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More Sustainable Oil Sands Operations Through Reduced Degreaser Consumption: A Terrasol ULV Case Study
At a glance
A major oil sands operation in Fort McMurray wanted to reduce costs and improve sustainability across their operation. Guardian Chemicals introduced Terrasol ULV for use in their wash bay. Testing proved replacing the competitors’ product resulted in reduced chemical consumption and cost.
Key metrics
52.7% DROP
IN DEGREASER CONSUMPTION
45.1% DROP
IN ANNUAL COST
REDUCED
SHIPMENTS AND CARBON EMISSIONS
Why degreaser volume adds up fast at an oil sands wash bay
Oil sands mining equipment comes into the wash bay coated with baked-on oil sands, bitumen, oil and grease. Removing it takes solvent degreaser, and a large operation uses it in very high volumes.
At that scale, the application rate drives almost everything: product cost, storage, the number of shipments, and the emissions from trucking product to site. A small change in how much degreaser each clean needs becomes a large change over a year.
This major Fort McMurray oil sands operation wanted to cut degreaser cost and reduce the environmental footprint of its wash bay, without giving up cleaning performance.
Challenges
This oil sands operation was grappling with excessive costs and environmental drawbacks with their current solvent degreaser. Baked-on oil sands residues, bitumen, oil and grease led to high chemical consumption rates. This led to higher costs and increased carbon emissions due to frequent and lengthy shipments.
Solutions
Guardian Chemicals’ product, Terrasol, was introduced to the facility. Side-by-side performance testing revealed similar performance, however with Terrasol, significantly less volume was required.
Results
52.7% Reduction in Degreaser Volume
Introduction of Terrasol reduced the volume of degreaser required by 52.7% from 18.5 L to 8.75 L. Estimated yearly consumption dropped from 150,000 L to 70,946 L.
45.1% Reduction in Annual Degreaser Cost
Based on estimated volumes, degreaser costs were reduced from $817,500 to $448,378.
Reduced Shipments and Carbon Emissions
Reduced degreaser volumes and proximity to Guardian Chemicals facility reduced shipments and shipping costs. Fewer shipments and less distance resulted in reduced carbon emissions.
Data
Similar cleaning performance observed with both degreasers. Terrasol required an application of only 8.75 L vs 18.5 L for the competitive product, resulting in a 52.7% decrease in degreaser volume.
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TERRASOL ULV is a unique Ultra-Low VOC hybrid degreaser combining the power of both solvent and water-based formulations to tackle the toughest soil and oil deposits to deliver strong cleaning performance. It has a flash point above 95ยฐC (TCC) and ultra-low VOC content for exceptional cleaning and degreasing.
Frequently asked questions
How was TerraSol ULV tested?
Side by side with the previous degreaser. Cleaning performance was similar, but TerraSol needed much less product.
How much less degreaser was needed?
8.75 L per application instead of 18.5 L, a 52.7% reduction. Estimated yearly use dropped from 150,000 L to 70,946 L.
How much did annual degreaser cost change?
It dropped an estimated 45.1%, based on the lower volumes.
Did shipping change?
Yes. Lower volumes and a shorter distance from Guardian’s facility meant fewer shipments, lower shipping costs, and lower transport emissions.