Brimstone Sulfur Symposium Details – Vail
September 11th through 15th, 2023
Conference registration begins Wednesday, June 14th at 07:30 PDT.
For a number of operating companies, Brimstone uses appointed “Seat Block Coordinators” who approve registrations for attendees from their companies. The June 14th date for registration does not apply to attendees from operating companies. Attendees from operating companies have until Wednesday, July 12th to register. If you work for one of the following companies, please contact your Company Seat Block Coordinator before attempting to register:
The scheduling of live conferences and meetings has been very difficult during the last two years, but we are hopeful that with the continued improvements in the pandemic situation, we will be able to return to our Brimstone Sulfur Symposium home in Vail, Colorado this September and recommence our live, inperson conferences. We’re proud to say that this will be our 30th Sulfur Symposium in Vail. It must be said, however, that it is always possible that public health concerns may force us to modify our plans for an in-person meeting and, as a worst-case, we may be forced to conduct another virtual symposium instead. We will keep everyone updated about any changes in our plans for the conference, both through e-mails and through our website.
Company | Coordinator | Location |
BP | Ron Rozic | Whiting Refinery |
Chevron | Bart Welch | Pascagoula Refinery |
ExxonMobil | Tye Aikens | Spring, Texas |
Flint Hills | Jacob Lundmark | Pine Bend Refinery |
HFSinclair | Vijay Krishnan | Dallas |
Marathon | Stan Holbrook | Salt Lake Refinery |
Motiva | Ron Pitman | Houston |
Phillips 66 | Nate Hatcher | Houston |
Shell | Ganesh Kidambi | Bangalore |
Suncor | Mark Young | Calgary |
Valero | Vincent Wong | San Antonio |
Format
The symposium takes the form of organized presentations and panel discussions by industry experts, operating companies, and suppliers of products and services. In addition to the presentations and panels, each daily session will include one or more open-floor question-and-answer periods. These standalone Q&A sessions have proven to be a very important part of the symposium.
In addition to the papers mentioned above, annual presentations covering important subjects such as safety and regulatory issues along with plant startups and shutdowns are given each year. Alberta Sulphur Research Limited, the premier research organization for sulfur processing, presents one or more technical papers each year at the Brimstone Sulfur Symposium. Similarly, the highly respected Amine Best Practices Group provides a technical paper and a dedicated Q&A session. For a listing of recent presentations, see below. We limit the maximum number of attendees to around 90 registrants. We find that keeping the symposium to a modest size is key to encouraging participation.
Program Schedule
Monday | Evening Registration: | 7:00pm – 8:30pm (optional) |
Tuesday | Morning Registration: | 7:30am – 8:00am |
Day One Session: | 8:00am – 4:30pm | |
Evening Mixer: | 6:00pm – 7:30pm | |
Wednesday | Day Two Session: | 8:00am – 4:30pm |
Evening Mixer: | 6:30pm – 10:00pm | |
Thursday | Day Three Session: | 8:30am – 5:00pm |
Evening Mixer: | 6:00pm – 7:30pm | |
Friday | Day Four Session: | 8:30am – 11:30am |
Location and Transportation
The symposium will be held at the Sonnenalp Hotel of Vail. The town of Vail is approximately 120 miles west of the Denver International Airport. Two different shuttle van services between the Denver airport and Vail are available: Peak 1 Express at https://www.mountainshuttle.
Registration Fee
The symposium registration fee ($1,950.00 USD) covers all symposium materials and lunches. Attendees are responsible for their own hotel accommodations, breakfasts, dinners (except Wednesday evening, which is included) and transportation. The symposium is held in the Sonnenalp Resort Hotel, and discounted room rates (approximately $269 per night and valet parking at $20 per night, plus taxes and fees) have been arranged for our attendees. Spouses are always welcome at our conferences, but to keep costs under control, we will impose an additional fee for spouses who plan to attend the lunches or the Wednesday dinner. The cost for an additional seat at the three lunches is $120 and the cost for an extra seat at the Wednesday dinner will be $120.
The registration fee will be fully refunded if a cancellation notice is received on or before August 9th. After that date, if you find that you cannot attend but would like to send someone else from your company in your place, just have them register and send us an e-mail (or give us a call) and let us know. Please note that submission of a registration form signifies a commitment to pay the conference registration fee.
In the event that the 2023 Sulfur Symposium must be held again as a virtual meeting, the registration fee will be $700 and anyone who has paid the full conference fee of $1,950 will be refunded the balance.
