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Currently I am working in upgrading onshore crude facility plant we have a sour crude stripper column for H2s removal after desalted/dehydrator while existing plant having H2S stripping column first then crude is going to desalted/dehydrator. Is there any reason why? And is there any effect in desalted/dehydrator operation due to H2s presence in crude?
 
Answers
01/02/2014 A: Eric Vetters, ProCorr Consulting Services, ewvetters@yahoo.com
Depending on the pH, pressure and amount of water present in your desalter/dehydrator quite a bit of H2S could go out with the brine if the stripper is downstream of the desalter. If the operating conditions are such that not a lot of H2S goes to the brine or if high H2S in the brine is not a problem, then having the stripper downstream of the desalter is OK. Not knowing where your brine goes or what the requirements on that stream are it is hard to say more.
Any place where water is present upstream of the stripper, it is also possible that your piping and equipment will be potentially susceptible to wet H2S cracking unless HIC resistant steel has been used.