Why Refineries Use Chemical Decontamination During Turnarounds
Welcome to Part One of Becht’s four-part series on chemical decontamination in refinery turnarounds. Our teams have seen firsthand how effective planning and the right chemistry make a measurable impact on turnaround performance. This series shares practical insights from real projects and highlights approaches to help refineries achieve safer, more efficient shutdowns.
There are frequent social media posts, blogs, case histories, and articles cropping up on the internet these days that promote competing cleaning technologies. All lay claim to being the best, not just in terms of effectiveness, but in their overall impact on refinery turnarounds. As someone who was around at the beginning of the switch from extended steaming out to focused chemical decontamination, I would like to share some of my experiences and suggestions for successful projects. I have used general language about the common oil refinery units, but more specialized processes probably warrant separate overviews.
Oh, and by chemical decontamination, I include chemical cleaning where reactive chemistry may be required – but for brevity, decontamination works!
Why decontaminate process systems?
It may seem like an obvious question, but it is worth asking. When I was working in Houston for a refinery services company in 1990, we operated a very successful Tray & Packing Replacement Division active all over the U.S., particularly in California. Regulatory authorities in that state were beginning to ramp up focus on refinery workers’ exposure to benzene as awareness of its link to cancer increased. We were putting crews inside columns to strip out trays and install new ones, and our CEO wanted to know how we could completely remove benzene faster and more effectively than steaming out for days. So, we set about developing a chemistry and application technique to wash out benzene and other contaminants, creating a safe environment for our crews.
The first full procedure was carried out at a Louisiana refinery in February 1992, on an atmospheric distillation column. Results were excellent: the column was gas-free, measured <1.0 ppm benzene, and was well below the 10% LEL target. The column was also exceptionally clean, which meant that mechanical contractors could begin work immediately without the need for any post-opening cleaning.
But the biggest savings that refinery personnel were excited about was time. The procedure took only 24 hours, compared to one or two days of steaming followed by manual cleaning once opened.
That is what most people are interested in these days: will it save me time? But we must not forget that the initial objective was to make internal conditions safe for people to perform their work – without having to wear breathing apparatus! Safety is, and will always be, the number-one priority.
Bear in mind that not all refinery units can be steamed out because of particular contaminant issues or metallurgy concerns. However, on this column, and most atmospheric units, it was and is commonplace.
Increased awareness of other hazardous contaminants
In the intervening years since my first experience of benzene decontamination, awareness of several other hazardous contaminants has increased. Examples include:
- Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)
- Pyrophoric iron sulfide (FeS)
- Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s)
- Coke
I will discuss the safety issues associated with these contaminants and the various approaches that are currently in use to remove them in my next blog. In that article I will move from the why to the how, exploring how early planning and contractor involvement can make chemical decontamination a powerful time-saver during refinery turnarounds.
If you would like to discuss how Becht can help you plan or optimize chemical decontamination during your next turnaround, contact us anytime to start the conversation.
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