Monday, March, 18, 2024 10:17:07

ExxonMobil Catalysts and Licensing LLC and BASF Corporation are reportedly conducting an extensive commercial demonstration of a new gas treating solvent at Imperial Oil refinery in Sarnia. As per trusted sources, the companies collectively developed the latest amine-based solvent focused at matching stern sulfur emissions standards with greater efficiency, and additionally raised the bar for tail gas treating and processes of acid gas removal.

The innovative technology advances the selective removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and lessens the co-absorption of carbon dioxide from gas streams. The highly selective factors of the solvent enable refiners and gas processors to increase the capacity and reduce operating costs of existing equipment. For newly built treating facilities, the usage of the technology will reduce the size of equipment and preliminary capital investments.

According to sources familiar with the development, when the technology will be utilized in a tail gas treating unit, in combination with a Claus sulfur recovery unit, it will bear the capability to accomplish more than 99.99% overall sulfur recovery and very low emissions to manage future requirements. Furthermore, pilot plant tests have exhibited characteristics with superior performance in more than methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) formulations and even advancements over FLEXSORBTM SE/SE Plus solvents.

Dan Moore, President of ExxonMobil Catalysts and Licensing LLC, was quoted saying that the new solvent technology will offer immediate benefits to ExxonMobil facilities as well as the company’s gas treating customers. Moore further mentioned that this commercial demo is intended to tangibly depict the new levels of performance.

As per Andreas Northemann, Vice President of BASF Gas Treatment, since the solvent was thoroughly tested at BASF’s pilot plant located in Ludwigshafen, Germany it showed enhanced H2S selectivity and minimal energy consumption as compared to other selective solvents.

For the record, ExxonMobil’s advanced proprietary catalysts, innovative process technologies, and gas treating solvents help petrochemical and gas processors and refineries improve capacity, reduce costs, improve margins, and reduce CO2 emissions to run safe, efficient and reliable facilities.