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Home > KOSUN News >
Oil Sludge Treatment Methods
Oct 13, 2025
Oily sludge treatment is an important solid waste generated in the petroleum industry production process and has been included in the National
Hazardous Waste List (HW08 category).
The following are several main methods for treating oil sludge and their characteristics
Hazardous Waste List (HW08 category).
The following are several main methods for treating oil sludge and their characteristics
| processing mode | Core principle | Main applicable scenarios | Key advantages | Key advantages |
| Chemical hot washing method | Using hot alkaline water solution and surfactant, oil sludge was cleaned under heating and mechanical stirring to realize oil, water and solid three-phase separation. | Landing sludge treatment, high oil content of sludge | The oil recovery rate is high, the oil content of residue can be reduced to below 1%, the cost is relatively low, and the operation is relatively simple. | The oil recovery rate is high, the oil content of residue can be reduced to below 1%, the cost is relatively low, and the operation is relatively simple. |
| Incineration | At high temperature (800-850℃), the organic matter in the oil sludge is oxidized and decomposed, so as to achieve maximum reduction and harmlessness. | Various types of sludge are especially suitable for situations where other methods are difficult to treat or require complete harmlessness. | Thorough treatment, remarkable volume reduction effect, and effective destruction of toxic and harmful substances. | The equipment investment and operation cost are high, and the energy consumption is high, and the secondary waste gas may be generated, which should be strictly controlled. |
| bio treatment method | Using specific microorganisms to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons in oil sludge and convert them into harmless carbon dioxide and water. | Sludge with relatively low oil content and not in a hurry to be treated, or as a means of advanced treatment. | Low operation cost, environmental friendliness and no secondary pollution. | The treatment period is long (several weeks to several months), and the efficiency is greatly affected by environmental factors such as climate and temperature, which requires high-efficiency degradation strain screening. |
| Solvent extraction method | Based on the principle of "similar miscibility", organic solvents were selected to extract and recover crude oil from oil sludge. | Oil sludge with complex composition, high oil content and high recycling value | The oil is completely recovered and the treatment effect is good. | Extractants are expensive, costly and complex, and have not been applied in large-scale industrialization. |
| Pyrolysis method | Heating the sludge to a certain temperature under oxygen-free or anaerobic conditions, so that hydrocarbons and organic substances are thermally desorbed and condensed for recovery. | All kinds of sludge are a new harmless treatment technology. | The reaction conditions are milder than incineration, which can realize the recycling of hydrocarbon resources. | The reaction conditions are demanding, the operation is complicated and the equipment investment is large. |
| Curing/stabilization method | Mixing sludge with curing agent (such as cement, lime, etc.) wraps harmful substances in the curing body to reduce its mobility and toxicity. | Oil sludge with low oil content and high sediment content, or the treated residue is finally disposed of. | The process is relatively simple and can effectively prevent the leakage of harmful substances. | Oil can't be recovered, and the capacity is large, so long-term stability needs attention. |
| Conditioning-mechanical dehydration | By adding chemical agents such as flocculants and demulsifiers, the stable emulsified state of oil sludge is destroyed, and then dewatering and weight reduction are carried out by centrifuges, belt filter presses and other equipment. | It is often used as a pretreatment step of sludge to reduce the load for subsequent treatment (such as incineration and landfill). | It can effectively reduce the water content and volume of oil sludge and create conditions for subsequent treatment. | It can effectively reduce the water content and volume of oil sludge and create conditions for subsequent treatment. |
How to choose the handling method
When choosing an oil sludge treatment method, the following points need to be comprehensively considered:
Sludge characteristics: including oil content, moisture content, oil quality, solid particle size and heavy metal content, etc.
Processing requirements: It is necessary to clearly define whether the goal is resource recovery, harmless treatment or reduction, and
understand the requirements of local environmental protection regulations for indicators such as the oil content of the treated residue
(for example, many standards in China require that the oil content of the treated residue be ≤2%).
understand the requirements of local environmental protection regulations for indicators such as the oil content of the treated residue
(for example, many standards in China require that the oil content of the treated residue be ≤2%).
Economy and scale: Evaluate investment costs, operating expenses and processing scale. Chemical hot washing and biological methods
have relatively low operating costs, while incineration and pyrolysis require larger investments.
have relatively low operating costs, while incineration and pyrolysis require larger investments.
Final disposal approach: Consider the destination of the treated products (such as recovered oil and residue), whether it is for recycling,
landfill or resource utilization (such as brick-making and road paving).
landfill or resource utilization (such as brick-making and road paving).
Technological development trends
A notable trend in current oil sludge treatment is the combined application of multiple technologies to make up for the deficiencies of a single
technology.
For example:
technology.
For example:
Hot washing + biological treatment: First, the majority of the oil content is rapidly reduced through hot washing, and then the residual petroleum
hydrocarbons are deeply degraded by biological methods.
hydrocarbons are deeply degraded by biological methods.
Hot washing + profile control: The treated oil sludge is used as a conditioning agent in oilfield injection Wells to seal the high-permeability layer,
increase the oil recovery rate, and achieve "waste treatment with waste".
increase the oil recovery rate, and achieve "waste treatment with waste".
In the future, waste oil sludge treatment technology is moving towards the direction of low cost, high efficiency, resource utilization, and green low-carbon, with a greater emphasis on the recycling and utilization of resources and the environmental benefits of the entire treatment process.
