The Sulphur Institute at 65
The Sulphur Institute celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. In this article the organisation describes its lasting legacy and global impact.
The Sulphur Institute celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. In this article the organisation describes its lasting legacy and global impact.
Continuous monitoring of sulphur recovery units (SRUs) has proven to be an excellent tool for energy optimisation and emissions reduction, yielding financial incentives in the form of CO2 credits and sustainability. Even in markets with limited CO2 credits, significant economic benefits can still be realised through reduction in utility consumption, as demonstrated by a recent collaboration between Worley Comprimo and PRefChem in Malaysia.
CSV Midstream Solutions says that it has successfully completed commissioning and commenced operations at its Albright gas plant in northern Alberta, tapping into the Montney shale gas field. The new 150 million scf/d sour gas plant with associated sulphur recovery represents the first of its kind to be built in Alberta in more than a generation.
India’s Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) has won a $225.5 million contract from the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) for setting up a new gas sweetening and sulphur recovery facility at West Kuwait oilfields. The project, to be developed on a build-own-operate basis with a buyback option for KOC, includes design, construction, operation and maintenance. It will be completed in two years, followed by a five-year operation and maintenance phase.
YPF says that its modernisation of the Luján de Cuyo refinery has taken a step forward with the installation of a hydrodesulphurisation reactor, designed to remove sulphur compounds from diesel fuel by means of a catalytic process using hydrogen. The installation forms part of the refinery’s New Fuel Specifications (NEC) project, intended to produce of fuels with a lower environmental impact. The new reactor was built in Mendoza by IMPSA. With a length of 38 meters and a weight of 456 tons, it was moved from Godoy Cruz to the YPF plant in a logistic operation that involved Vialidad Nacional, Mendoza Police and local authorities. It will now be integrated into the HDS II unit, designed to reduce sulphur content in diesel to 10 parts per million, in line with current environmental requirements. The NEC plan includes new process units, such as H2 II and SE33, the adaptation of existing facilities and the improvement of auxiliary services. The project, already 85% complete, will allow all the diesel oil produced in Luján de Cuyo to comply with the highest emission requirements.
CSV Midstream Solutions says that startup of the Albright gas plant in Alberta is likely to be delayed due to issues with the sulphur recovery plant. Commissioninf began in June 2025, with expectations of full-scale operations to commence in July 2025. However, a faulty valve at the SRU has necessitated a root cause analysis for its failure. The plant will process 150 million cfd of sour gas once operational.
Saudi Aramco has signed an $11 billion lease and leaseback deal involving its Jafurah gas processing facilities with a consortium of international investors, led by funds managed by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock.
A formal signing ceremony has been held between senior company executives from KMG PetroChem, Tecnimont and the Kazakh government for the construction of the new Tengiz Gas Separation Complex (GSC) project. The ceremony was held at KMG PetroChem headquarters, in the Atyrau region of Kazakhstan. The Tengiz GSC project’s scope of work includes engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning works, with Tecnimont mainly responsible for the EPC works. Completion is expected by the first quarter of 2029. Once completed, the gas processed by the GSC will feed the Silleno petrochemical plant, another project currently being executed by Tecnimont in the region. The GSC is designed to recover at least 98% of ethane from dry gas, while the Silleno complex is expected to deliver high-quality petrochemical products. KMG PetroChem is a fully owned subsidiary of Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company KazMunayGas.
Fluor explores the versatile potential of oxygen enrichment for various revamp and debottlenecking opportunities.
QMax Industries explains why effective steam and condensate management is essential to the performance, safety, and reliability of sulphur recovery units.