(54aj) Process Safety Emphasis for Integrity in Sulfur Recovery Units

Zainab Kayat

Custodian Process Engineer

Group Technical Solutions, PETRONAS

Das Babua

Principal Process Technologist

Group Technical Solutions, PETRONAS

ABSTRACT

Increased severity of sulfur recovery units are required as refineries faces stringent specifications on motor transportation fuels together with dependency on heavy, sour crude oil feedstock. This has led to new demands on the processing capability of refinery sulfur recovery units (SRU’s) where debottlenecking becomes a necessity. Emphasis on process safety whilst refinery pursued additional capacity seemed lagging behind affecting sustained business with lost opportunity and putting environment at a risk.

This paper provides the experience and perspectives of a refinery which went through numerous pitstop since it was revamped to a higher severity SRU using oxygen enrichment. Revamped had incorporated changes in the design of its thermal stage. Root cause failure analysis were conducted due to the continuous reliability issues to determine the process safety hazards that affects integrity and to mitigate leakage of highly toxic H2S gas arising from hot spots, runaway temperatures and leaks are addressed.