Hydrocarbons in the sour water system are typically present on a continuous basis at up to 10,000 ppm and during upsets to levels greater than 50,000 ppm. As little as 5,000 ppm Cat Naphtha lost to the sour water system from an FCC main fractionator overhead accumulator operating at 100 gpm water represents 262,800 gallons of potential product gasoline lost per year, with a recoverable product value greater than $500,000.

Most sour water systems experience either periodic or continuous hydrocarbon upsets, leading to stripper foaming, diminished capacity, fouling of heat transfer surfaces, and in extreme cases shut down and environmental emissions due to inability to process accumulated sour water.

Adding sour water residence tank capacity to address hydrocarbon carryover to the sour water stripper may require a capital expenditure of several million dollars or more. HRT provides superior hydrocarbon recovery, increased flexibility and a smaller footprint while reducing required capital by over two-thirds. HRT combines both superior performance and superior economic returns.