Problems Associated with Sour Gas in the Oilfield Industry and Their Solutions

Abstract

. (2015) 'The problems associated with sour gas in the oil eld industry and their solutions.', Energy fuels., 29 (8). pp. 4667-4682. Further information on publisher's website:http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5b00952Publisher's copyright statement:This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in nal form in Energy Fuels, copyright c 2015 American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the nal edited and published work see http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5b00952.Additional information:Use policyThe full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-pro t purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. AbstractFossil fuels are still a necessary and important part of modern living, keeping cars running and houses heated for example. As demands have risen and reservoirs of oil and natural gas have depleted, it has become increasingly more important to tap in to fields that were once classified as undesirable. Sour fields, fields high in acidic gases such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, are one such option. There are many difficulties and dangers associated with working sour fields, such as toxicity of the sour gases, hydrate formation and corrosion of equipment that have prevented these resources being used in the past. Many varied methods of overcoming these problems have been developed, from removing the sour components to inhibiting their effects. This review highlights the major issues raised by sour fields as well as a wide range of solutions in use today.

Hydration Behavior of Polylactam Clathrate Hydrate Inhibitors and Their Small-Molecule Model Compounds

“…Above around 1 % H 2 S content, the gas is classed as a sour gas. 22 Sour gas is often sweetened, in other words the acidic elements are removed, before being transported through pipelines since the presence of acidic gases causes corrosion, as well as promotes the formation of hydrates. H 2 S forms clathrate hydrates at the lowest partial pressure of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 28 all the components in sour gas, at least partially due to its size being correct to fit in the hydrate cavities.…”

“…We now report detailed studies on a range of KHI polymers and model systems in order to address the role of the polymer in pre-nucleation water structuring. We also compare the water-binding data in 'sweet' systems with simulated 'sour gas' conditions in the presence of CO 2 and H 2 S. 22 Sour gas fields have often been neglected because of the difficulty in removing the acid gas components. However, as natural gas reserves deplete they are of increasing interest.…”

Effects of Morphology and Surface Properties of Copper Oxide on the Removal of Hydrogen Sulfide from Gaseous Streams

“…1 Hydrocarbon streams derived from oil, coal, and natural gas processing units are often contaminated by sulfur-containing compounds such as thiols (mercaptans), sulfides, thiophenes, and H 2 S. 1,2 These sulfur compounds not only adversely affect the quality and specifications of the product streams but also conflict with health and environmental regulations. 3 Because sour oil and gas reservoirs, which contain high levels of acid gases, are playing a larger role in current energy production technologies due to rising demands for energy and depletion of cleaner petroleum reservoirs, 4 meeting these environmental regulations becomes increasingly challenging with existing processes and technologies. H 2 S is a malodorous and toxic gaseous sulfur compound, which is generated in significant quantities in petrochemical plants across the globe.…”

Coal Bed Methane Enhancement Techniques: A Review

“…This method can successfully separate CO 2 from syngas. It is used as a treatment process for sour natural gas for the elimination of problems like toxicity, low calorific value, corrosion blockage of flow lines (Hydrate formation) and other operational problems . The process works by the circulation of a lean amine solution (ex.…”

“…It is used as a treatment process for sour natural gas for the elimination of problems like toxicity, low calorific value, corrosion blockage of flow lines (Hydrate formation) and other operational problems. [94][95] The process works by the circulation of a lean amine solution (ex. Mon ethanolamine) through the reactor where it comes in contact with the sour gas.…”