment
facility
will
be
much
more
efficient
in
removing
pollutants
such
as
PACs
because
the
treatment
facility
will
operate
at
an
steady
state
and
the
microorganisms
will
perform
much
better.
He
believes
that
the
system
will
be
capable
of
converting
refineries
into
zero
dischargers
within
10
years
and
he
thinks
that
it
is
very
economically
feasible.
The
Desalter
system
is
placed
on
the
destaler
waste
stream
and
removes
oily
solids.
It
has
a
membrane
which
is
replaceable
and
can
even
be
set
to
remove
metals
from
that
stream.
The
Selenium
removal
system
can
reduce
the
concentration
of
selenium
to
under
50
ppb.
He
explained
that
in
a
petroleum
refinery,
there
are
two
major
wastewater
streams.
One
is
the
destaler
effluent
which
is
routed
to
wastewater
treatment
plant
and
contains
high
levels
of
oily
solids.
Second
is
the
main
chemical
sewer
to
which
all
unit
operations
discharge;
this
stream
is
also
sent
to
the
treatment
facility.
He
believes
that
the
system
is
economically
driven
and
can
save
significantly
in
operating
costs.
In
summary,
he
said
that
VSEP
is
a
promising
technology
that
will
reduce
operating
cost,
remove
pollutants
and
increase
water
recycling
in
petroleum
refineries.