Wärtsilä receives the first order for its new Slop Water Treatment System
The new Wärtsilä slop water treatment system has been ordered for an ultra-deep water drill ship operating in the Gulf of Mexico. The order is the first for the new system, which enhances Wärtsilä’s position as the marine industry’s leading provider of innovative products, solutions and services. The contract was signed in the end of 2013, the company said in its press release.
The Wärtsilä slop water treatment system is designed to treat and clean water contaminated with slop or drilling mud. For operators, large volumes of slop mud result in enormous disposal expenses and represent a potentially significant environmental issue. The environmentally favourable Wärtsilä system enables the amount of drill slop sent ashore to be reduced by as much as 80 to 90 per cent. With its compact design and modular concept, the Wärtsilä slop water treatment system is easy to retrofit to any rig.
“Wärtsilä has vast experience in the treatment of oil, water and discharge waste for offshore platforms, production vessels, and other maritime vessels with systems that meet all existing and anticipated standards. By being able to provide high performance solutions that safely reduce the need for drill slop to be sent ashore, we are promoting environmental sustainability as well as lowering our customers’ operating costs,” says Juha Kytölä, Vice President Environmental Solutions, Wärtsilä Ship Power.
The drillship for which this first installation is intended, is capable of drilling wells at water depths of up to 10,000 ft (3100 m). It has a drill water capacity of 2178 m3, which provides an indication of the amount of slop water that will be handled by the Wärtsilä slop water treatment system.
Wärtsilä Slop Water Treatment system
The system’s processing principles are based on a combination of chemical treatment and dissolved air flotation. The chemicals flocculate and bind together particles, making them easier to separate, which then allows flotation by dissolved air to separate both particles and oil from the water. The result is clear water, free of particles and oil, and acceptable for discharging into the environment or for reuse on the rig. The discharge is monitored by an in-line, oil-in-water content meter that ensures that the oil in the water is below the required limits before the water is pumped overboard.