In the present work, the homogeneous wet oxidation (WO) of an oily wastewater (COD approximate to 11,000 mg 1(-1)), composed mainly of alcohols and phenolic compounds, was studied in a high-pressure agitated autoclave reactor in the temperature range of 180-260 degreesC and oxygen pressure 1 MPa. Temperature was found to have a significant impact on the oxidation of the contaminants in the wastewater. Among the compounds contained in the wastewater, ethylene glycol showed great resistance to wet oxidation. Temperatures above 240 degreesC were required for its effective degradation. Organic acids, mainly acetic acid, were the intermediate products of the wet oxidation process and their conversion to carbon dioxide was very slow. A generalised model based on a parallel reaction scheme was used to interpret the experimental data obtained. The activation energies obtained were in the range of 90-130 kJ mol(-1). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.