Turnarounds are one of the most difficult events for plants and refineries in Houston to manage. Whether turnarounds are scheduled as part of annual maintenance and repair work, or turnarounds are unscheduled due to damage or other events, the process can be extremely burdensome.
One of the barriers to a successful turnaround often involves waste. Plants and refineries have unique waste needs that need to be accounted for in detail when supporting a scheduled or unscheduled turnaround.
Overlooking the need to address waste can often slow down turnarounds and extend the amount of time required to complete the turnaround. This can result in costly downtime that negatively impacts your company’s ability to return to normal operations. That’s why you need to work with a reliable waste partner such as Texas Outhouse to address the unique waste needs of a turnaround.
Typical Waste During a Plant or Refinery Turnaround
Waste that needs to be removed during a turnaround falls into the categories of solid waste and liquid waste.
- Solid waste typically includes process waste, maintenance and operational wastes, and commercial waste (general trash).
- Liquid waste typically includes crude oil, liquid hydrocarbons, and sludge.
Each category of waste has its own unique requirements for handling and disposing of the waste in a safe, environmentally-conscious manner. This is especially the case when handling large volumes of waste or contaminated waste.
Contaminated waste requires special handling to ensure that the contamination is contained within the plant or refinery, the waste is treated appropriately to remove any risk to people or the environment, and the waste is properly prepared for transport away from the facility. Identifying contaminated waste ahead of time certainly helps with the waste removal process.
Prepare for Waste Removal Through Proper Characterization
When preparing for a turnaround, plant or refinery managers can minimize downtime and maximize efficiency through proper characterization of on-site waste.
A lack of planning could lead to loss of time and health risks sorting the waste. However, taking a proactive approach of classifying the waste can support the overall waste removal process:
- Creates clarity about the team needs to handle each type of waste.
- Allows for a reliable estimate of time required to handle and dispose of the waste.
- Ensures timely compliance with environmental regulations for each type of waste.
- Prevents injuries or other health risks through a clear understanding of hazardous vs. non-hazardous waste.
For example, you may know in advance that you have a significant amount of sludge that needs to be cleaned out during the turnaround. Taking a measurement of the sludge helps create understanding of how much equipment is required to pump out the sludge and whether industrial water or other solutions need to be introduced in the process to support the clean out.
Work with Texas Outhouse to Support Your Refinery Turnaround
Texas Outhouse has great relationships with refineries and plants in the Greater Houston area to support their turnaround needs. We are capable of mobilizing a waste service team to your site for planned clean-out projects, and we will also help with unscheduled turnarounds.
Our qualified team will assist with waste disposal needs such as sludge, general trash, and scrap metal. We will also work with you on additional waste needs that may need to be addressed during the turnaround so that you can get the plant or refinery back up and running.
Contact us today for more information on scheduling turnaround services. We can be reached through our website, by calling 713-785-8050, or emailing info@texasouthouse.com.
