Sulfur/Sulphur Block Storage

[maximorowe]

I’ve seen Sulfur/Sulphur block storage information/pictures mostly from Canada. Blocks of Sulfur/Sulphur are poured and stored above/below ground.
 
My question, to get this section started is:
 
Can this (block storage) be done on an emergency basis ? 
 
If so, what facilities are required (safety, environmental, etc.)  ?
 
Thanks, CG

[Jeanne rameau]

I believe in the States, the EPA Regs are quite tight concerning Sulfur Storage. Most Refiners transport their sulfur via trucks or Railcars. Of course onsight storage is usually a traditional sulfur tank. In the case of a Sulfur Storage emergency, where the Storage tank is out of service or contaminated, I have seen Refiners modifiy their Sulfur Pit/Storage unit pumps to discharge directly to trucks and Railcars.

With that said, a Refiner has to work closely with their local regulatory agencies to come to agreement for any emergency storage. Typically, Refiners will usually have to shed Crude Rate (not a good thing) to work through storage issues.

[Pete Bisila]

If you are able to degas your sulfur to meet EPA limits, you may be able to store it onsite. Otherwise you will definitely have an SO2 emissions exceedence by exposing tons of molten sulfur to atmosphere.  As previously mentioned, check with your local regulatory agency before changing your operation.  Elemental sulfur by itself is generally not considered an environmental problem as it is very slow to dissolve in water.  There may also be short term vs long term storage requirements to comply with that may require you to remove your emergency pile.

[Paul R Orlowski]

Here’s a case study on a Risk-Based Decommissioning of a Sulphur Storage Facility

Risk-Based Decommissioning of a Sulphur Storage Facility

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