United States Environmental Services (USES) has brought to the refining industry an innovative means of sampling and testing during degassing, as well as during catalyst sulfiding and catalyst deactivation. The new approach eliminates the need for refinery personnel to dawn fresh air to monitor concentrations of LELs, H2S and hydrocarbons in an environment or equipment.
USES' equipment consists of proprietary sampling devices and a mobile lab with state-of-the-art analytical capabilities. The data generated in the lab is then uploaded to the internet and communicated to the refiner in real time. The ability to monitor these types of operations in real time not only saves time but reduces chances of over-sulfiding the catalyst or over-deactivating the catalyst, both of which are circumstances that can be very costly to the refiner.
The USES team redesigned and built new sample conditioners to carry out the monitoring of the passivation and deactivation of the catalyst.
Recently, a large refinery located in the Pacific Northwest that produces gasoline, fuel oil, diesel fuel, propane and jet fuel needed to reclassify its catalyst from hazardous to nonhazardous prior to its removal from the facility. Additionally, the catalyst was very dangerous to handle, given that it is typically pyrophoric and requires special conditioning. The refiner contacted USES and asked for solutions on how to safely deactivate and remove the catalyst.
After thorough evaluation of the refiner's own sampling procedures and previous sample conditioners, USES recommended modifications. The USES team redesigned and built new sample conditioners to carry out the monitoring of the passivation and deactivation of the catalyst. The combination of the new sample conditioners and real-time monitoring significantly reduced time required for deactivation and safeguarded personnel from the inherent hazards of the process. The catalyst was successfully deactivated, reclassified as nonhazardous and safely removed from the facility.
For more information, visit www.usesgroup.com or call (888) 279-9930.