Middle East sulfur production

Table 2. Estimated Middle East sulfur production ...

The earliest method for manufacturiag carbon disulfide involved synthesis from the elements by reaction of sulfur and carbon as hardwood charcoal in externally heated retorts. Safety concerns, short Hves of the retorts, and low production capacities led to the development of an electric furnace process, also based on reaction of sulfur and charcoal. The commercial use of hydrocarbons as the source of carbon was developed in the 1950s, and it was still the predominate process worldwide in 1991. That route, using methane and sulfur as the feedstock, provides high capacity in an economical, continuous unit. Retort and electric furnace processes are stiU used in locations where methane is unavailable or where small plants are economically viable, for example in certain parts of Africa, China, India, Russia, Eastern Europe, South America, and the Middle East. Other technologies for synthesis of carbon disulfide have been advocated, but none has reached commercial significance. 

Recovered sulfur sources in Middle East countries have also been developed recently. Most important of these is the Saudi Arabian gas recovery program at Berri, Shedgum and Uthmaniyah which will initially add some 4,000 tons/d to recovered sulfur production. This additional 1.5 million tons/annum of recovered sulfur will further enhance the growing dominance of recovered sulfur in the total world market picture. 

Canadian sulfur production will show a net decline despite increased recovery at refineries and smelters. The greatest increases in supplies overseas are expected to occur in the Middle East, Poland, the Soviet Union and in Japan. Demand for sulfur in the world markets is expected to grow at roughly 4% per year (slightly faster than supply) and will sustain the present tight market and high prices for sulfur for several years into the future. 

The greatest overseas increase in sulfur supplies is expected to occur in the Middle East (especially in Saudi Arabia), in Poland, in the USSR and in Japan. Increases in sulfur from the Middle East and Japan will be due to increased recovery, while Poland s increase will be due to a new Frasch mine. From the standpoint of the impact on world markets, sulfur production in Poland and the Middle East is of greatest significance. New sulfur produced in the USSR will be largely self-contained. The expansion in Japan will be used to supply Japan s internal growth and to supply the Far Eastern market, notably Korea and mainland China, thus helping to offset the anticipated gradual decrease in availability of sulfur from Western Canada. 

The recent and future development of sulfur supplies in the Middle East tends to emphasize the resulting regional concept for sulfur supply/demand. However, as in North America, the rising production of involuntary sulfur has caused a drop in the amount of native pyrite sulfur produced. Table 2 shows recent past and estimated trends in several Middle Eastern countries. The future of by-product sulfur from oil and gas operations is very uncertain at the time of this writing (October 1980) because of the Iran-Iraq war and its effect on near-by countries. 

Utilization of sulfur asphalt pavements in the Middle East appears to have an excellent chance of success. For example, in Saudi Arabia, the production of asphalt in-country has not increased much during the rapid rise of construction activities in recent years. Figure 2 shows the recent and expected production of both asphalt and sulfur in Saudi Arabia. As discussed earlier, demand for asphalt has surpassed the supply. Use of sulfur in pavements may provide the needed binder material and thereby preclude the need for added imports or increased sulfur production(7). 

Figure 2-4 Sulfur content (wt%) of distillation products from a Middle East crude oil. 

Coastal utilities have been major consumers of products derived from imported crudes. East coast utility fuels have been based on Venezuelan and Middle East crudes while the West coast has obtained much of its fuel from Indonesia. There are a number of reasons why it would be difficult to convert these plants to coal firing. Auxiliary facilities such as storage areas, rail sidings, and unloading and conveying equipment are no longer in place to handle coal. It is even more significant that the land on which these facilities were located has been sold or used for other utility purposes. As a result, scrubbers could not be installed at these sites to allow for sulfur dioxide control. 

Granular sulfur, as the name implies, is created through the gradual buildup of successive layers of sulfur around a central core. As are-ult, the ultimate product size can becon-trolled. Enersul10 possesses the most widespread granulation process, with installations in Canada, the Former Soviet Union, Europe, and the Middle East. Kaltenbach-Thuring11 provides another alternative. 

Refinery operations utilize the highest amount of inhibitors ( 246 million) because higher temperature processes are encountered in refining operations. Not only do process and boiler water streams require inhibition, but also process environments produce HCl, which must be neutralized with pH modifying inhibitors, imported oils from Middle East sources tend to be sour (high sulfur content) and are more corrosive therefore, in terms of per barrel of oil refined, costs of inhibition for production crudes are expected to increase. An annual rate of increase in refining sector has been predicted to be approximately 2.5%. 

The regions where the production of sulfuric add is to increase the fastest are Middle East (Jordan, Iraq, Israel, Iran) from 4.0 millicxi tonnes in 1991 to 9.6 million tonnes in 2000, increase 140% North Africa (Morocco) from 15.0 million tonnes in 1991 to 21.1 million tonnes in 2000, increase 40% Far East (China) from 29.1 million tonnes in 1991 to 36.9 million tonnes in -20007increase 27%7... 

In 1996, the total nameplate capacity for sulfuric acid in Canada was 5,681 kilotons and in the United States it was 36,306 kilotons. In 1993, the total global production of sulfuric acid was close to 135.3 megatons. Some growth is expected in the Middle East and North Africa. In Canada and the United States, sulfuric acid is transported primarily by rail and truck. Long-distance transport of sulfuric acid from smelters in remote locations makes freight costs extremely high. 

Ffdr4-34i Percentage of sulflilr straight-run Middle East products as a function of the percentage of sulfur in the parent crude oil. (JProc. Fourth IForZd Pet. Congf f Itome.)... 

Sulfur in Products. The distribution of sulfur in cracked products is indicated in Figs. 4-35 and 4-36, Table 4-11 (coke), and on page 130. Typical sulfur balances are indicated in Table 10-3. Most generally, the. sulfur compounds in Venezuelan, Californian, and Mexican stocks appear to be most stable, whereas they are least stable in cracking stocks from the Middle East and from the Mid Continent (Oklahoma, Illinois, Kansas, North Texas, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Turner Valley, Canada). 

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