PRF 01C R&D PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR PRF FUNDING

Project Title : Pyrolysis of Oil Sludge

Project summary :
Pyrolysis is one of the method used to dispose the oil sludge through the conversion of oil sludge to various
useful materials such as lower molecular weight organic compounds and carbonaceous residue. Pyrolysis is a
thermo-chemical process of solid mass conversion which takes place in the absence of oxygen, and the
products obtained are: liquidity (pyrolytic oil), gases and coke residue . The amount of pyrolysis product
depends on the chemical composition of the sewage sludge and the conditions in which pyrolysis takes place.

Statement of specific problems that the research project address :

Oil sludge is a kind of used oil which results from solidification or gelling of oil resources. It is constituted of
elements like solids, oil and water. In its gel or solid form, oil sludge generates lots of toxic components that
have severe effects on the environment. Oil sludge contains a large portion of combustible components with
high heating values.The oil sludge if unused, is one of the major industrial wastes that needs to be treated for
the refinery or petrochemical industry. The greatest thing with oil sludge is that it is made up of crude oil
which can be easily refined and processed into useful oil components.

Ver. 1

Page 1 of 18
 Pyrolysis of Oil Sludge

Oil sludge is a kind of used oil which results from solidification or gelling of oil
resources. It is constituted of elements like solids, oil and water. In its gel or solid form,
oil sludge generates lots of toxic components that have severe effects on the environment.
Oil sludge contains a large portion of combustible components with high heating
values.The oil sludge if unused, is one of the major industrial wastes that needs to be
treated for the refinery or petrochemical industry. The greatest thing with oil sludge is
that it is made up of crude oil which can be easily refined and processed into useful oil
components.

Currently, the most common way to dispose the oil sludge is immobilization
landfill, which requires much space and causes a serious threat to soil and groundwater
environment. Biodegradation is considered to be a new and emerging method to
decompose the organic compounds in the oil sludge into the lower molecular weight
organic compounds. However, due to its unsatisfactory performance on the decompose
process of asphaltene composition; this technique remains to be developed.

Thermal disposal methods: incineration and pyrolysis offer some benefits over these
methods as is mentioned above in the aspect of energy recovery and waste reduction.
Since the existence of problems of the secondary pollution and the high viscosity of fuels,
the application of incinerating oil sludge directly is limited. With its characteristics to
crack high molecular weight organic compounds into lower ones, and to separate the
stable emulsion of oil sludge into oil, water, and residue fraction efficiently, pyrolysis
treatment were used widely in the field of oily waste disposal.

Based on literature, pyrolysis is one of the method used to dispose the oil sludge
through the conversion of oil sludge to various useful materials such as lower molecular
weight organic compounds and carbonaceous residue. Pyrolysis is a thermo-chemical
process of solid mass conversion which takes place in the absence of oxygen, and the
products obtained are: liquidity (pyrolytic oil), gases and coke residue . The amount of
pyrolysis product depends on the chemical composition of the sewage sludge and the

Ver. 1

Page 2 of 18
 Pyrolysis of Oil Sludge

Oil sludge is a kind of used oil which results from solidification or gelling of oil
resources. It is constituted of elements like solids, oil and water. In its gel or solid form,
oil sludge generates lots of toxic components that have severe effects on the environment.
Oil sludge contains a large portion of combustible components with high heating
values.The oil sludge if unused, is one of the major industrial wastes that needs to be
treated for the refinery or petrochemical industry. The greatest thing with oil sludge is
that it is made up of crude oil which can be easily refined and processed into useful oil
components.

Currently, the most common way to dispose the oil sludge is immobilization
landfill, which requires much space and causes a serious threat to soil and groundwater
environment. Biodegradation is considered to be a new and emerging method to
Statement of benefit from the research project :
decompose the organic compounds in the oil sludge into the lower molecular weight
organic compounds. However, due to its unsatisfactory performance on the decompose
Ver. 1
process of asphaltene composition; this technique remains to be developed.
Page 3 of 18

Thermal disposal methods: incineration and pyrolysis offer some benefits over these
methods as is mentioned above in the aspect of energy recovery and waste reduction.
 The distillation characteristics of liquid product (condensate of gas at 298 K) from the pyrolysis of oil sludge
is close to diesel oil with heating value approximately 42 MJ/kg. The product can be used as a fuel for
combustion particularly in the burner for steam boiler operation. This also can consider an alternative fuel to
replace natural gas in the future.

