More benefit to environment

Commissioning activities within the first stage of modernization at the elemental sulphur recovery unit (SRU) are under way in the Company.

Modernization of operating elemental sulphur recovery unit

Modernization of operating elemental sulphur recovery unit

The project was launched owing to the construction of the treatment unit for sulphidic and caustic wastes (SSC treatment unit); its ammonia-bearing gases will be routed to the upgraded elemental sulphur recovery unit for processing. Hydrocarbons, ammonia and other impurities will be fully excluded from the flows.

Sulphur recovery unit is the final step at oil and gas refining for the flows that contain hydrogen sulphide. The unit operation is based on the Claus process, where the main equipment is represented by exhaust heat boilers, fitted with burners. Particularly, the latter are supplied with hydrogen sulfide-laden gas, which acts as feed for thermal incineration (combustion) with formation of sulphur drops. Liquid sulphur is obtained at the boilers outlet.

Up-to-date highly efficient equipment installed at sulphur recovery unit

Up-to-date highly efficient equipment installed at sulphur recovery unit

During the first stage of revamping, at SRU an outmoded and obsolescent burner device of the exhaust heat boiler was replaced by a new thermal incineration chamber with an innovative burner, manufactured by Duiker company and fitted out with safe ignition and flame adjustment systems. Moreover, new equipment, i. e. 3 separators and 7 heat exchangers, and a multilevel support structure were mounted, new piping was arranged. Completed installation and efficient operation of the newly supplied items will sum up the first stage of SRU modernization. Further, burner devices on the standby boiler and exhaust heat boiler of section II are to be replaced; thus in 2018 the project is planned to be fulfilled.

The project is featured and complicated by the fact that SRU is reequipped section by section, without overall shutdown of the unit.

Technical reequipping is ultimately targeted to ensure processing of the entire acid gas stream, coming from the ammonium sulphides and nitrogen treatment unit, and along with this maintaining the actual operating efficiency of the sulphur recovery unit. Furthermore, the advantages for environment are obvious: the gases will be refined into a high-demand product, and the impurities will be recovered, not being discharged to flare.

— In the Company, acid gas volumes that are fed to sulphur production will rise along with the start-up of SSC treatment unit, — Ayrat Akhmetshin, Head of Capital Construction Department, noted. — Therefore we have to finish SRU revamping: the working facility will be able to treat these flows as well as increase the conversion rate of hydrogen sulphide into sulphur due to advanced high-performance equipment. In addition, with a view to a potential requirement for processing of the acid gas streams from the catalytic cracking complex and L-16-1 unit upon its catalytic system upgrade, we are working over an issue of constructing a new sulphur production unit. Today, its detailed engineering is near completion.

For reference

Gazprom neftekhim Salavat is an affiliate of Gazprom Pererabotka and one of the largest oil refining and petrochemical complexes in Russia with a complete cycle of crude hydrocarbons processing. The range of products includes gasolines, diesel fuel, kerosene, other oil products, liquefied gases, butyl alcohols, plasticizers, polyethylene, polystyrene, ammonia, urea and other products. Being the major exporter in Russia, the Company constantly revamps the existing production facilities and constructs new plants, implements up-to-date automated process control systems and improves the governance structure for optimization of the Company operations.

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October