Up to the challenge
Published by Callum O'Reilly,
Senior Editor
Hydrocarbon Engineering,
Today, the global oil, gas and petrochemical industries face challenges like no other time in the past. How does one extract and process oil and gas resources in a safe, environmentally friendly, and efficient way whilst also reducing costs? Whilst the challenge is new, the answer is not. It lies in harnessing the collective knowledge and expertise across the complete value chain, working together towards the necessary solutions.
This article will demonstrate a method for controlling the main air blower within the sulfur recovery process that will improve the overall system energy efficiency and reduce both CAPEX and OPEX. The article will also attempt to make a valuable contribution to the overall challenges faced by the industry today and in the future.
The sulfur recovery unit (SRU) is an important part of the refining process. The Claus process is the most commonly used to remove hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from the raw natural gas and crude oil.
The wide scale proliferation of the sulfur recovery process was largely driven by European standards for vehicle exhaust emissions starting in 1992, and the legal requirements for the removal of sulfur from fuels have become ever more stringent over the years. With EURO 7 expected later in 2021, and likely to come into force in 2025, the pressure is on refiners to remove ever more sulfur and other chemicals harmful to our environment from their final products. This is especially the case now as the available crude oil and gas reserves are ever more sour. That the sulfur is removed is not just important from a legislative and quality perspective, but also from the perspective of the environment and the health and well-being of the global population...
Written by David Walsh, Howden, Scotland.
This article was originally published in the November 2021 issue of Hydrocarbon Engineering magazine. To read the full article, sign in here or register for a free trial subscription.
Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/special-reports/02112021/up-to-the-challenge/
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