Q&A

(2017) Question 45: What are your typical consequences and probable sources of fuel gas fouling? What are your respective solutions?

Fuel gas fouling in refineries is an ongoing problem and is typically the result of many years of corrosion due to moisture in the fuel gas system. These systems are typically saturated with water vapor due to the amine scrubbing that is used to remove H2S, and water may drop out as a liquid in low velocity areas or in areas with inadequate insulation.

(2018) Question 30: When injecting wash water upstream of the cold train in a 2-stage system, do you use fresh wash water or brine water from the 2nd stage desalter?

For two stage desalting, injecting all the fresh wash water upstream of the second stage desalter provides the opportunity to use the lowest salt water on partially desalted crude which should result in the lowest level of salt in the desalted crude oil. Water from the second stage desalter is then used to provide wash water for the first stage. This water is typically split between being injected upstream of the exchanger train and upstream of the mix valve for the first stage desalter.

(2019) Question 26: What do you do to predict Silicon breakthrough in a naphtha hydrotreater? What are the consequences to the downstream units if breakthrough occurs?

AMIT KELKAR (Shell Catalysts & Technologies)
The primary source of Silicon is the anti-foam injection at the coker. Silicon is also present in a wide variety of crudes including Maya, Canadian syncrudes and Venezuelan. It may show up in straight run naphtha due to use of Silicon based additives in

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Q&A

(2017) Question 45: What are your typical consequences and probable sources of fuel gas fouling? What are your respective solutions?

(2018) Question 30: When injecting wash water upstream of the cold train in a 2-stage system, do you use fresh wash water or brine water from the 2nd stage desalter?

(2019) Question 26: What do you do to predict Silicon breakthrough in a naphtha hydrotreater? What are the consequences to the downstream units if breakthrough occurs?