Biorestoration, a Technique for Remedial Action on Industrial Sites

The Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) explores for and produces oil and gas at hundreds of locations in the Netherlands, which are scattered all over the country and situated in various types of environment and on different types of soil. Activities at these locations are basically temporary, because the sites will be abandoned after the reservoirs have been depleted.Previous production and maintenance practices could not prevent the occurrence of soil pollution at several of these locations. To restore soil quality the Company is undertaking clear-up projects on locations where real identified risks are identified. To reduce clearn-up costs the Company is developing new clearn-up techniques, which are adapted to the particular circumstances. There circumstances are related to the site-specific activities, the type of contaminants and the time available for restoration. In order to test two potential promising techniques a project has been started at a location in the north of The Netherlands. The applicability of biorestoration for soil contaminated with volatile aromatic hydrocarbons and mineral oil will be tested. In the same project biological treatment of contaminated groundwater will be tested.The results of a technical feasibility desk-study for biorestoration and biological groundwater treatment on a gas treating/production plant, including an outline of both techniques are presented.