Oil Refinery Sulfur Management and Recovery Audit Checklist

A comprehensive checklist for auditing sulfur management and recovery practices in oil refineries, covering sulfur removal, recovery units, emissions control, and overall sulfur balance in refinery operations.

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About This Checklist

Effective sulfur management and recovery are critical for oil refineries to meet environmental regulations, optimize product quality, and maximize the value of sulfur as a by-product. This comprehensive audit checklist is designed to evaluate the refinery's practices in sulfur removal, recovery, and handling across various process units. Regular audits in this area are essential for ensuring compliance with emission standards, improving sulfur recovery efficiency, and minimizing the environmental impact of refinery operations.

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Industry

Energy and Utilities

Standard

EPA Refinery Performance Standards

Workspaces

Oil refineries

Occupations

Process Engineer (Sulfur Recovery)
Environmental Compliance Officer
SRU Operator
Analytical Laboratory Technician
Emissions Monitoring Specialist
1
Is the tail gas treating process compliant with EPA regulations?
2
What is the current tail gas emissions rate (in tons per year)?
Min0
Target50
Max200
3
When was the last maintenance performed on the tail gas treating system?
4
Provide details from the most recent performance review of the tail gas treating unit.
5
Is the sour water stripping process compliant with the EPA regulations?
6
What is the current stripping efficiency percentage?
Min70
Target95
Max100
7
When was the last safety inspection conducted on the sour water stripping unit?
8
Provide details of any operational issues encountered with the sour water stripping system.

FAQs

The checklist covers amine treating units, sour water strippers, sulfur recovery units (SRU), tail gas treating units (TGTU), sulfur storage and handling facilities, sulfur emissions monitoring systems, catalyst performance in desulfurization units, and overall sulfur balance in the refinery.

Comprehensive audits should be conducted annually, with ongoing monitoring of sulfur recovery efficiency and emissions on a monthly basis to ensure continuous compliance and optimization of sulfur management systems.

The audit team should include process engineers specializing in sulfur recovery, environmental compliance officers, SRU operators, analytical laboratory personnel, and potentially third-party sulfur management experts to ensure a thorough assessment of sulfur-related practices.

By systematically evaluating all aspects of sulfur removal, recovery, and handling, the checklist helps identify areas for improvement in sulfur recovery efficiency, emissions control, and overall sulfur management strategies, leading to enhanced environmental performance and operational efficiency.

Audit findings should be thoroughly analyzed, shared with relevant stakeholders, used to develop targeted improvement projects for sulfur management systems, and incorporated into the refinery's overall environmental compliance and process optimization strategies.

Benefits of Oil Refinery Sulfur Management and Recovery Audit Checklist

Ensures compliance with sulfur emission regulations and environmental standards

Optimizes sulfur recovery efficiency, reducing operational costs

Improves product quality through effective sulfur removal processes

Maximizes the value of recovered sulfur as a marketable by-product

Minimizes the environmental impact of sulfur compounds in refinery operations