KIBBUTZ AMIAD, Israel, Dec. 21, 2010 -- Amiad Filtration Systems (LSE: AFS) (www.amiad.com ), a global provider of innovative water filtration technologies, announced today the completion of the first stage of its salt leaching brine filtration system at an underground liquid hydrocarbon storage facility in France. Performance testing and operation in real conditions is now underway.
The entire project -- including initial studies, construction, installation and maintenance -- is projected at a cost of €6 Million.
"This underground facility is one of the largest and most strategic oil reserves in France," said Bruno Jauneaud, General Manager of Amiad Europe. "We are very pleased to have been selected to provide the facility with our most advanced industrial self-cleaning filtration solution, which is designed to specifically meet the demanding needs of the oil and gas industry, a challenge that Amiad is uniquely qualified to overcome."
The underground facility consists of stored liquid hydrocarbons, including crude oil, gasoline and fuel, in 27 salt-leached caverns, and has a capacity of 7.5 million cubic meters.
To create these underground caverns, it is necessary to filter salt leaching brine down to 3 micron (300gtrs per liter of salt) and remove total suspended solids (TSS), to comply with the maximum 10mg/L of TSS content allowed for injection into the sea.
Beyond performing well above the required level, Amiad's solution was selected for its unique features, including:
- Chemical-free filtration solution, as the cavern is located in a protected natural forest
- Waste-free filtration process, the filter's flush water is recycled during the leaching process
- Outdoor installation, the system is able to withstand extreme temperatures (-25 °C to 40°C), and avoids the cost of erecting a facility to house it.
This installation is the third significant brine leaching application supplied by Amiad, and follows installations at Pine Prairie Energy Center, LLC (PPEC) in Louisiana and SG Resources Mississippi LLC (SGRM) in Mississippi (both in the USA).
About Amiad
Founded in 1962, Amiad Filtration Systems (LSE:AFS) is one of the world's most significant producers of water filtration products
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