This document outlines definitions, sources, systems, and emergency response procedures related to oleum (fuming sulfuric acid) at a sulphur plant. It defines oleum and how it is formed, describes its collection and transfer through an automatic or manual system to a scrubber. Emergency response plans include establishing response teams, conducting drills, and training all staff on evacuation procedures, spill cleanup, duties, and incident response.

1. OLEUM SYSTEM
AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
SULPHUREX PLANT

2. DEFINATIONS
• Process safety management – A management system that provides proactive
identification, evaluation, and mitigation or prevention of chemical releases that could
result of failures in process, procedures, or equipment.
• Highly Hazardous Chemical – A chemical substance enlisted in C-P PSM standard
possessing toxic, reactive, flammable or explosive Properties. This can cause
catastrophic damages and fatal injuries.
• Catastrophic Release – A major uncontrolled emission, fire, or explosion involving
one or more highly hazardous chemicals that present serious danger to employees in
the workplace, or imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and the
environment.
• Oleum Containing Equipment – An OCE is defined as the equipment contains
oleum in it example SO3 coolers, SO3 filter, Reactor ring, transfer line.
• Area of Oleum Influence– The area in which there is a risk of oleum spillage and
release. This area involves Oleum containment area underneath coolers, reactors
surrounding, scrubber area, and area surrounding SO3 filter.
• Reactor Oleum Collection Tank – The tank installed to collect oleum from reactors.
• Transfer Line – The common line connecting all the OCE’s use to collect Oleum from
each equipment and transfer to scrubber.

3. INTRODUCTION
• Oleum or fuming sulfuric acid is described as
a mixture of sulfur trioxide gas in sulfuric acid
having various compositions. It is defined by
the formula H2S2O7 (H2SO4:SO3).
• Oleum is formed after the production of SO3.
• SO3 Reacts with water/ moisture to form
Oleum. Below the temperature of 340 degC.
• Oleum Liquefied below the temperature of
150 degC

4. SOURCES IN SULPHUREX
• Mixing of water content with process air/gas
circuit will result in oleum formation the following
main factors are the major causes of oleum
formation during plant operation.
 Un removed moisture within process air /Gas flow circuit.
 Steam mixing with sulfur due to leakages in sulfur circuit and its
jackets.
 Leakage in glycol/ water battery causes injection of water in process
air.
 Moisture in Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB)

5. OLEUM SYSTEM
• The collection of oleum from the coolers and filter and
then its purging to scrubber is a sequential process
taken place during normal plant operation. The
sequence is consisting of
 1. Collection of oleum from each SO3 coolers in series,
 2. Collection of oleum from Gas filter,
 3. Collection of oleum from sulphonation reactor
 4. Collection in the transfer line,
 5. Purging to scrubber with pressurized air.
• In most recent plants this sequence run automatically
through a preprogrammed controller (PLC). But a
manually operated oleum purging sequence is also used
in older production units.

6. OLEUM SYSTEM
• Automatic Oleum Sequence.
It is a pre-programmed, logically controlled sequence of valves operation, to
safely transfer oleum from oleum containing equipment towards scrubber. It is
consist on a number of actuator type valves which are installed on each OCE to
collect oleum from them within a transfer line, an air pressurization valve to
force oleum towards scrubber and a purging valve to transfer oleum towards
scrubber.
• Automatic Oleum Sequence.
In manually operated oleum sequence the operator will collect the oleum manually
from each OCE and collect in a blow tank than purge this collected oleum manually
from the field as per requirement during the whole shift. This purging required
pressurization of blow tank through pressurized air.
This procedure contain high risk of personnel accident as the operator is in direct
contact with the system.

7. EMERGENCY RESPONSE
The following guidelines have to be taken into account in terms of emergency
response plan during any activity on Oleum Containing Equipment.
• Establish a temporary emergency response team.
• Establish the working team.
• Before starting activity discuss the whole activity with the working team and
emergency response team.
The emergency response team make sure that first aid measure and emergency
measures are in operation and free from error, these measures involves checking
the following.
• Emergency alarms and indication system
• Fire extinguishers, fire hoses and sprinklers.
• Emergency shower and eye wash
• First aid kit containing medicines
• Ambulance.
• Evacuation roots and emergency exits

8. EMERGENCY EVACUATION
• The emergency team has to make sure that assembly
line area, evacuation routs, and emergency exits are
ready to use and properly cleared.
• The emergency team has to make sure that the working
team and other personnel’s are ready for executing the
emergency plan.
• The emergency team has to make sure that incident
does not create panic among the personnel’s.
• Oleum emergency response drill and simulation activities
must be perform 2 times per year and the plant
management has to make sure that every staff member
attends the drill.

9. TRAINING
Every staff member must trained for the emergency response including the
following
• Site description and layout
• List of hazards and appropriate response
• Detail spill cleanup procedure
• Criteria for plan initiation such as alarm and notification
• Duties and responsibilities of the local crisis management team and
their alternates.
• Evacuation plan
• Method to account for evacuated persons
• Method to account for employees who stay behind to shut down critical
equipment
• Colgate and outside agency notification and coordination
• Post-incident investigation and follow-up
• Diagram identifying safety and fire protection equipment throughout the
plant, e.g., fire extinguishers, eyewash & showers and spill kits.