ECOHYDROLOGY HYDROBIOLOGY The evaluation of Environmental Situation due

ECOHYDROLOGY & HYDROBIOLOGY The evaluation of Environmental Situation due to the Oil Industry Activity in Albania Bujar Seiti, Dritan Topi, Alketa Lame Spiro Drushku, Eduard Andoni 1 Department of Chemistry, 2 Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Technology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Blv. ”Zogu i Ire”, Tirana, Albania BALWOIS, 2010

OIL INDUSTRY AND THE ENVIRONMENT Albania shows a high diversity for natural energetic sources. The intense use for some of them shows a high productivity. The crude oil actually plays an important role in the Albanian Economy. Just to mention that in the energetic balance of our country, the energetic hydrocarbon sources are approximately 62 %. This study has analyzed the soil contamination levels of approx. 1500 oil sludge pools with a combined area of 95 ha. Impacts on soil are assessed as serious. Apart from the environmental impact, the sludge pools form an environmental risk and safety risk.

Oil Industry in Albania The Oil Industry operates in a vast territory, mainly concentrated to the Western part of Albania, to the regions of: Fieri, Ballshi, Vlora, Kuçova, etc. Oil refining industry includes: v. Oil Deep Refining Plant, located in Ballshi; and v. Oil Refining Plant, located in Fieri. The total Oil Processing capacity reach 1. 5 million ton y-1. Annually Crude Oil Production is approx. 520 thousand tones.

The Area of the Oil industry operation in Albania

Scope of the paper This study takes in analyze actual situation on the soil contamination by Oil Industry operations in: Ø The major oilfields of Marineza, Sheqishta, Ballshi, Patosi and Gorishti; and Ø The processing centers: O. D. R. P. Ballshi & O. R. P. Fieri; Ø The main factors which play a key role in that issue are: oil wells, Ø the well bench (the centers of collection of crude oil), Ø the decanting plants, Ø the pipelines for the transport of crude oil, and Ø Energy Black Outs etc. Ø Gives proposals on environmental measures on rehabilitation and preventing schemes for those areas.

The criteria selected for the evaluation of environmental pollution The first criteria to give a pollution situation are the measured values. The second criteria the density of objects in the oil industry gives interferences among them. (Marinza, Sheqishta, Visoka, decanting plants, Marusha Lake, etc. ) The third criteria is geographical position.

Size of contaminated area by decantation plant The Oil field Marinza Decantation Polluted Nr. plant Size (m 2) waters (m 3 location y-1) 1 Marinza 38000 171550 2 Sheqishti 3 33000 139633 Gorishti 2670 135378 4 Visoka 1000 106729 5 Kashi 480 400504 6 Usoja - 400749 7 Kuçova - 6618

Crude oil content The penetration levels in soil reach 0. 3 m around the oil well, and till 0. 8 under the polluted area of oil well groups and the decanting plants in the Patosi-Marinza oilfield. Actually are in function close to 165 oil well groups and their impact in soil contamination is considerably high. The reservoirs of oil collection in these groups show high scale of corroding. The decanting plants are problematic regarding to the environmental pollution in report with their number. The effect of the pollution of soil from these plants is too high.

The values of crude oil content in depth 0. 3 m soil to decanting plants Nr. Decanting plants 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Marinza (1) Marinza (2) Marinza (3) Marinza (4) Sheqishta (1) Sheqishta (2) Sheqishta (3) Sheqishta (4) Visoka (1) Visoka (2) Visoka (3) Crude oil content (mg/kg soil) 6200. 0 50100. 0 18900. 0 168800. 0 22400. 0 39300. 0 29700. 0 31000. 0 20200. 0 117200. 0 74400. 0

The surface water’s pollution The Gjanica River water (downstream of Usoja plant in μg/l ) Total petroleum hydrocarbon Up to 16. 000 Benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene and xylenes Up to 1. 000 Phenol Up to 290 • The Semani River water pollution to the activity area Total hydrocarbons Up to 140 Benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene and xylenes Up to 23 Phenol Up to 140

The evaluation of the environmental monitoring in Oilfield Marinza The Oilfield of Marinza covers an area of 25000 ha and that is considered the most contaminated area in Oil Drillings Industry. The contaminated soils are heterogonous. Decanting Plants are the main contributor in contamination. The actual size of the contaminated area is 320 000 m 2 and average pollution area per oil well is approx. 620 m 2. The depth of penetration of the crude oil varies 0. 2 -0. 3 m. The amount of oil leaked by the Marinza Oilfield is approx. 5210 m 3 oil y-1. The hydric system includes the Roskoveci-Hoxhara Collector.

