“Stripped Sour Water reuse at an Oil Refinery’’. Case Study and an Economical Evaluation.

El Sherbini, Sherif Mohammed; Shalaby, Marwa; Ebrahiem, Ebrahiem Esmail; Farrag, Hassan

doi:10.21608/pserj.2024.254161.1299

“Stripped Sour Water reuse at an Oil Refinery’’. Case Study and an Economical Evaluation.

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

¹ Faculty of Engineering chemical Engineering Department, Alexandria University, El Menya University. =+

² Membrane processing and development processes

³ Chemical Engineering Department, Faulty of Engineering, Minia, Egypt.

⁴ Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria

10.21608/pserj.2024.254161.1299

Abstract

Many opportunities are studied to decrease the overall water balance to achieve sustainability and water management of the petroleum sector, and this can happen by applying modern methods of conservation/reuse and recycling. Various sources of wastewater are generated in the petroleum oil refineries, and contaminates are the restricting factor of water reuse. Oil refineries generates large volumes of sour water, which contains high concentrations of contaminants such as oil, grease, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and dissolved solids. Traditionally, this water is treated and then discharged to the surface water bodies causing a negative environmental impact. Contaminants in sour water can be treated to make it reusable in a valuable process as washing water for air coolers instead of condensate water due to the high cost and availability of condensate. This study explores the feasibility of using refinery treated sour water as a supplement source for condensate water in the (REAC) wash. The goal is to evaluate the technical and economic viability of this approach, as well as its potential environmental benefits. The results of this study show that using refinery treated sour water is a viable option for air cooler wash water. The treated sour water meets the required quality standards for this application, and its availability is not affected by the process requirements that limit the availability of condensate water. Moreover, using treated sour water can reduce water consumption and wastewater discharge, resulting in cost savings and environmental benefits.

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