Oil Skimmer Blog

Everyone is thinking “Green”  these days and looking for ways to make the world a cleaner place. Why not start with the groundwater? Pump & treat is an old solution to an old problem. The oil and groundwater are both pumped from the monitoring well. They are usually put into a collection tank and then the groundwater is treated to remove the oil. The PetroXtractor belt oil skimmer allows just the oil to be removed eliminating the need to treat the groundwater. The PetroXtractor line boasts models that are designed to fit in 2”, 4” and 6” (or larger) casings.  The belt oil skimmer uses groundwater surface tension to draw oil to the belt. A new solution to an old problem!

The PetroXtractor groundwater remediation oil skimmer can be placed in an existing monitoring well and remove the oil from the contaminated groundwater quickly and efficiently. Just like the rest of the Abanaki oil skimmers, the PetroXtractor can remove a wide variety of oils including fuel oils, coal tar, and creosote at rates up to 12 gallons per hour. No more bailing, no more expensive pump and treat. The PetroXtractor oil skimmer is the perfect green solution for groundwater remediation.

The Abanaki Solar Powered PetroXtractor gives companies options where electricity is not available. Many times well remediation will occur at an abandoned site where electricity is no longer available and the cost to run electricity is cost prohibitive. Abanaki’s solar powered systems have all the same capacities that the electrical systems offer but without the need for electricity. The Abanaki solar powered system with its battery back-up is designed to work in all parts of the country.

Find out more about PetroXtractor.

Many customers have come to realize that, when they purchase an oil skimmer from Abanaki, it is not a “one and done” deal.  Although the rugged construction of all of Abanaki’s oil skimmers assures a long-lasting, beneficial product, proper maintenance is important.

The relationship between oil and water in a mixture is well-known and governed by two physical properties:

• Specific Gravity: Most hydrocarbons have a lower specific gravity than water. Without agitation, oil separates from the water and floats to the surface. These oils are known as LNAPL’s, Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid. Oils (and other components) that sink in water have a higher specific gravity and are known as DNAPL’s, Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid.
• Surface Tension and Affinity: Normally, oil bonds more tightly to itself and other materials than to water. This affinity, and differences in surface tension between oil and water, cause oils to adhere to a skimming medium.

Although designs vary, all oil skimmers rely on specific gravity, surface tension and a moving medium to remove floating oil from a fluid’s surface.

Find out more about the 9 typical applications for Industrial oil skimmers by clicking the button below.