Oil Skimming System Helps Company Meet Discharge Rules

Retif Oil & Fuel Inc. is one of the top petroleum specialty products distributors in the nation, offering customers a full range of services from commercial and retail deliveries to on- and off-site refueling services. The company has served the greater New Orleans area through three facilities since 1965 and has a commitment to serve an expanded market throughout the entire Gulf Coast.

The Oil Skimmer system is available with prefabricated mounting packages for installation on pits, sumps and tanks.

At its site in Harvey, LA, Retif annually processes 6 million gallons of petroleum, transferring it from 8,000-gallon tanks to a variety of smaller containers that are then resold. When operators clean and service equipment used in this process, an oil/water mix runs off and is collected in a wastewater containment area.

Through a routine inspection, Retif Oil & Fuel learned that this wastewater contained more oil than state guidelines allow. Potentially, the company could have faced costly penalties, expensive wastewater treatment, and — ultimately — the loss of required permits if the wastewater was not brought into compliance.

The Model 6V uses a polyurethane tube that attracts and collects the waste oil as the tube floats on top of the wastewater.

The company installed a Model 6V Brill™ oil-recovery system from Oil Skimmers Inc. to reduce the amount of oil in its wastewater. President Kenny Retif said since installing the oil skimmer, the company has been in 100% compliance with state guidelines. The amount of oil in the wastewater has been reduced by about 99%, he said.

“We did a pretty good job on our discharge, but the Model 6V has helped us to comply, and we’ve had no issues whatsoever since installing it,” Retif said.

In a unique anti-clogging design, the Model 6V has a polyurethane tube that attracts and collects the waste oil as the tube floats on top of the wastewater. The tube passes through a ceramic scraper system to remove the oil, which flows by gravity into a containment drum. The unit can remove up to 100 gallons of waste oil per hour.

The system operates independently and, if needed, can run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its internal components are made of high-strength steel and bronze for durability. External parts are made from abrasive-resistant ceramic. The machine has a lifespan of more than 30 years.

The system is available with prefabricated mounting packages for installation on pits, sumps, ponds, and open or closed tanks. It also can be outfitted with insulation and heating packages for cold weather operation.

Retif said because his company hits compliance thresholds each month on the first test, staff no longer has to make adjustments and retest weekly.

“It’s not just the $60 we save each time we don’t have to test, but it (the system) is so much more efficient,” he said. For more information on the Model 6V oil-recovery system, visit the Oil Skimmers website at www.oilskim.com.