Holistic Approach in Managing Challenges of Mature Offshore Carbonate Gas Fields with High CO2 and H2S Content in Sarawak Gas Operations, MALAYSIA

Abstract

Natural gas produced from underground reservoirs varies in its composition depending on the type, depth, and location of the underground deposit and the geology of the area. Natural gas is usually considered sour if the hydrogen sulphide (H2S) content exceed a certain threshold. And the term acid gas is usually used if it contains acidic gases e.g. carbon dioxide (CO2). Natural gas is called sweet gas when it is relatively free of H2S and CO2. The contaminants in natural gas needs to be treated or maintained within a certain limit as per the required pipeline quality for exports and sales. In Sarawak Gas Operations, the contaminants is being managed by means of integrated gas blending. Field B is one of the deepest platform-type carbonate gas reservoir in Central Luconia Province, offshore Sarawak with highest level of contaminants i.e. 40 mol% of CO2 and 2800 ppm of H2S. Sampling at more frequent interval of twice a year is implemented to monitor the trending of the contaminants level which will give perception on the effective blending management and maximum gas recovery. The strategy to produce as much as sour gas first while ample sweet gas is available to achieve maximum overall gas recovery is well understood. Observation on the trending for more than 10 years suggest that the level of contaminants is increasing by time and the field is souring. This finding is supported by the understanding of CO2 and H2S solubility in water which is higher as compared to hydrocarbon gases. The suspected mechanism for the reservoir souring is the changes in CO2 and H2S solubility in water with pressure change. This paper summarises the main issue of increasing contaminants level and effort to maximise gas recovery from the souring reservoir and discusses on the results from contaminants level trending and example from analogue field.

Metal chloride anion based ionic liquids: synthesis, characterization and evaluation of performance in hydrogen sulfide oxidative absorption

“…Consequently, sulfur production output is lowered and cost increased. 7 Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts with melting point lower than the water boiling point and have emerged as promising green solvents for desulphurization. 8 ILs are designer solvents because their physicochemical properties are tunable by changing the cation and anion.…”