The Environmental situation in the Oilfield of Sheqishti The Oilfield of Sheqishta covers an area of 400 ha. In total the estimated polluted surface is approx. 116 000 m 2. The high pollution level is represented not uniformly The penetration rate of oil varies in 0. 1 -0. 35 m. The amount of oil that need to be evaded is estimated approx. 610 m 3. The decanting plant, which is the main pollution site, is situated in Marinza. The hydric system is considered polluted

Impacts on natural environment, Patosi The polluted area of the Patosi oilfield is approx. 125 000 m 2. The depth of penetration of crude oil is 0. 3 m. In part of oil wells pools are filled with oil, and the its amount is approx 320 m 3. The soil contamination in the Patosi and Visoka oilfields is evident. The technology of exploitation dictates the use of thinner injection prior to the extraction of crude oil from the oil well. Failures in principal pipelines and secondary pipelines, and big amounts of crude oil are discharged in environment. The pollution is not uniform and is similar with the Sheqishta region. In the Visoka region the environmental pollution is uniform and the main contributor of pollution is the decanting plant.

The surface waters’ pollution In total the discharges from the Marinza. Oilfield are: approx. 5210 m 3 oil y-1. approx. 288350 m 3 y-1 polluted water In total the discharges from the Sheqishti Oilfield are: approx. 770 m 3 oil y-1. The collector of Roskoveci-Hoxhara is discharged approx. 182500 m 3 y-1 polluted water In total the discharges from the Patosi Oilfield are: approx. 1349 m 3 oil y-1. approx. 102350 m 3 y-1 polluted water In total the discharges from the Gorrishti Oilfield are approx. 135 000 m 3 y-1 polluted water In total the discharges from the Kuçova Oilfield are approx. 6618 m 3 y-1 polluted water

The environmental Impacts by Ballshi Oilfield The Ballshi-Hekali and Cakrani-Mollaj oilfield are situated in South-West of Ballshi city. The water system is constituted by many water bodies: Gjanica River, Marusha Reservoir, etc. The oilfield area for each of them is approximately 4600 ha. The soil pollution of this oilfield is different by the Marinza oilfield. This plant covers an area of 500 m 2 contaminated by crude oil and mixture crude oil/water. In contrast to that the Usoja decanting plant is in general quite clean.

Impacts on natural environment, by Gorrishti Oilfield The Gorrishti-Koculi Oilfield covers an area of 18 -20 km in South of Vlora city. The water system includes the Vjosa River. The soil contamination of Gorrishti-Koculi is considered low. The soil quality is acceptable and the oil well groups do not discharge the waters in environment. Considerable area in this plant is estimated to be 2670 m 2.

Impacts on Natural Environment, Q. P. N. KUÇOVA The oilfield of Kuçova is approx. 3000 ha. The water system includes the Osumi and Devolli Rivers. In that oilfield in general the groups are considered clean. The area for every oil well reach 850 m 2 and approx. 30% is considered polluted.

The pollution in the Ballshi region The oil industry in that region (Kashi and Usoja) is the main contributor of hydric systems like: Gjanica River, Marusha Lake. The decanting plant of Usoja works with closed system, consequently the contamination is in lower scale. The maximal values resulted above the standards. The pollution in the Gorrishti region comes due to the over exploitation of that oilfield. Main pollution is situated to the decanting plant, groups and oil wells the decanting plant gives the main contribution in the pollution of the Vjosa river.

Conclusions The soil and water system in these territories is considered polluted and makes a concern for the inhabitants and employers of the Industry and especially the Patosi-Marinza oilfield. In the main part of the year these values are above the standards. A considerable number of decanting crude oil plants are with highly amortized and corrosion, especially the decanting plant of Marinza, Sheqishta, Gorrishti and Kashi. In general the Kuçova Oilfield is considered in better conditions compared to other Oilfields. The Crude Oil Collection Groups are generally in deteriorated conditions, especially the reservoirs of the crude oil collection. The pipeline system used for the transporting of crude oil, in many sites is corroded, hence many leaks are present. The pollution impacted by oil industry in aquatic system has

Conclusions Main source of pollution is the drilling activity and crude oil processing industry. The deposition of crude oil in decanting plants don’t fit the conditions for adequate processing. Non optimal functioning of the separators in water removal from the crude oil. The lack of implementation of laws for environmental protection, gives way the discharge of water and gas effluents directly to the environment. An active role play subjective factors, like pond congestion on the decanting plants over the capacity. Negligence on remounting processes in the oil industry, and Lack of the harmonization between the demands for growth production in respect to environment conservation.

Recommendations Need for the technology renovation. Implementing of closed systems in Oil Processing Industry. Averting of water effluent discharges by the oil well territories and injection to the exhausted oil well layers. Reactivation of the treatment plants as well as oil separators for the technological water effluents close to drilling and refining centers prior to reach Sea. The ongoing monitoring to implement the standards on discharges for environmental pollution according to the legal norms. Periodic examinations of working staff to protect their health. Necessity that this solid wastes to be recycled as energy sources in future.

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