P. 1



# OAR Box 1784 Prepped by Ollie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 51 ) ll-B-1 0
Docket Number: 

# A-84-4 4

Printed 10/31/2008 8:05:40 AM Sheet 51 of 143P. 2
UNITE D STATE S ENVIRONMENTA L PROTECTIO N AGENCY-*-
. Z_i.-L~

2* ? JA N 198 8

X- , " • —


### MEMORANDU M SUBJECT : Tri pRepor t - Plan t Visi t t o Allianc e Refinery , B.P . 01 1 Incorporate d

( a subsidiar y

o f Sohlo) , Bell e Chasse , Louisian a William Larry Elmore , P.E. r Standard s Documentatio nSection , ISB , ESE D (MD-13 ) FRO M
TO : Kennet hR . Durkee , Chie f

Standard s Documentatio nSection , ISB , ESE D (MD-13 ) I . Purpos e -.*• • Th e purpos e o f th e visi t wa s t o gathe r Informatio nonrefiner y processe s an

doperations , especiall y

th e processe s designe dt o remov e an d recove r sulfu r fro

m refinery sou r gase s fo r a forthcomin g new sourc e performanc e standar d(NSPS ) review . Also , t o discus s B.P . 01 1 Incorporated' s experienc e wit hth e refinery fue l ga s NSPS . II . Plac e an

dDat e Allianc e Refiner y

''^ B.P . 01 1 Incorporate d Bell e Chasse , Louisian a Octobe r 23 , 198 5 III . Attendee s
Inc . W l l 1a m Larr y Elmore , Environmenta l Engineer , EP A Philli pL . Dzlublnskl , Senio r Proces s Specialist , B.P . 01 1 Randal l 5 . Rhodes , Chemica l Engineer , B.P . 01 1 Inc. r Michae l J . Ruscak , Senior-Proces s Engineer , B.P . 01 1 Inc . Humbert ©Valnltii , Director-Proces s Engineering , B.P . 01 1 Ine .

• • ',
. •>•»"•..-... • .JK ' °e -

• iN- 1 —JL:.
. . uottt* ' flea

### IV . Discussio n"- • v >,;;n . Backgroun d Th e Allianc e Refiner y

became operationa l 1 n197 1 an dI s on e o f th e las t grass-root s refinerie s t o b e constructe d1 nth e Unite dStates . Orlylndlly , thi s refinery

hada cfcu^e^fl^t y

o f 160,00 0 barrols/da y

bu t T** ^ SYMBO L
SURNAM E
DAT E 

# M0D^ .'J20- 1 EPA For m 1320- 1 (12-70 ) OFFICIA L FIL E COP Y 0= 0 : 198 3 0 - 403-20 1P. 3

ha s bee nupyrade dan

dexpande dt o 205,00 0 barrels/day . Thi s refiner y wa s originall y

designe dfo r swee t Louisian a crud e tha t ha s anaverag e sulfu r concentratio no f 0. 3 percen t b y weight . However , thi s refiner y doe s

. refin e a limite damoun t o f Alaska nNort hSlop e crud e (20,000-25,00 0 barrels/day ) tha t ha s a naverag e sulfu r concentratio no f 1.0 3 percen t b y •,.. . ••" ' V.-.- , weight . -v'/V^'-

v v.^-'.-'v

. . . ^i " . V

.k''i-.i"-u

• •*..••;.

- • • " ' ...-':•.' . •''"•£"--*:•'" i'- Amin e treatmen t -y' ~ ..,/^M:,, - • ,.. ^.. . ..._ ^ _^.A-.-.-^ - - _ ; _;"' ;
- Th e amin e treatmen t uni t an dth e Clau s sulfu r recover y uni t wa s constructe dalon g wit hth e refiner y andbecam e operationa l i n1971 . Thus , thi s emissio ncontro l system wa s constructe dprio r t o bein g require d b y th e NSPS . Company

personne l cite dth e followin g reason s fo r Installin g th e amin e treatmen t syste m eve nthoug h1 t wa s no t required : t o preven t corrosio no f proces s equipment , healt handsafet y of , refiner y

personnel , .-'--'^•>'-• " an

dt o provid e environmenta l protection. . ?; ' \ * > •* . *"."'""": : Th e origina l amin e treatmen t uni t wa s designe dan dconstructe db

y Brown & Root . Thi s uni t consist s o f thre e (3 ) amin e contactor s andon e (1 ) strlpper/amln e regenerator . On e o f th e amin e contactor s i s use dt o trea t refiner y fue l gas . Th e othe r tw o (2 ) amin e contactor s ar e use dt o remov e H2 S fro m th e Alkylatlo nUni t fee dan dGulflne r off-gas . Thes e las t tw o amin e contactor s ar e use dfo r refiner y processin g rathe r tha nrefiner y fue l ga s treatmen t but , thei r operatio nIncrease s th e H2 S loadin g o f th e

