Influence of moisture content and soil type on depth of penetration of hydrocarbons into rock massif

Abstract

-When operating facilities of production, transportation, and storage of oil and oil products, the pollution of various objects of the natural environment happens quite often. The technogenic impact of hydrocarbons (HC) on the ground mass is of interest in two aspects at least. The first aspect is the negative impact of hydrocarbons on soils, drinking water, and air that is the components of human life. The second aspect is a change in the characteristics of soils and, as a consequence, the bearing capacity of the soil base of engineering structures. The study of the features of distribution of hydrocarbons (HC) in various soils makes it possible to assess the levels of soil contamination in case of emergency spills of oil and oil products in the territories. This is due to the fact that research objects -a soil massif and hydrocarbons -have a complex structure and different properties. That is why the issues of determination of the depth and degree of soil contamination with hydrocarbons require experimental and theoretical development. The purpose of this paper is to experimentally study the effect of moisture and soil type on the depth of hydrocarbon penetration into the soil massif and a statistical description of these processes. Engine oil was used as hydrocarbons, and sands and clays -as soils. It was found that the process of filtration of engine oil was much more intensive in medium size dry sand than that of small size dry sand and even more so that in clays. It has been established that the penetration of engine oil into sand of medium size to a depth of 26 cm causes considerable influence, but the moisture does not influence the depth of hydrocarbon distribution from a depth of more than 26 cm. Mathematical models were constructed, which allow one to describe the process of penetration of engine oil into the depths in sands.

Territories typification technique with use of statistical models

“…Laboratory and office operations were carried out and reported. Beyond that, the peculiarities of oil distribution over the earth cover section were studied which resulted in the development of mathematical models that allowed one to forecast the thickness of hydrocarbons penetration into soil mass [10].…”