Ge Leakwise equipment prevents oil leakage in Suape Bay
Following its Risk Management Program and Emergency Action Plan, the Abreu e Lima Refinery (Rnest) avoided an environmental disaster in Suape Bay thanks to the good functioning of the hydrocarbon in water detection system installed in the refinery's containment pool . In June 2015 there was an oil leak from a tank, due to the level measurement system not functioning properly. This oil reached the refinery's containment pool, the detector immediately identified the presence of oil and the gate for the discharge effluent was automatically closed. At this time, the impounded water was directed to another sluice, this one that takes the water to the Industrial Waste Treatment Station (ETDI).
The detection system for hydrocarbons in water manufactured by GE Leakwise was acquired from Fluxo by Rnest in 2013. Composed of: an ID-223/2500/ST detector and a BDSP-220 digital processor, it was installed in the Waste Treatment Plant Industrials (ETDI) and began to continuously monitor the presence of oil in the refinery's rainwater wastewater. Upon detecting the presence of hydrocarbons in the containment dam, from a thickness of 0.3mm, the processor indicates to the supervisor, through the analog signal of 4 – 20mA, that there is oil in the water. In view of this, a signal is immediately sent to close the gate, preventing the Suape Bay from being contaminated, and the refinery being penalized with fines imposed by Organs environmental agencies.
This line of equipment manufactured by GE Leakwise uses electromagnetic absorption technology, which is patented and has advantages over competitors in terms of reliability, since it does not suffer interference from environmental variations, such as: temperature, Ph changes and water salinity.
Like other Petrobras refineries, Rnest has an Environmental Defense Center (CDA) that has an operational team trained to act in case of leaks or incidents. The refinery also has a water treatment and reuse system, using effluents, which are treated before being released into the sea, making them compatible with the marine environment.