..,

_amin e stripper/regenerator , Clau s Sulfu r Recover y Uni t andth e Tal l Ga s Treatmen t Unit . In197 8 th e capacit y

o f th e Flui dCatalyti c Crackin g Uni t wa s increase d from 78,00 0 barrel s pe r day t o 89,00 0 barrel s pe r day . Thi s increas e triggere da PS D revie w

andpermi t applicatio nandth e projec t wa s subjec t t o NSPS . Complianc e wit hrespec t t o SO g emission s wa s achieve db y limitin g th e H2 S conten t i nth e refiner y fue l ga s t o 16 0 ppm , th e installatio no f a continuou s H2 S analyze r o nth e refiner y fue l gas , andth e installatio no f a paralle l fue l ga s amin e contacto r t o ac t a s a spar e treater . Thus , th e

.. refiner y

fue l ga s syste m

ha s tw o amin e contacto r vessels , on e o f whic h1 s a spar e uni t tha t ca nb e place dint o servic e durin g emergencies . Bot ho f th e amin e contactor s ar e capabl e o f handlin g th e tota l sou r ga s flo w o na n \ $r?rr.v&--. -individua l basts* ; -/•-,•*?'•"" • ~S--••-«Zi?~y ~f ""•':. ^r^ ; : ' • { s :
- : ^x<:-:, '-y^^' y

- v;-,'*;*- *•

• -\^ : -".':"/"";> . /'.'. •'<

• ' [B.P . 011 , incorporate dha s requeste dtha t informationContaine di nthi s ^i . '•'.. "paragrap hb e classifie da s confidential. ] ' : '

- ** ~



### , . w f y?" .-Tr —P. 4

-,;' . Refiner y

personne l Indicate dth e mos t importan t operatin g parameters , tha t ar e use d t o adjus t t o varyin g condition s an d t o maintai nth e prope r \ : H2 S concentratio ni nth e fue l ga s are: ' adjustmen t o f amin e solutio n circulatio n(Increas e circulatio nrat e a s H2 S loadIncreases ) plu s adjus t th e stea m rat e t o th e stripper/regenerato r vesse l 1 f regeneratio nI s incomplet e (increas e steam a s H2 S concentratio nincreases) . Increasin g th e amin e solutio nconcentratio ni s use d t o mitigat e any long-term

effect s suc ha s a sustaine dincreas e o f H2 S loadin g (ex : refinin g a larg e amoun t o f sou r crude) . [B.P . Oil , Incorporate dha s requeste d tha t informatio ncontaine d i n thi s paragraphb e classifie da s confidential . 3 •?***."'-$ ..--*• : - •••<"*•* - ~-^ *

[B.P . Oil , Incorporate dha s requeste dtha t Informatio ncontaine d i n thi s paragraphb e classifie da s confidential. ]

H? S Monitorin g an

d Emissio nTestin g Th e amin e system

operator s recor d reading s o f the . amine , system equipmen t operatin g parameters : pressure , temperature , and flow . Thi s include s th e proces s operator s wh o monito r th e syste m fro m th e refiner y

yar d and th e operator s tha t monito r th e control s fo r th e amin e treatmen t uni t whic h* ar e i nth e fefinery' t centra l '«o^riil..,.rooiii«;.^j...:. ; .^-. . ; : ^ ,,-S
. ;- . Th e Allianc e Refiner y

utilize s manua l sample s o f th e amin e solutio nt o determin e amin e strengt handad d ga s loading . Laborator y analyse s ar e conducte d onth e lea nDE A solutio nona dall y

basi s t o determin e amin e strengt handona weekl y basi s t o determin e ad dga s loadings .P. 5

•>• > : ; . ,

i

. 

### Th e Allianc e Refiner y utilize s a continuou s Hg S monito r (Beckma n Mode l 675 0 Proces s Chromatograph ) t o demonstrat e complianc e wit hth e H2 S standard . Th e Hg S concentratio ni s monitore da t a locatio nafte r th e " treate drefiner y

fue l ga s i s blende dwit hnatura l ga s andothe r refiner y - swee t ga s streams,-Th e Hg S cont1nu6u s monitorin g devic e reading s ar e -K



### recorde da s 3-hou r rollin g average s 2 4 hour s pe r day . : No routin e manua l '•*•: samplin g o f th e Hg S concentratio n1 nth e fue l ga s 1 * performe dbecause-th e laborator y a t th e refiner y

I s ho t capabl e o f testin g lo w level s o f H2S .

