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Urea Synthesis and HP Recovery Section (Abnormal Operations and Operational Emergency Handling)

Start Date End Date Venue Fees (US $)
29 Mar 2026 Tunisia $ 5,000 Register
12 Jul 2026 Riyadh, KSA $ 3,900 Register
27 Dec 2026 Dubai, UAE $ 3,900 Register
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Urea Synthesis and HP Recovery Section (Abnormal Operations and Operational Emergency Handling)

Introduction

  • Urea is a white crystalline substance with the chemical formula CO(NH2)2; it is highly water-soluble and contains 46% nitrogen.
  • Urea is considered an organic compound because it contains carbon.
  • It was the first organic compound every synthesized by chemists; this was accomplished in the early 1800s by German chemists.
  • Urea is made by reacting carbon dioxide (CO2) with anhydrous ammonia (NH3) under 3,000 psi pressures and at 350 degrees F.
  • The removal of water that occurs during the reaction is referred to as "dehydration."
  • The resulting molten mixture is further processed into either prills or granules.
  • Urea is the major fertilizer traded in international commerce. In the very near future urea is expected to account for more than 50% of the nitrogen fertilizer in world trade. When compared to other dry fertilizers, urea has captured more than 65% of the world trade.
  • Urea has a number of advantages over other nitrogen fertilizers. Urea is safe to ship and handle, it is less corrosive to equipment, it has a higher analysis than any other dry nitrogen fertilizer and it can be used on virtually all crops.
  • Urea can be stored and distributed through conventional systems. It can be applied in many different ways from sophisticated aerial application equipment to a farm spreading urea by hand. Urea is also highly water-soluble so it moves readily into the soil. The high analysis means reduced transportation and application cost per pound of nitrogen.
  • 2 Granulated Urea Plants, 2 x 2530 MT/Day capacity, Snamprogetti Technology (Urea Synthesis), and Hydro Fertilizer Technology (granulation) are installed at OMIFCO.

Objectives

    Upon successful completion of this course, the delegates will be able to:

    • Describe the synthesis reaction and physical properties of urea.
    • Know the process steps of urea production and urea synthesis
    • Identify the complete urea production plants, steam reforming ammonia plants and ammonia plants based on partial oxidation
    • Know the modernization of Urea older plants (revamping), and also their objectives and revamping options
    • Classify the integration of another process into urea plant
    • Outline the material considerations for equipment fabrication
    • Recognize the storage, shipping, and transportation of urea
    • Become aware of the various quality specifications and analysis of urea
    • Learn the environmental, safety, and health aspects of production and handling urea, including its safety, health features and toxicity of biuret.
    • Why maximum Biuret 1.5% permissible in Urea?
    • Determine the urea chemical reactions
    • Recognize the different troubleshooting regarding; Urea synthesis and HP recovery section.
    • Recognize the different troubleshooting regarding; Urea Abnormal Operations &Operational Emergency Handling

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies and presentations on best practice. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations.

Who Should Attend?

  • This course is intended for engineers, technicians, and operators working in the urea industry, particularly those who have recently assumed new responsibilities, to increase their technical knowledge in urea production and for experienced engineers to become better acquainted with new technologies in the industry.
  • The course will help to improve the participants’ skills and understanding of the entire industry, including technology, economics, energy, use, safety, and environmental stewardship.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction Urea Process Technologies

  • Urea product
  • General urea market information
  • History of process technologies
  • Various Synthesis Methods (Licenses)
    1. Snamprogetti
    2. Stamicarbon
    3. Toyo
    4. Casal
  • Various Solidification Methods
    1. Prilling
    2. Granulation
    3. Pastillation

Day 2: Operational aspects of urea plants

  • Control philosophy of various sections
  • Basic Chemistry
    1. Side Reactions: Biuret Formation
    2. Side Reactions: Isocyanic Acid
    3. Carbamate Chemistry
    4. NH3/CO2 Ratio
  • Historical Perspective of Urea Processes
    • Conventional (Total-Recycle) Processes
    • Stripping Processes
      • Stamicarbon Stripping Processes
      • Combating Corrosion in the Stamicarbon Processes
      • Snamprogetti Stripping Processes
      • TEC Stripping Processes
  • Key analysis for process control (Biuret % control)

Day 3: Corrosion in carbamate solutions

  • Theory of corrosion in ammonium carbamate solutions
  • Overview of various corrosion phenomena in urea plants
  • Cases of various types of corrosion such as;
  • Passive, Active, crevice, condensation corrosion, stress corrosion, cracking, and erosion.
  • Effect of oxygen, temperature, carbamate, N/C ratio, pressure, the temperature on corrosion rates
  • How to detect active corrosion?

Day 4: Materials of construction in urea plants

  • Historical overview of applied materials
  • The typical properties of materials applied in urea plants;
  1. (Austenitic stainless steels in high pressure and
  2. low-pressure sections, Duplex stainless steels
  3. (DP12, DP28W®, Safurex®) as well as Titanium, Zirconium, Tantalum.
  • Which materials to apply in specific process conditions?

High-Pressure Synthesis equipment

  • Process aspects
  • Mechanical aspects
  • Multi-layer or solid wall, Low or high strength steels
  • Leak Detection Systems for vessels and heat exchangers
  • Tube failures
  • Gaskets and Bolting
  • How to assure high reliability of critical equipment
  • Corrosion cases caused by failing leak detection systems

Day 5: Troubleshooting Urea Plants

  1. General troubleshooting techniques
  2. Corrosion and failure cases
  3. Process upset cases
  4. Fouling cases

Safety, Health & Environmental aspects

  1. Reliability aspects
  2. Safety and Health concerns
  3. Emission sources (continuous and discontinuous)
  4. Flare systems, containment systems
  5. Safety valves

Revamp Technologies

  1. Capacity increase
  2. Energy conservation
  3. Emission reduction
  4. New developments
  5. Solid heat exchanger revamp opportunities
  6. Energy reduction management

Failure modes High-Pressure Equipment

  1. Reactor, condenser and stripper failure modes
  2. Heating up / cooling down, stop-starts and blocking in
  3. Baffle hammering problems and effects of different loads
  4. Effect of temperature and partial oxygen pressure
  5. Effect of liquid distribution

What to do when … (HAZOP Study Cases)- Nodes to be selected

Accreditation

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A very useful course with relevant topics which I will definitely use in my work. The covered topics will help me improve the daily work as well as step up my level of Excel and VBA. The instructor's way of presenting the topics was very interesting, well-structured and interactive. I will definitely recommend the course to my colleagues.

Huda Al-Enizi

KPC, Kuwait

I received deeper and more useful perspective in my profession and almost immediately made relevant changes to my way of working.

Mousa AL-Qahtani

Saudi Aramco Co. - KSA

"This course is essential for staffs who are aspiring to assume the role of managers."

Alison Cowley

Adnoc Distribution Co., UAE

"Brilliant new ideas and solutions for challenges. The conference covered many topics suitable for both beginners and experts in career development."

Essam Dad

Assistant Divisional Manager,Wintershall Co., Libya