Disclosed is a process for the concurrent production of hydrogen and sulphur from a H.sub.2S-containing gas stream, with reduced, and preferably zero, emissions. The method comprises the catalytic oxidative cracking of H.sub.2S so as to form H.sub.2 and S.sub.2. Preferably, the oxidation is conducted using oxygen-enriched air, preferably pure oxygen. The process is conducted in a reaction chamber comprising a bifunctional catalyst material, so as to favor both the partial oxidation of H.sub.2S and the dissociation thereof.

An enrichment apparatus and process for enriching a hydrogen sulfide concentration in an acid gas stream to create a hydrogen sulfide rich stream for feed to a Claus. The enrichment apparatus comprises a hydrocarbon selective separation unit operable to separate the acid gas stream into a hydrocarbon rich stream and a purified acid gas stream, wherein the acid gas stream comprises hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons, a hydrogen sulfide selective separation unit operable to separate the purified acid gas stream to create the hydrogen sulfide rich stream and a hydrogen sulfide lean stream, the hydrogen sulfide rich stream having a concentration of hydrogen sulfide, and the Claus unit operable to recover sulfur from the carbon dioxide lean stream. The enrichment apparatus can include a carbon dioxide selective separation unit in fluid communication with the hydrogen sulfide selective separation unit, operable to separate the hydrogen sulfide rich stream.

Plants, processes, and methods for reducing the H.sub.2S and CO.sub.2 contents of shale gasses from fields that produce shale gasses having varying H.sub.2S and CO.sub.2 contents are provided. Acid gas enters an absorber and is scrubbed using a lean physical solvent, producing a treated gas and a rich physical solvent. The H.sub.2S content of the treated gas is further reduced in an amine absorber, producing a pipeline gas and a semi-lean amine. The pipeline gas contains lower levels of H.sub.2S and CO.sub.2 than gas produced using a polishing bed. A physical solvent regeneration unit regenerates the lean physical solvent from the rich physical solvent for feeding into the absorption unit. An amine regeneration unit regenerates the lean amine from the semi-lean amine for feeding into the amine absorber. Contemplated plants may further comprise a Claus Unit or a Redox unit for oxidizing H.sub.2S to elemental sulfur.

A method to recover sulfur comprising the steps of feeding an acid gas stream to a combustion furnace, condensing the cooled furnace stream to produce a first gas stream, feeding the first gas stream to a first adsorber comprises a molecular sieve, feeding the first hot dry gas stream to a first catalytic reactor, cooling the first catalytic outlet stream in a first condenser, feeding the second gas stream to a second adsorber, feeding the second hot dry gas stream to a second catalytic reactor, cooling the second catalytic outlet stream in a second condenser, introducing the third gas stream to a third adsorber, feeding the third hot dry gas stream to a third catalytic reactor to produce a third catalytic outlet stream, and cooling the third catalytic outlet stream in a third condenser to produce a third sulfur stream and a tail gas stream.

The invention concerns a method for treating a hydrocarbon feed gas stream containing at least CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2S to recover a high quality purified CO.sub.2 gas stream, comprising a. Separating said hydrocarbon feed gas stream into a sweetened hydrocarbon gas stream, and an acid gas stream; b. Introducing said gas stream into a Claus unit, c. Introducing the tail gas into a hydrogenation reactor and then into a quench contactor of the Tail Gas Treatment Unit (TGTU); d. Contacting said tail gas stream with a non-selective amine-based solvent into a non-selective acid gas absorption unit of the TGTU; e. Sending the off gas to an incinerator; f. Contacting said enriched gas stream (vii) with a selective H.sub.2S-absorption solvent into a selective H.sub.2S-absorption unit thereby recovering a highly purified CO.sub.2 gas stream and a H.sub.2S-enriched gas stream, as well as the device for carrying said method.

A method of producing hydrogen comprising receiving a sour gas comprising CO.sub.2, H.sub.2S, and ammonia from a sour water stripper; introducing the sour gas to an absorption system to produce an ammonia rich gas and a sulfide rich gas, wherein the ammonia rich gas comprises ammonia and CO.sub.2, and wherein the sulfide rich gas comprises H.sub.2S and CO.sub.2; compressing the ammonia rich gas in a compressing unit to a pressure of 400-600 psig to produce a compressed ammonia rich gas; introducing the compressed ammonia rich gas to an ammonia cracker unit comprising a catalyst to produce a cracked gas, wherein the ammonia cracker unit is characterized by a cracking temperature of 450-550 C., and wherein the cracked gas comprises hydrogen, nitrogen, and CO.sub.2; and introducing the cracked gas to a PSA unit to produce hydrogen and a PSA tail gas, wherein the PSA tail gas comprises nitrogen and CO.sub.2.

A method to recover sulfur comprising the steps of feeding an acid gas stream to a combustion furnace, condensing the cooled furnace stream to produce a first gas stream, feeding the first gas stream to a first adsorber comprises a molecular sieve, feeding the first hot dry gas stream to a first catalytic reactor, cooling the first catalytic outlet stream in a first condenser, feeding the second gas stream to a second adsorber, feeding the second hot dry gas stream to a second catalytic reactor, cooling the second catalytic outlet stream in a second condenser, introducing the third gas stream to a third adsorber, feeding the third hot dry gas stream to a third catalytic reactor to produce a third catalytic outlet stream, and cooling the third catalytic outlet stream in a third condenser to produce a third sulfur stream and a tail gas stream.

A method to recover sulfur comprising the steps of feeding an acid gas stream to a combustion furnace, condensing the cooled furnace stream to produce a first gas stream, feeding the first gas stream to a first adsorber comprises a molecular sieve, feeding the first hot dry gas stream to a first catalytic reactor, cooling the first catalytic outlet stream in a first condenser, feeding the second gas stream to a second adsorber, feeding the second hot dry gas stream to a second catalytic reactor, cooling the second catalytic outlet stream in a second condenser, introducing the third gas stream to a third adsorber, feeding the third hot dry gas stream to a third catalytic reactor to produce a third catalytic outlet stream, and cooling the third catalytic outlet stream in a third condenser to produce a third sulfur stream and a tail gas stream.

A process for removing sulphur dioxide from the gaseous effluent of a smelter furnace comprising the steps of: providing the gaseous effluent from a smelter; separating the sulphur dioxide from the gaseous effluent to provide concentrated sulphur dioxide and effluent for discharge into the atmosphere; mixing the concentrated sulphur dioxide with a fuel gas; heating the mixture such that the concentrated sulphur dioxide and fuel gas react to form a gaseous product mixture comprising sulphur and hydrogen sulphide; and removing the majority of preferably substantially all of the sulphur and hydrogen sulphide from the gaseous product mixture; wherein the remaining gaseous product mixture is incinerated before being vented into the atmosphere or is recycled into the smelter furnace.

Systems and methods for separating CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2S from a natural gas stream are provided herein. The system includes a first loop of co-current contacting systems configured to remove H.sub.2S and CO.sub.2 from a natural gas stream and a second loop of co-current contacting systems configured to remove the H.sub.2S from the CO.sub.2.