Total budget for project : Funding allocation by year:

RM   Year      
Duration of project :   Amount      

TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER PRSB  

Others  
(please specify)

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS Enhanced Oil Recovery

AREA
(EOR)  
CO2 Management

 
Ionic Liquids

 
Production and Facilities

Enhancement  
Biochemicals

 
Others  
  (please specify)

Prepared by: Reviewed by: Approved for submission by:

EPTC/TMD/Business Upstream Upstream

EPTC: Head of EOR / CO2. EPTC: Head of EPTC

PCSB: Head TIM Department, PCSB: MD/CEO of PCSB

Corporate Corporate

Program Head (TMD) Head of TMD

Downstream Downstream

Ver. 1

Page 4 of 18
 Head of TMD CEO of OPU

Note:

 Submission to PRF Secretariat must be before the deadline given, failing which it will not be presented.
 Original document is to be accompanied with 7 duplicate copies.
LIST OF APPENDICES

APPENDIX I : MANAGEMENT APPROVAL

APPENDIX II : DETAIL BUDGET

APPENDIX III : PROJECT ORGANIZATION CHART

APPENDIX IV : PROJECT SCHEDULE ON MICROSOFT PROJECT

APPENDIX V : PRESENTATION PACK TO PRF BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Ver. 1

Page 5 of 18
A. PROJECT IDENTIFICATION

1. PROJECT TITLE (Please indicate the title of the project, the title should be short and concise)

2. PROPOSERS (Please indicate the names of the person who proposed the program)

3. DEPARTMENT (Please indicate the department or group)

4. MANAGEMENT APPROVAL (Please provide certified true copy of extract Minutes of Meeting in
Appendix I)

Ver. 1

Page 6 of 18
B. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

1. PROJECT OBJECTIVE(S) (Please describe the measurable objective(s) of the project and define the
expected results. Use results-oriented description working with verbs such as "to define ...", to identify ..... ")

2. RESEARCH BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

(Please indicate if the project is new, modified or extended)

Project status (Please indicate)

Ver. 1

Page 7 of 18
C. JUSTIFICATION

1. REQUIREMENT BY LAW/INDUSTRIAL STANDARD/CODE OF PRACTICE

(Please describe and indicate the reference i.e. PTS , DOSH, ASME etc).

2. FOR SOLVING CURRENT PROBLEMS

3. BENEFITS/COST SAVINGS EXPECTED FROM THE PROJECT

(Please identify measurable & non-measurable benefits/cost savings)

4. BENEFICIARIES OF THE PROJECT

(Please identify clearly the potential customers/beneficiaries of the research results)

Ver. 1

Page 8 of 18
D. SCOPE OF WORK AND RESOURCES

1. RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT

(Please identify all research organisations collaborating in the project, and describe their role and contribution
to the project)

2. PROJECT COST BREAKDOWN

(Please use Appendix II to provide Detail Budget for respective year)

3. MANPOWER

(Please identify number of researchers, consultants, contract staff, technicians, etc.)

4. PROJECT TEAM

(Please attach Project Organizational Chart in Appendix III to provide organization chart)
5. EQUIPMENTS & FACILITIES

(Please identify specialised equipments and facilities which are required for the project. Please also indicate
which are new, existing or need collaboration with others and where the equipments and facilities are to be locat
ed)

Ver. 1

Page 9 of 18
E. PROJECT SCHEDULE

1. PLANNED ACTIVITIES:

(Please list down the planned activities correspond to proposed Projects)

2. WORK SCHEDULING

(Please use Appendix IV to provide the propose project schedule in Microsoft project format)

3. DEPLOYMENT PLAN

Ver. 1

Page 10 of 18
F. EXPECTED OUTPUTS FROM THE PROJECT

1. VALUE CREATION (monetary, other benefits such as technology advance, increase rate & etc)

2. DELIVERABLES (please indicated reports, manuals, standards, procedures, publications, presentations in

conferences/seminars, workshops, patents, copy rights, etc)

Ver. 1

Page 11 of 18
 APPENDIX I

MANAGEMENT APPROVAL

(Please attach certified true copy of minutes of meeting)

Upstream: E&P EXCO

Downstream & Corporate: CEO of OPU or VP T&E

Ver. 1

Page 12 of 18
 Ver. 1

Page 13 of 18
 APPENDIX II

DETAIL PROJECT BUDGET

TOTAL BUDGET

(IN THOUSAND RM)

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT CALENDAR YEAR PHASING OF PRF

TOTAL BUDGET
EXPENDITURE FUNDING

OTHER PRF YEAR YEAR YEAR

TOTAL TOTAL
FUNDING FUNDING 1 2 3

Ver. 1

Page 14 of 18
  TOTAL              

Ver. 1

Page 15 of 18
 APPENDIX III

PROJECT ORGANIZATION CHART

(identify personnel, name and reporting structure)

4.1 PROJECT LEADER

4.2 CONSULTANTS

4.3 RESEARCHERS

4.4 SUPPORT STAFF

4.5 CONTRACT STAFF

Ver. 1

Page 16 of 18
 APPENDIX IV

PROJECT SCHEDULE IN MICROSOFT PROJECT

Ver. 1

Page 17 of 18
 APPENDIX V

PRESENTATION PACK TO PRF BOARD OF TRUSTEES

(to include PRF 01E PROJECT MATRIX)

Ver. 1

Page 18 of 18