Sour Water

1. Sour Water How Is It Made? Why Is It Harmful? How Do We Clean It? Oil Refineries use water to cool oil in many areas of the plant, including Alkylation and Catalytic Cracking. Crude oil naturally contains Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) and when water comes into contact with oil, it takes some of the H2S with it. Known for it’s bad smell, we call this water/sulfide mixture “Sour Water.” Hydrogen sulfide is tightly regulated since it is extremely toxic. A refinery may not send water to a city’s water treatment plant if it contains more than 10 ppm H2S. The process to remove H2S (and ammonia) is called “sour water stripping.” Water is stripped of contaminants and is sent to the city for further cleaning. After the water is stripped, it is sent out of the refinery. Eventually, this water will be either discharged into large bodies of water, or processed for future use in homes. Of all the processes in the refinery, it could be argued that this one makes the most direct impact on the community. Numbers and Facts The rise of visual content on the internet creates a demand for high quality, educational, and entertaining content. One issue with large amounts of educational information -- like statistics -- is that these types of information can be hard to digest if presented incorrectly. The infographic provides you with a highly visual and easily sharable platform to display your content. This will allow you to better communicate your information to the readers and offer them an easier way to share your wisdom with their world of friends, colleagues, and peers. Now that you’ve got a set of great templates and some inspiration, start creating! Remember to have fun and experiment with your infographics to find which colors, fonts, and styles work best for yourself and your company. What are the effects of untreated Sour Water? Refineries often discharge water into lakes, rivers, and oceans. The contaminants in Sour Water can kill fish and make water uninhabitable. Hydrogen sulfide is a severe irritant, and general city wastewater treatment facilities are not equipped to handle large quantities, so the majority of it must be removed during the stripping process. Process Overview At PetroChem, our community is our priority, and our environment is our responsibility. Sour water stripping is one way that we make sure that we use our resources in the most effective and efficient way possible.