Sub-Product

Sour water originates from sour water strippers, common in gas processing facilities, sulfur recovery units, wellhead facilities, and refinery applications. There are a variety of impurities found in this associated water, such as oil and grease, suspended solids, BTEX/VOCs, as well as sulfur and ammonia (NH₃). The contaminants for refinery streams may contain the acidic components hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and phenol (PhOH) as well as the basic component ammonia, oil & grease, and others.

Reference: Bryan Research & Engineering, LLC, Luke Addington et al., 4^th Oct 2011, Sour Water: Where it comes from and how to handle it.