How it Works
The First in Effecient Hydrocarbon Recovery
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AGES technology is a thermal screw process with large diameter heated screw conveyors. The initial contaminated product enters into a hopper at the end of the #1 pre-heat screw where initial free liquids can drop off. Next, the product is heated to temperatures of between 200 - 400 degrees C (based on Low Temperature and waste type / C-fraction desired for distillation). The contaminants with low boiling points will vaporize or turn into gas and separate from the waste stream. These vaporized contaminants are then collected and treated. Gases are cooled, condensed and then become a storable liquid.
Through low-temperature thermal desorption, hydrocarbons are recovered into a BS&W grade resalable oil by-product. This closed-loop process does NOT use incineration, produces no fugitive emissions, and capable of leaving tier 1 soil throughput with a final hydrocarbon concentration of 5 mg/kg or less. The reclaimed soil meets the Canadian Soil Quality Guideline for Agricultural land use for hydrocarbons and is suitable for in-situ disposal, depending on type of soil contamination (metal content notwithstanding).
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Successful processing - Drill Cuttings & HydroVac Waste
The AGES team has obtained very encouraging results from its patented, environmentally-friendly, low-temperature thermal remediation technology.
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Above is the video of the thermal remediation unit while processing (note: minimal noise). This clean technology is able to effectively and efficiently distill hydrocarbon from the waste stream and recapture the hydrocarbon in liquid for reuse. This video begins at the feed auger and continues to the processed dry solids waste bin and finally to the surge (production) tank for the hydrocarbon sample.
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Brief summary of results from samples sent to Maxxam Labs (June 2019):
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Hydrocarbon content in raw waste stream was 20.3% (5.0% H2O)
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Hydrocarbon residual in processed dry solids was 0.1%
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BS&W of recaptured hydrocarbon was 0.2 BS&W
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Whats next? Processing of centrifuge waste from SAGD operations. This waste provides a valuable hydrocarbon content and a current challenge in handling & storage. Results to follow...