Examination of field data from a new gas sweetening process

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:7198755

Bhatia, K; Brown, T M

A new patented sour gas sweetening process was introduced to the gas processing industry in September 1984. This process consists of bubbling sour gas through a tower filled with a proprietary formulation, an alkaline aqueous solution of an anionic oxidizing agent. The toxic hydrogen sulfide is selectively removed from the sour gas and dissolved sulfides are converted to nonhazardous sulfur by the sweetening solution in the tower. The process is generally operated at ambient temperatures. The spent slurry from this batch process has been classified as a nonhazardous waste by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, fourteen state agencies, and the U.K. Department of Energy. The process was initially field tested at various locations in California in cooperation with major gas producers. More than 100 units are now operating in the United States and Canada. The hydrogen sulfide concentrations of sour gases treated with this process range from as low as 10 ppm to more than 20 percent; the operating pressures range between near atmospheric to greater than 1000 psig. The largest unit processes 16 MMscf/d sour gas using one tower at 1035 psig and the smallest unit handles 8 to 10 Mscf/d gas containing greater than 20 percent hydrogen sulfide. This paper presents: 1. Detailed field data for over 100 operating units; 2. A description of the chemistry of the process; 3. Comparative kinetic data on several hydrogen sulfide scavengers used in other batch processes; and 4. Defines factors utilized in the design of improved towers used for this gas sweetening process based on the experience gained in the field.

• Research Organization: NL Treating Chemicals/NL Industries, Inc.
• OSTI ID: 7198755
• Report Number(s): CONF-861080-
• Resource Relation: Conference: Society of Petroleum Engineers annual technical conference and exhibition, New Orleans, LA, USA, 5 Oct 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
DISSOLUTION
OXIDATION
REMOVAL
NATURAL GAS
DESULFURIZATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
FIELD TESTS
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CALIFORNIA
COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
MEDIUM PRESSURE
NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS
OXIDIZERS
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
PROCESSING
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
SULFUR CONTENT
TOWERS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION IX
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MIXTURES
NORTH AMERICA
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SOLUTIONS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TESTING
USA
WASTES
030300* - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing