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Copyright © 1999-2007 by Lawrence D. Wood, All rights reserved.

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1991 Test & Job results:  Gravel washing trial, Unocal, BP Exploration, Alaska Housing, Fish & Wildlife Service
1999:   Preliminary PCB bench test, 

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CONTACT INFORMATION

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TW75 Prototype Test and Job Results
(L&C Services, Inc.)

#1 Diesel (Stove Oil) Contaminated Gravels--April, 1991
 

This test was accomplished in April 1991 by contaminating several cubic yards of gravel with #2 diesel, than running the contaminated gravel through the machine. Samples were taken of the contaminated gravels, the cleaned gravels, and a control sample from the uncontaminated gravel comprising the sample lot.
 

Cook Inlet Crude Contaminated Gravels--June 2, 1991
 

In May 1991, L&C Services, Inc. was contacted by Unocal to test contaminated soils from a previous spill located at Granite Point on the west side of Cook Inlet. The significant aspect of this test was the fact that the contaminate was Cook Inlet Crude oil. Unocal representatives took samples of the treated soils. By all appearances, Unocal representatives expressed considerable interest in using Terra Wash^TM, but for reasons unknown, L&C and Unocal could not reach agreement on the cost to Unocal for the cleanup. The cleanup project involved 5,000CYDs of contaminated beach gravels.
 

In May 1991, L&C Services, Inc. undertook the first of three test series on unidentified source gravels contaminated with diesel and North Slope crude oil. The only information concerning the samples divulged by BP was that the samples came from a drilling pad on the North Slope. The prototype apparatus encourntered problems with an unidentified gray, fine clay substance of a greater than normal specific gravity for clays. This material was subsequently identified by BP as drilling mud. The prototype was then returned to Magnum for modifications for the second series of tests.

In July 1991, the modified prototype again processed another allotment of the same materials encountered in the previous test. This time, there were no problems with the materials processing system. This marked the first successful soil washing test in Alaska with soils composed of 85% bentonite drilling mud. With the success of this test, L&C was given the opportunity for a third series of tests completing the tests begun by Martech, Inc. in May. This last test went very smoothly at a steady production rate of 4CYDS/HR (6TPH). The TW 75 was designed with a maximum production rate of 5CYDS/HR (7.5TPH).

All of the test result samples were taken by BP's representative, Ms. Leslie Griffiths. BP had all samples from this first test and all subsequent tests sent to Superior Test Labs in California. Ms. Griffiths notified L&C that all of the test samples had been compromised due to mishandling by Superior's personnel. The only conclusive results out of this test series was the demonstrated success on tests two and three of the ability of the prototype soil washer to process bentonite drilling mud. This was significant in that a much larger soil washing system built by Martech, Inc. had failed its test. L&C then received Martech's allotment of contaminated soils. L&C failed to take any samples of its own as controls, a fact which left the Woods very dissatisfied.

BP's satisfaction with the test was demonstrated in inviting L&C to bid on a 25,000CYD project on the North Slope in January 1992. This bid was by invitation to contractors with the demonstrated ability to complete the work offered.

During the course of the last test in July 1991, Clay Borden , New Project Engineering, ARCO, attended. L&C was offered the opportunity to test 4,500CYDS on the North Slope, but refused the offer for reasons unknown. Larry Wood contacted Mr. Borden in September 1991 and was invited to visit the proposed site and to view a deep well injection disposal project then underway by Greens Construction, Co. It was during this visit that Mr. Wood was availed of the opportunities for Terra Wash^TM in oil field service work.
 

Underground Storage Tank Remediation--August, 1991
 

The Lovejoy test project was undertaken for an agency of the State of Alaska in September 1991.  This was the first commercial job for Terra Wash(TM).  This project was significant, because, like the BP tests, this test involved 85% -100 fine soils. This project involved approximately 110CYDS of #1 diesel (stove oil) contaminated soils. It should be noted that DEC's cleanup requirement for this job was to reduce the contaminate level to <200ppm.

It should be noted that a waste water disposal permit was issued by the Muncipality of Anchorage for the discharge of the remaining wash and rinse fluids into Anchorage's wastewater drain system.  After about three days of hot weather at the end of the job, the tank fluids were <ND> for hydrocarbons, indicating that there were native microbes present in the soils which must have taken care of the hydrocarbons in the tank fluids (water and surfactant).
 

The Kenai Fish & Wildlife aviation fuel clean-up was the first soil washing project undertaken in the dead of winter. The job location was Kenai, Alaska with ambient temperatures of between +15F (-9.4C) and +25F (-3.9C). Wind chill factors reduced the ambient temperature for the human operators to -20F ( -28.9C). This was the first job accomplished on behalf of a federal agency: Fish & Wildlife Service. 270CYDS of soils contaminated with avgas were processed. Again, this was a project with a high fines content.

The post treatment results were non-detect ( <ND> ), meaning the soils were cleaned to a point of there being no detectable hydrocarbons remaining in the soils. However, the Alaska Dept. of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) and Quest Environmenal all failed to take pre-treatment samples. Somehow, in spite of this, the Request for Disposal (RFD) for this project was approved. The applicable RFD is UST Project Spill No. 90-23-00-268-03.

In early 1999, a small soil sample was received contaminated with PCBs. A small bench test module was used to determine whether or not hot water and our materials handling system would accomplish a reduction of PCBs present in the sample.  A hot water wash at 160 deg. Fahrenheit was the wash medium.  The PCB contaminated soils and water were introduced into the bench test unit and agitated.  The fluids were then drawn off via a 5 micron carbon filter.  Pre-treatment indicated a contamination level of 849mg/dry kg.  Post-treatment sample indicated 405 mg/dry kg remaining, indicating a cleaning efficiency of 47.7% with just hot water.  It should be noted that this test emulated the first stage.  The TW300 has a total of three treatment stages.