. Thus , th e refiner y

ha s no t conducte dan

y tes t comparin g th e continuou s monitorin g devic e t o manua l samplin g emissio ntests . A diagnosti c chec k tha t take s approximatel y

one-half-hour pe r day , i s performe dfiv e (5 ) time s a week . Th e compan

y report s tha t th e continuou s H2 S monitorin g devic e ha s provide dreliabl e servic e an dther e ha s no t bee nan

y persisten t o r recurrin g problem s wit hth e device . Th e H2 S continuou s monito r 1 s no t Integrate dInt o th e proces s a s a contro l system ; its.functio nI s strictl y a : 

### proces s monitor . Compan y personne l reporte dtha t 6 complianc e tes t has . 3 neve r bee nconducte donth e amin e treater . ', , , '

Company personne l pointe dou t tha t 1 t wa s extremel y Importan t t o jaonltor th e H2 S concentratio ndirectl y Instea do f relyin g onth e operatin g parameter s o f th e amin e treate r t o Indicat e H2 S concentration . The y Indicate dtha t I t I s possibl e tha t flow s an dpressure s withi nth e amin e treate r be withi noperationa l guideline s bu t tha t th e refiner y fue l ga s hav e a Hg S concentratio nexceedin g th e NSPS . I nothe r words , th e company' s experienc e 1 s tha t proces s parameter s d o no t relat e wel l wit hH? S concentrations . Severa l cause s o f thi s typ e o f occurrenc e wer e cited : dilute damin e solution , incompletel y regenerate damin e solution , o r a sulfu r overload . Compan

y personne l believ e tha t th e Hg S continuou s ••

_. monitorin g devic e ha s allowe dthe m t o identif y

amin e system

malfunction s o r inappropriat e proces s condition s tha t nee dadjustmen t i norde r t o brin g th e refiner y

fue l ga s H2 S concentratio nInt o complianc e i na faste r manner . Combustio nSource s an

dEnergy Demand [B.P . Oil , Incorporate dha s requeste dtha t informatio ncontaine d1 n

. thi s paragrap hb e classifie da s confidential ^ . . . 4 ;P. 6



### 1

t I
. !
. Durin g th e lat e 70's , th e refinery wa s Informe d tha t I t wa s possibl e tha t th e natura l ga s suppl y (usedfo r make-u pgas ) coul db e cu t off . I n orde r t o preven t thi s typ e o f actio nfro m havin g an advers e impac t o n refiner y operations , th e refiner y equippe d al l o f It s combustio nsource s suc htha t eithe r ga s o r fue l oi l coul d b e burned . However , th e refiner y lia s neve r burne d fue l oil , -«. . ""?'-•.£-•'/•' ".".; ,

COMMENT S O

RPROBLEM S WIT H TH E NSP S > : . - Company personne l reporte dn o significan t difficultie s i n Interpretin g th e NSPS , achievin g th e NSPS , an d operatin g th e contro l system t o compl y

wit h th e NSPS . '-.... .

COS T DAT A

. ..": . . .....-,• •.,:'•

••:.,•',,.'.....
«, ' Cos t Informatio nwhic hwa s submitte dI nrespons e t o a 11 4 questionnair e wa s reviewed . Sinc e th e cos t informatio nI s current , Ma y 1985 , company personne l fel t tha t th e informatio nwa s accurate .

SUMMAR Y Th e plan t visi t wa s very Informativ e and refiner y personne l wer e quit e helpfu l I ndiscussin g genera l plan t operatio nan d specificall y

th e amin e treatmen t system .

* ESED/ISB/SDS/WLElmore/chbake r 10/31/8 5 x559 6 Rm.75 5 M U(MD-13 ) . - Fil e No.AI P 8-1-15- 2 Projec t No . 83/0 3 retype d 11/12/8 5 chb

i

. •...« " / 

### '.i-.-y- •-T " \ „ V ' *

*•*.'

.

v•

' * •
. J vT '..;."•

. : %5'S-i ^ *•- ' ,fr< v•

• 'v- '?.?. '

•'' " ?

%• • -a"-

. *7"

- r

••'• •"•-••> • sz'TT

• • *' :