The paper considers the problem of utilisation and neutralisation of oil sludge at oil producing and refining enterprises. Oil sludge is a complex heterogeneous mixture consisting of high-molecular oil compounds, mineral particles of different composition, and water. The authors studied the elemental composition of oil sludge of different storage periods for oil refinery production by modern analytical methods: IR spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. According to the research, the main composition of the oil residue, represented by the hydrocarbon component, contains paraffin-naphthenic and heavy aromatic hydrocarbons. Moreover, its non-hydrocarbon component contains compounds Si, Al, Ca, Fe, S, Ba.