Sulfur Symposium Technical Advisory Committee
The Brimstone Sulfur Symposium is proud to receive guidance from a committee selected from among the in our industry. They help shape the format and content of the Symposia. The current Technical Advisory Committee membership includes:
- Thomas Chow, Fluor Energy & Chemicals
- Dennis Koscielnuk, Worley/Comprimo Engineering
- Rob Marriott, Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd
- Domenica Misale-Lyttle, Industrial Ceramics
- John Morgan, J.M. Campbell / Petroskills
- Alan Mosher, Black & Veatch
- Elmo Nasato, Nasato Consulting
- Phil Oberbroeckling, Houston Refining
- Dave Sikorski, HEC Technologies Ltd.
- Bart Welch, Chevron Products Company
Vail Open Golf Tournament
For several years now, some attendees of the Vail Sulfur Symposium arrive early and enjoy a little R & R in the mountains at one of the many excellent golf courses in the area. Join us on Monday morning for a fun golf event at the Eagle Ranch Golf Club. Foursomes play in a Best Ball format with long drive, closest to the pin, and other contests. There are numerous prizes each year donated by many of our attending vendor companies. Skill levels range from scratch golfers to beginners, so don’t be afraid to come out and try it. (Trust us, no matter how bad you are, there will be someone worse.) Spouses are more than welcome. For more details, watch for an e-mail flyer and/or contact our non-Athletic Director, Mike Anderson at (909) 597-3249 or [email protected]. Come join us and have some extracurricular fun!
2022 Vail Presentations Titles
- “Degassing Sulfur with Morpholine” Ron Pitman (Motiva)
- Amine Best Practices Group (ABPG) Annual Technical Paper: “Now We’re Cooking – The Effect of Biodiesel Feeds on LPG Treater Operations” Al Keller (Al Chem. E., LLC) on behalf of the Amine Best Practices Group
- “Successful Operation of SRU with Condenser(s) Bypassed” David Granum (Contango Lost Cabin Plant)
- “Stuck in the 90’s (alumina) – or – A New Hybrid Approach: 21st Century Mullite Refractories for Optimum SRU Lining Stability” Chris Windle (DSF Refractories and Minerals)
- Cameo Presentation: “Amines for Carbon Capture” Jesse Santos (BASF/Nalco)
- Alberta Sulphur Research (ASRL) Annual Technical Paper: “Start-of-Run Versus End-of-Run Kinetics for COS and CS2 Conversion Across Claus Catalysts” Christopher B. Lavery, Dao Li, Ruohong Sui, and Robert A. Marriott (Alberta Sulphur Research, Ltd.)
- Cameo Presentation: “Claus Thermal Reactor Port Purging” Nick Roussakis, David Sikorski (HEC)
- “SRU Thermal Stage Process Camera: The First Pilot Test” Matt Coady, Martin McCallister, Ted Keys (Delta Controls)
- “Thermal Reactor Refractory Enhancements for Oxygen Enriched Service” Jimmy Lam, Jay Davis (Chevron) and Andy Piper, Jeff Proctor (Thorpe Specialty Services)
- “The Trouble with Ammonia: How Processing Biofuels Changes the Approach” Marco van Son, Frank Bela (Worley Comprimo)
- “Identifying the Upstream Contributors to Issues Within the Amine System” Sharon Maydak (Pentair)
- Cameo Presentation: “Sulfur Run-Down Liquid Level Prediction” Brandon Forbes (Ametek/Controls Southeast), Joseph Tucker, Armias Adhanom, Justin Domingo, Baron Le and Reagan Rushing (University of North Carolina Charlotte Senior Design Team)
- “A Kinetic Model for TGU Hydrogenation Reactors – What Temperature Profiles Say About Catalyst Aging and Poisoning” Michael A. Huffmaster (Consultant), Prashanth Chandran, Nathan Hatcher and Daryl Jensen (Optimized Gas Treating)
- “Riding the Dragon: Sulfur Plant Thermal Reactor Temperature Measurement – Tools, Tips, and Tactics” Daryl Jensen, Nathan Hatcher, Matt Bailey (Optimized Gas Treating) and Matt Coady (Delta Controls)
- Cameo Presentation: “How Easily Do Modern Sulfur Products Meet 1970’s Specifications and What Other Handling Practices Might Be Useful in Avoiding Extraneous Dust?” R. A Marriott, F. Bernard, F.B. Hall, C.E Deering and P.D. Davis (Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd.)
