Long-term immunity alterations in the employees of the high hydrogen sulfide content gas condensate processing facility

The current measures for protection of the gas processing plant employees cannot fully prevent the impact of pollutants. Evaluation of the immune system is one of the methods for monitoring of the employees' health, and testing the system of measures used to improve the working conditions. The study was aimed to identify alterations in the immune status of the employees at the gas processing and high hydrogen sulfide content condensate processing facility depending on their working experience. The working environment and the employees' immune system were evaluated by standard methods. Pollutants were detected with the Bruel & Kjaer 1302 Multi-Gas Monitor, and the Tsvet-550 gas chromatographer. A total of 160 employees and 81 controls (blood donors of the regional blood transfusion station) were surveyed. The immune system was evaluated using the System 9000 Plus hematological analyser, Cyto FLEX LX flow cytometer, UNICO 2100UV specrophotometer, and KFK-3-03-ZОМЗ photometer. It was concluded that the existing complex of occupational and industrial hazards affects the immune status of the main production unit employees, which is reflected in the decreased CD20 levels and increased CD8 levels along with the constant levels of CD4. Correlations were revealed between the immuniglobuline level alterations, decrease in the phagocytic index and phagocytic number, as well in lysozyme activity, and the working experience. Pollutant exposure results in altered immunity of the employees, which could be considered the adaptation mechanism.

Monitoring of condensate flows with a view to improving the quality of the odorant at U-30 of the OGPP

Currently, mercaptans are produced synthetically both in the domestic and foreign industry, which makes them cost high. The formation fluid of the Orenburg and Karachaganak fields processed at the Orenburg GPP is a rich raw material source of low-boiling natural mercaptans. Currently, the composition of the odorant is impermanent. It differs in the limits of boiling and the mixture ratios of natural mercaptans. The composition of the synthesized odorant includes a mixture of mercaptans from C1 to C4 and higher. The presence of methylmercaptan is undesirable as it reduces the intensity of the gas smell. In addition, the presence of heavy mercaptans from C4 and higher is also undesirable as they tend to hydrate formation. Since only C2-C3 mercaptans are to be present in the odorant, there arose a problem of removing or reducing the unwanted mercaptans. To solve this problem, an analysis of the flow of condensates entering the U-30 was carried out in order to obtain a quality odorant. The quality of the produced odorant was improved by the exception and selection of the optimal ratio of incoming condensate flows. The research is aimed at improving the quality of the odorant derived at the U-30 facility of the Orenburg GPP from light condensate fractions, where there is used a mixture of internal condensates from facilities U-741 (installation of condensate stabilization BX-04), U-374 (fractionation department of gas treatment plant E-18), U-40 (propane blocks, condensate of dehydration), U-11 (regeneration unit glagola, condensate of dehydration) after stabilizing at U-09 (hydrocarbon condensate processing plant), and also the absorbent from U-90 (plant for production of broad fraction of light hydrocarbons).

Utilization plants in energy and water supply systems of oil and gas enterprises

Within the context of energy efficiency and environmental safety, the creation of energy and water supply systems integrated with the units for utilization of combustible waste, low-pressure gases and industrial wastewater are of high priority for oil and gas enterprises. A method for the synthesis of these rational systems and a two-dimensional model for evaluating performance indicators are proposed. We have developed alternative structures based on the block-modular principle of equipment composition formation, which allows structurally parametric integration of energy and utilization modules with technological productions; performed pre-project evaluation of the effectiveness of alternative options for the energy and water supply system with the utilization of low-pressure gases, thermal neutralization of industrial wastewater for methanol recovery plants and designed a multipurpose oil and gas condensate processing enterprise. Integration of utilization, energy and technological installations in energyand water supply systems allows reducing the consumption of heat and electric energy from external sources by 56–100%, and water consumption by 40–50%. Accordingly, the cost of wastewater reducing by an average of 76–93% for oil and gas condensate processing facilities. Almost complete utilization of low-pressure hydrocarbon gases is achieved (the volume of flared emissions is reduced by 90–98%).

Sulphur Species Corrosivity in Refinery Feed Stock

High temperature sulphide corrosion and equipment failures have been reported in several crude and condensate processing facilities of petroleum refineries. Affected materials were carbon and low alloy steels operated in temperatures ranging from 200 to 300°C.These failures were attributed to specific sulphur species and were not anticipated by corrosion prediction tools used for their material selection. The corrosion mechanisms of these species are not fully understood. This paper presents Takreer Research Centre (TRC) research work for isolating the active sulphur species responsible for the corrosion. Two condensate samples were first analysed for total sulphur, hydrogen sulphide (H2S), Mercaptans (RSH) and other impurities. Using Gas Chromatograph with Sulphur Chemilumenesence Detector (SCD), it was possible to identify Mercaptans and sulphides from the process samples. Laboratory corrosivity testing of condensate sample using carbon steel and low alloy steel coupons at 275°C indicated that the corrosion rate was mainly related to the Mercaptans species within the Total Sulphur. The results concluded that specific dissociation temperature of respective Mercaptans is a useful tool in predicting the possibility and extent of corrosion and its vulnerable process loop.