Process for removal of contaminants from a gas stream

A treating process for the removal of sulfurous components from a feed gas stream that is treated in a sulfur recovery unit and discharged as an acid gas stream, the process comprising:

• a) combusting the acid gas stream from the sulfur recovery unit with a hydrocarbon gas stream and an oxygen-bearing stream, followed by catalytically converting at least some of the sulfurous components in the resulting hot gas stream to hydrogen sulfide and discharging an effluent gas stream;
• b) combining the effluent gas stream with a recycle stream to form a combined gas stream;
• c) contacting the combined gas stream with a contaminant lean solvent that absorbs hydrogen sulfide, resulting in a hydrogen sulfide rich solvent stream and a sweetened gas stream;
• d) regenerating the hydrogen sulfide rich solvent, producing a hydrogen sulfide lean solvent stream and a concentrated acid gas stream that is at least partially employed as the recycle stream in step (b);
• e) recycling the recycle stream to the combining step (b);
• and
• f) sending the balance of the concentrated acid gas stream as a product stream to the sulfur recovery unit, to be combined with the feed gas stream prior to treatment in the sulfur recovery unit.