- Cameo Presentation: “ASTM Industry Heat Transfer Program Discrepancies” Andy Piper, Jeff Proctor and Dan Milsaps (Thorpe Specialty Services)
- “Sulfur Production Reference Note Set” John Morgan (John M. Campbell / Petroskills), Elmo Nasato (Nasato Consulting) and Jay Davis (Chevron)
2021 Vail Presentations Titles
- “Starting Up SRU’s Remotely” Marco van Son, Salim Kadiwala, Charlie Zheng, Gerrit Bloemendal, Jan-Willem Hennipman, Ellen Ticheler (Comprimo)
- Alberta Sulphur Research (ASRL) Annual Technical Paper: “Ammonium Salt Vapour Pressures: What Conditions Could Lead to Ammonium Salt Deposition?” R. A. Marriott, M. Madekufamba and K.L. Lesage (Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd. -ASRL)
- “Performance of JeffTreat Ultra Solvent at the SCOT Unit in Norco Refinery” Emily Bergeron, Joshua Macmillan and Jason Lowry (Shell Norco Refinery), Jim Critchfield, Ganesh Kidambi and Xiangzhou Li (Shell Products and Technology), Patrick Holub (Huntsman Corporation)
- “Refractory Enhancements – The Devil is in the Details: A Case History of Improving Thermal Reactor Safety” Rick Johnson (BP Cherry Point Refinery), Andy Piper and Jeff Proctor (Thorpe Specialty Services)
- “Startup Foaming Issues in a New Tail Gas Unit” Sam Copper, Katlyn Thomas, Jesse Contreras, Leonard Nyadong Stephanie Goff, Brian Viceral and Jason Stavros (Phillips 66), Nate Hatcher (Optimized Gas Treating)
- “Estimation of H2S Evolution in Molten Sulfur Storage and Handling Processes” Darshan J. Sachde, Steven Fulk, Carrie Ann Beitler and Kenneth McIntush (Trimeric Corp)
- “BASF Amine Stabilizer & Nalco Intercept Corrosion Control for Gas Treating Amines” Matthew Mancuso (CNX Resources-Marcellus), Jesse Santos (BASF), Rodolfo Gonzales (Nalco Water)
- “High Temperature Sulfidation in the Claus versus Hydrotreating Environments” C.B. Lavery, R. Sui and R.A. Marriott (Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd. – ASRL)
- “On-the-Run Refinery Main Amine Unit Conversion from 2-aminoethoxyethanol to MDEA-based Ucarsol LE 777 Solvent” Aristotle Economou, Sean Mollberg, Diego Cristancho and Armin Hassanzedeh (Dow)
- “Understanding Unpurged Thermocouples in Sulfur Recovery” Matt Coady (Delta Controls Corporation)
- “The Impact of Biofuels on Sulphur Recovery” Inshan Mohammad (Sulfur Recovery Engineering)
- “Sulfur Production Reference Note Set” John Morgan (Morgan-Denver LLC) and Elmo Nasato (Nasato Consulting)
2020 Vail Presentations Titles
- Alberta Sulphur Research (ASRL) Annual Technical Paper: “Update on the High Temperature Sulfidation of Carbon Steel Under Claus WHB Conditions” Robert A. Marriott, Ruohong Sui, Norman I. Dowling, and Christopher B. Lavery, Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd. (ASRL)
- “Refractory Design Compatibility Study in SRU Thermal Reactors” Haytham A. Al-Barrak and Mohammed M. Al-Ayesh, Saudi Aramco; Andy Piper, Thorpe Specialty Services; Nick Roussakis, HEC Technologies; Elmo Nasato, Nasato Consulting Ltd
- “Preventing or Extinguishing Molten Sulfur Tank and Pit Fires” Carrie Ann Beitler, Darshan J. Sachde, Darryl Mamrosh, Ken McIntush, Trimeric Corp.
- “Temperature Measurement Considerations for the Claus Thermal Reactor” Matt Coady and Ted Keys, Delta Controls Corporation
- “Hot and Humid Claus – A New Perspective on Optimizing Claus Reactors” Michael Huffmaster, Consultant
- Amine Best Practices Group (ABPG) Annual Technical Paper: “How Meaningful Are Rules of Thumb for Claus Ammonia Destruction?” Al Keller, on behalf of the Amine Best Practices Group
- “SRU Startups and Shutdowns – ‘Hot’ Topics” Greg Hanlon, Treating & Sulfur Solutions Inc.
- “Amine Corrosion Troubleshooting With Acid Gas Enrichment Units” Inshan Mohammad, and Bob Veroba, Sulfur Recovery Engineering Inc.
