Recently at the Permian Basin Markets Conference in Houston, Texas, I was asked what exactly is sour gas? It sounds kind of like a redundant question for those of us familiar with the oil and gas industry but for a layman who works in transportation it isn’t something that is too familiar. Most of us in the oilfield know that sour gas is H2S, which is very deadly to any human or animal in a small amount. Normally a pipeline that is carrying sour gas requires treatment and it causes corrosion in the pipes and other equipment. Sour gas is natural gas or any other gas containing significant amounts of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Natural gas is usually considered sour if there are more than 5.7milligrams of H2S per cubic meter of natural gas, which is equivalent to approximately 4 ppm by volume under standard temperature and pressure. The Texas Railroad Commission considers a sour gas pipeline one that carries gas over 100 ppm by volume of H2S. However, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has historically defined sour gas for upstream operations – which requires permitting, reporting, and possibly additional emission controls – as gas that contains more than 24 ppm by volume. Any natural gas that doesn’t fit these H2S emissions is considered to be sweet gas. Acid gas is natural gas that is contaminated with CO2 and H2S. If the natural gas only has H2S then that is the determination of being called Sour Gas. Sour Gas, is then large amounts of H2S. Any gas that co ntains acidic gas is one that has a combination of CO2 and H2S. The effects of having H2S in pipelines can cause a lot of damage in the pipelines and other equipment which is called sulfide stress cracking. This can be costly for any oilfield company. Oilfield companies, like Shell, have developed ways to sweeten the natural gas. This can of course be costly but due to innovativeness and ability to be flexible and environmentally safe, they have come to find ways to remove the contaminants in the natural gas. Natural gas is abundant, accessible and its contribution as it is the lowest fossil fuel are the reasons for it being one of the contributing factors in solving the global emissions challenge. This is the reason why many companies are contributing to sweeting the sour gas that is found in natural gas production. It is also important that the safety of oilfield workers in the field is handled properly with the proper training and equipment needed to recognize H2S emissions in a timely manner. H2S Safety is necessary and we can help connect you to the safety consultants to train your safety personnel. Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.
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Texas Oil & Gas Magazine Page 9