Ocean HDPE Liner 1mm in the Waste Oil Pit Project, Durgapur, West Bengal 

Ocean Non Wovens supplied 60,000 Sqm of Ocean HDPE Liner 1mm for the Waste Oil Pit Project in Durgapur, West Bengal. The liner forms the base and side barrier of the pits, so waste oil stored in them cannot seep into the soil or groundwater.

The challenge: keeping waste oil out of the ground

Durgapur is an industrial city built around steel, with the Raniganj coalfield nearby. Heavy industry generates large volumes of used lubricating and hydraulic oil, which has to be stored before it is recycled or disposed of.

An unlined earthen pit lets oil and oily water migrate down into the soil and towards the water table. Once there, hydrocarbons are slow and expensive to clean up, and contaminated land is hard to reuse. The pit needed a continuous, oil-resistant barrier across a large area.

The solution: Ocean HDPE Liner 1mm

High-density polyethylene is one of the most chemically resistant geomembrane materials and has good resistance to oils and most hydrocarbons, which is why it is the usual choice for oil pits, effluent ponds and secondary containment. A 1 mm (1000 micron) sheet is a common thickness for containment pits of this kind, balancing puncture resistance against ease of welding and handling.

Project details

Location: Durgapur, West Bengal

Product Used: Ocean HDPE Liner 1mm

Quantity: 60,000 Sqm

How a liner like this is typically installed

• Subgrade: the pit floor and slopes are trimmed, compacted and cleared of sharp stones and roots. A nonwoven geotextile is often laid first as a cushion where the soil is stony.
• Anchoring: the liner is carried over the crest of the slopes and buried in an anchor trench so it cannot slip into the pit.
• Seaming: panels are joined by hot-wedge fusion welding, with extrusion welding for patches and details. Double-track fusion seams can be air-pressure tested, and sample seams are peel and shear tested (ASTM D6392 covers seam strength testing).
• Cover and access: where vehicles or equipment work in the pit, a protective layer over the liner prevents mechanical damage.

Benefits of lining the pit

• Groundwater protection: an intact HDPE liner stops oil from reaching the groundwater, which nearby communities may draw on for drinking water.
• Land preserved: the soil beneath the pit stays clean, so the land remains usable if the pit is later closed.
• Lower lifetime cost: the liner costs less than cleaning up contaminated soil and groundwater, or dealing with the regulatory consequences of a leak.

For oil, effluent or chemical containment, call +91 84472 26007 or read related case studies. More on geosynthetics.