- “Specifying Internals in Sour Water Strippers” Brad Piggott, Carrie Ann Beitler, Ken McIntush, Trimeric Corporation
- “Sulphur Recovery with COPE® Oxygen Enrichment Claus and OASE® sulfexx™ Tail Gas Treating” Jenny Seagraves, ExxonMobil Chemical Company; Jay Haybayeb and Ashraf Abufaris, BASF Middle East; Blake Morell, BASF Corporation; Thomas Chow, Fluor Energy & Chemicals
- “Sulfur Production Reference Note Set” John Morgan (Morgan-Denver LLC) and Elmo Nasato (Nasato Consulting)
2019 Vail Presentations Titles
- “TGTU Trays Versus Packing, an In-Depth Analysis of the Right Approach” Marco van Son, Salim Kadiwala (Comprimo)
- “On-Line Replacement of a Below-Grade Steel Sulfur Tank” Steve Gates (Job Industrial Services) and Larry Baker (HollyFrontier)
- “Impact of Operational Challenges on SRU Reliability and Capacity Availability: Part One, Normal and Abnormal Situations” Credante Casilang, Jason Harlan, Andres Novoa, Alan Peters (Shell Oil Products US), William Acevedo, Jim Critchfield, Roger Rangi (Shell Projects & Technology) and Jim Jenkins (Shell Products US)
- Cameo Presentation: “Molten Sulfur Vent Stream Disposition – Vent Stream Routing, Managing Emissions, and Impact of Process Conditions” Darshan Sachde, Carrie Ann M. Beitler, Kenneth E. McIntush (Trimeric)
- Cameo Presentation: “Hybrid Solvent Formulations Tailored for Gas Treating Needs: Total Acid Gas Removal and Selective Sulfur Removal” John Dowdle, Jason Binz and Nick Shurgott (Dow), Megan Robb (Breitburn Operating)
- Cameo Presentation: “The Benefit of Using Titania in Tail Gas Catalysis – Lessons Tail Gas Treatment Can Learn from Claus Unit” Mark van Hoeke, Hans Wijnbelt (EuroSupport and Shell Catalysts and Technologies
- “Key to a Long and Active Life – Effective Activation of Low Temperature Tail Gas Catalyst and Damage Avoidance” Michael Huffmaster (Consultant), Karl Krueger, Hans Wijnbelt (Shell Catalysts and Technologies)
- Cameo Presentation: “The Price of Startup, Shutdown, and Turndown Operations” G. Simon A. Weiland, Steven M. Fulk, Matthew D. Bailey and Nathan A. Hatcher (Optimized Gas Treating)
- Cameo Presentation: “Is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Necessary for O2 Enrichment Revamps?” Natalia S. Chacon, Robert Butts (Shell Oil Products), Marco van Son, Salm Kadwala, Youlei Weng (Comprimo), Sean McGuffie, Michael Porter (Porter McGuffie Inc.)
- Alberta Sulphur Research (ASRL) Annual Technical Paper: “Kinetic Studies for CS2 and COS Conversion Across the Claus Catalytic Converters” Christopher B. Lavery, Mojgan Lotfali-Kazemi, Norman I. Dowling and Robert A. Marriott (Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd.)
- Cameo Presentation: “Rheometric Properties of Liquid Elemental Sulfur and Modifying Effects of Hydrogen Sulfide” Mitchell J. Stashick, Gabriel O. Sofekun and Robert A. Marriott (Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd.)
- “Unexpected Operational Issues in TGTU after Trays to Packing Changeout” Christina Daniels (INEOS Gas/Spec Technology Group)
- Cameo Presentation: “Delayed Coker System Contributions to Contamination and Fouling in Sour Water Systems” Sharon Maydak (Pentair Separations)
- Amine Best Practices Group (ABPG) Annual Technical Paper: “SRU Wasteheat Steam Generator Tube Guillotine Failure” Jacob Lundmark (Flint Hills Resources)
- “Sulfur Plant and Tail Gas Unit Startups and Shutdowns” Greg Hanlon (Treating and Sulfur Solutions), Elmo Nasato (Nasato Consulting)
- “New Year, New Amine – Phillips 66 Sweeny Refinery Amine Changeover” Dillon Morse and Jason Stavros (Phillips 66)
- “Amine Best Practices Group (ABPG) Annual Q&A” Lon Stern (Consultant, representing the Amine Best Practices Group)
- “Sulfur Production Reference Note Set” John Morgan (John M. Campbell / Petroskills), Elmo Nasato (Nasato Consulting) and Jay Davis (Chevron)