The disposal of drilling muds used in the oil industry is a question of no little importance, considered from an environmental standpoint. These muds contain a solid phase, consisting generally of barite and bentonite, and two liquid phases consisting of water and hydrocarbons. At the Hassi Messaoud refinery in Algeria, Geosintex ran tests, and found that SINTEXTUBE D filters provide a quick and inexpensive separation of the 3 components in question. The experiment revealed that water is expelled immediately, whereas the hydrocarbons (accompanied by a small amount of residual water) emerge from the filter at a later stage. Using this method, at all events, it becomes possible not only to retain the firm mass of solids internally of the SINTEXTUBE D, but also to achieve an efficient separation of the 2 liquid phases, without consuming inordinate amounts of energy, and without the need for large open air decanting basins.
