Texas Barge and Container Cleaners | Gulf Coast Chem Clean

Proprietary Container Cleaning Solutions

GCCCC leadership has a combined experience in the oil & gas and petrochemical industry of over 100 years. We've experienced the problems in getting equipment ready for maintenance to work on because of foulants such as paraffins, tar (asphaltene), H2S, and pyrophoric iron sulfides. We understand that when our clients need to work on this equipment, they can't just shut it down and open the equipment because of these toxic chemicals and fire hazards, they have to prepare the equipment first.

We developed our proprietary process in 2015 noting that the cleaning, clearing standards used back then were not providing the results needed. It would take many hours to several days for the equipment to be made ready for maintenance to work on it. We came up with the idea to use a mobile steam generator, and developed our own chemistry to inject it with the steam to internally clean the equipment. By using steam (which is an excellent purifying source and enhances the chemical solvents dissolving capabilities) we heat the equipment then inject the chemistry to dissolve the hydrocarbons and remove it from the metal surface. If the equipment service has high H2S (deadly toxic chemical) which is an acid gas, it also tends to produce iron sulfide corrosion. This iron sulfide is pyrophoric and will create an exothermic reaction when exposed to air, thus producing a fire and damaging equipment. Our process removes the hydrocarbon which is fuel for a fire and exposes the iron sulfides, then we inject a second chemical that deactivates the iron sulfides.

Our process uses non-toxic and biodegradable agents, generates less than half the conventional cleaning method’s waste effluent, and safely cleans equipment in less time.

Safety & Environmental Stewards

Often a crew of people will have to enter the compartment to chip, shovel, and dig out the hydrocarbon material and this method can take several weeks to months. Placing people inside a container isn’t the safest way. It may be absolutely necessary but our process will minimize if not eliminate that need.

Our methods will produce the best results in the shortest time and will not expose personnel to toxic chemicals.

Proprietary Cleaning Process

We select the cleaning methods to best suit each job.

Steam/Chemical injection
- Gulf Coast Chemical Cleaning Company utilizes steam for two reasons:
  - Heat the equipment for a more effective and efficient clean.
  - Deliver the chemistry that will dissolve any hydrocarbon and remove it from the container.
Water/chemical circulation
- Utilizing a water/chemistry “fill and dump” method is effective especially if there is a potential for high solid content.
Combination of both steam, water, and chemical
- In some situations a combination of steam phase and water fill and dump may be necessary to produce the most effective method.

Minimize Equipment Downtime

Our goal is to shorten the turnaround time so that our client's equipment can get back on the water. What would typically take a month or more with manually cleaning, our method can be accomplished within 7 – 10 days to completion.* (Depending on the size of the container and the type and amount of material inside).

Manage Waste Stream

Some methods utilize a high pressure water blasting process that will generate a huge amount of effluent as well as take weeks to months to remove the hydrocarbon.

We, however, develop the most efficient and effective plan taking into account the best method to manage and minimize the amount of effluent generated during the clean.

Mobile Boilers Come to Your Facility

We operate mobile units and can be on-site working with one phone call. Our small footprint enables us to be quick and efficient.

We Guarantee Our Work

We stand behind our work and are confident that our processes will remove:

All hydrocarbons (gas and liquid).
LEL
Benzene
Neutralize Iron Sulfide (if present)