Underground Gasoline Extraction Made Easier
The Abanaki PetroXtractor® Well Oil Skimmer was recently evaluated by BJAMM Environmental, Inc. of Canal Fulton, Ohio. Working closely with the Ohio EPA and the Bureau of Underground Storage Agency, this consulting group deals primarily with gas stations using underground storage and industrial sites concerned with groundwater contamination. They define potential risk and provide ongoing monitoring and reporting until a ‘no further action status’ is achieved.
Evaluating the Abanaki PetroXtractor
Always researching new resources to provide better service to their customers, BJAMM took an interest in Abanaki Corporation’s oil skimming technology. Dave Sears, a Research and Development Troubleshooter for the company, was given the Abanaki PetroXtractor well oil skimmer for evaluation. This unit is ideal for applications with limited access areas and deep drops between mounting surfaces and liquid surfaces—something that makes it especially successful in groundwater remediation systems, monitoring wells, recovery wells, and underground tanks.
In dealing with spills, BJAMM often uses monitoring wells to keep an eye on contamination. In some cases, they’re able to rely solely on the PetroXtractor to bring contaminate to acceptable EPA levels. “Abanaki’s one-inch belt works in these small wells, and in some cases will reduce the number of new wells needed,” Sears explains.
BJAMM has also experimented with mounting the skimmer on a mobile, hydraulically elevated table. “The platform can be raised or lowered about 20 inches. This allows us to move the PetroXtractor from one well to the next….and adjust for variation in water level.” Recovered gasoline products are then discharged into 55-gallon drums disposed of by a local waste management company.
Dave Sears feels that “the skimmer does a good job.” He likes the way Abanaki listens and responds. “The original one-inch belt supplied with the PetroXtractor tended to twist and curl up…we told Abanaki that we thought it might be too thin. They responded by supplying a belt with a thicker backing… and this has worked much better…Abanaki listens to our feedback and is very helpful.” He expects to use the skimmer on other sites for gasoline products and has a proposal pending to use it for oil recovery in industrial settings.
Copyright Abanaki Corporation.
