U.S. Refinery Enlists ZymeFlow for Decon of Crude and Vac Units

Challenge

A U.S. West Coast refinery was experiencing severe channeling in their crude and vac due to a heavier crude slate change. They had suspected plugging on the crude column trays and deposition in the vacuum column’s packed section. Additionally, both overhead systems were likely full of asphaltenes.

Solution

ZymeFlow worked with refinery personnel to engineer custom procedures focused on safety, speed and efficiency. Utilizing several proprietary chemistries simultaneously with no incompatibility issues, we added additional washes and applications methods to effectively clear the unit for entry without increasing the overall timeline. Exceeding the customer’s expectations, we completely decontaminated and conditioned the residual solids within 30 hours including shutdown and deinventory.