The Future, Refined.
Meet North America’s most technologically advanced re-refiner. At Blue Tide Environmental, we combine the deepest expertise with the most cutting edge plant to create the most sustainable oil on the continent. By committing to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) priorities, we are refining the future of recycled oil.
The Process, Plant and People make Blue Tide Environmental the right choice for the planet.
See the differenceThe Process
Employing the most advanced sustainable practices while harnessing the power of the most modern technologies and equipment in the field, the quality of Blue Tide Environmental’s Group II+ base oils is unsurpassed.
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Used Oil Collection (UMO)
The United States consumes approximately 2.5 billion gallons per year of oil-based lubricants, roughly half automotive and half industrial. It is estimated that approximately 1.4 billion gallons of used oil is available for collection and re-use each year. Much of the collected used oil is burned and contains a slew of chemicals that create harmful emissions when combusted. By re-refining used oil, these harmful emissions are avoided, and the used oil can be re-refined several times. Our process uses less energy when compared to virgin lubricant production and results in lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Used Oil Feedstock
To guarantee that the oil collected is of the highest quality, our state-of-the-art lab applies a rigorous internal screening and approval process. Once the testing is complete, and the oil is verified, the re-refining process begins.
Dehydration
All used oil contains some percentage of water. The first step is to remove the water at an elevated temperature and a moderate application of vacuum. Any light fuels, such as gasoline or diesel that were inadvertently mixed with the used oil, are also removed and recovered during this step. These light fuels are the basis of our bt Industrial Fuels.
Industrial Fuels
Spec sheets coming soon.
Vacuum Distilation
After the water and fuel have been removed, the UMO stream is vacuum distilled using a wiped film and short path evaporator technology to segregate the vacuum gas oil (bt VGO) from the heavier hydrocarbons that become our bt FLUX.
Flux
Hydrotreating
The VGO stream is then introduced into a high temperature, high pressure catalytic hydrotreating unit to remove remaining impurities. The upgraded stream is a highly paraffinic base oil that meets American Petroleum Institute (API) Group II/II+ specifications—bt70, bt120 and bt220— suitable for blending into a wide variety of automotive and industrial lubricants. A high quality gas oil we call bt GO, is also produced as part of this process.
BTGO
Lubricants Market
Products are then sold into the lubricants market where they are blended into high quality motor oils, lubricating oils and other industrial products. After these products have served their useful life, they can be re-refined again.
The Plant
Coming online in 2024, Blue Tide Environmental’s re-refinery facility will be the most technologically advanced plant in North America. Located in Baytown, Texas, the new plant will employ UMO upgrading and hydrotreatment systems (coming online early 2024), to produce Group II+ base oils, low-sulfur fuel, vacuum gas oil (VGO) and flux extender. With approximately 220,000 BBL storage capacity, the facility will be co-located with a barge dock and terminal for transport access. The two-slip barge dock will be capable of loading and unloading 30,000 BBL barges with access to the Houston ship channel.
Our commitment to quality is second to none, with the implementation of a Quality Management System (QMS) in pursuit of ISO 9001:2015 certification.
The People
With the industry’s brightest at the helm, Blue Tide Environmental brings unparalleled experience and technical prowess to transform the process of re-refining recycled oil. Our leadership team of seasoned veterans has decades of experience in spent lubricants recycling, environmental services, and hydrocarbon processing. Learn more about our leaders.
The Planet
At Blue Tide Environmental, we aim to eliminate waste and pollution by designing our process and plant to put the planet first. Re-refining takes the linear take-make-waste model and creates a sustainable circular model for used oil. Using oil up to 5x during its life helps close the loop and power a circular economy. We employ a regenerative solutions-based framework to tackle some of the global challenges plaguing our planet today.
Tailwater Capital
Tailwater Capital is a growth-oriented Dallas-based private equity firm. Focusing on energy supply, delivery and logistics infrastructure, and recycling and byproduct management investments, Tailwater is driving the transition to a low-carbon economy. Blue Tide Environmental is a proud member of the Tailwater family of investments.
News & Press
Featured Article: NORA Member Spotlight on Blue Tide Environmental
Blue Tide’s commitment to being the leading re-refiner of high-performance base oils has been recognized by NORA, the premier association of responsible recyclers for used oil, in the latest issue of their industry publication, “Liquid Recycling”. This four-page spread examines the needs of an evolving industry and explains how Blue Tide is uniquely positioned to …
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Health, Safety & Environment Value in Action
Blue Tide's core values mean significant benefits for our customers like ensuring continuity of the quality, amount and origin of our products.
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Integrity & Respect Value in Action
Blue Tide Environmental (BTE) continues to make great strides in re-refining with our Core Values as a North Star. These values serve as guiding principles that shape our company’s culture, decision-making process, and overall success. Two of BTE’s Core Values are Integrity and Respect. These two traits work together to foster trust and long-term relationships …
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