What one has to consider when removing sulfur compounds during natural gas production is: how long will it take? Many services on the market offer H2S removal so that you can make sure your natural gas is pure. Three Steps to Find a Better Solution for H2S Removal from Natural Gas. It lays out the pros and cons of each option and what positives and negatives you should think about with any service for H2S removal. Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is a technique used to extract natural gas from shale formations by releasing millions of gallons of water and sand into the earth as high-pressure acidizing crews use mixtures of chemicals to open fissures in the rock formations.
How does sulfur find its way into natural gas?
The process of refining natural gas to make it usable by humans consists of several phases in which refinery facilities must remove and convert any unwanted oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other contaminants before shipping the products out. The first phase begins with separating the raw natural gas stream into smaller gasses or vapors. After this, one or two more additional gas purification units are called in to fully leverage each false product’s removal ability, including removing any residual H2S. Natural gas is colorless and odorless, but before the 1920’s it was mixed with water and carbon dioxide to simulate the color and smell of town gas. The coal from this era contained a lot of sulfur, which caused corrosion near natural gas leaks. With fewer people living in large cities, small leaks are more likely to happen. The process of extracting natural gas also uses ammonia, ethane, propane, and pentane, some of which are flammable. The presence of these chemicals along with the high pressure can cause many explosions.
Three ways to remove H2S from natural gas
The first method is using the membrane technique, which requires a high operating temperature and highly hydrophobic surfaces. The second method to remove h2s from natural gas is by using an h2s scrubber. The last method is to use IR spectroscopy to detect the H2S in the gas. With the fluctuating levels of H2S in natural gas, the oil and gas industry is responsible for its entire production. The three main ways to remove H2S from natural gas are by photocatalysts, membrane-filtering technology, and adsorption technologies. Desdepponent-mediated photocatalysis is a method that breaks H2S down into elemental hydrogen and oxygen atoms in a water solution. Membrane-filtration technology uses ethane at room temperature, which removes more than 99 percent of the pollutants. Adsorption technology uses specific nanoparticles to capture pollutants by binding with air, gas, or water molecules at a double stage (coalescence) or single stage (with an
What are the benefits of removing H2S from natural gas?
Preserving the freshness of natural gas is a critical part of its value and contributes to minimizing air pollution while also contributing to energy independence. According to the EPA, natural gas contained an H2S concentration of about 2.4% in 2012. However, many companies use a total process that releases the gas containing 20–40% levels of H2S into the atmosphere. While there is still no non-sulfur process for removing H2S from fuel, this oxide can be converted by catalytic reaction into calcium sulfate, a reversible chemical reaction that takes place in sunlight, producing visible light and heat energy.
Why is this solution superior to other alternatives?
There are multiple ways to remove H2S from natural gas. One such method is high-temperature distillation at extremely high pressures and temperatures, which can take up to an hour. This option is more economical for small-scale use, but its efficiency goes down as the volume of material using the method increases. Another option is chemical scrubbing at low pressures, which requires less energy and time than similar thermal treatment options. Chemical purification methods also require tertiary pretreatment steps and post-treatment by a higher temperature unit if the level of H2S in the product exceeds designated limits. There is a new way to determine if the H2S in natural gas can be removed. It uses a catalytic reaction to break down H2S into its gaseous components in contact with carbon and hydrogen. This method has advantages over previous methods, like an acid-based process that cleans up the gas via discharge at a fraction of the cost. Furthermore, this method doesn’t require electricity, eliminating an important factor used to make some of these processes more efficient.
How does this affect the industry?
There are a wide variety of reactions to questions about the cost and benefits of H2S removal for suppliers. Some question its value in an emerging industry where natural gas is not yet priced on a large scale which would justify the expense of removing it. It is also unclear what the power plant will gain from using the hydrogen as opposed to selling it to another entity. With the rise in the availability of natural gas in recent years, more questions have arisen about how effective hydrocarbon separation technologies are at removing H2S from natural gas. There is currently not enough consensus on the technology to provide a definite answer for every industry. However, many experts are confident that these technologies hold promising futures for addressing H2S removal. Companies need to remain updated with these developments, as this can help firms ensure future sustainability and meet current demands.
A success story of a company that implemented this technology.
Gas companies are required to remove hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from natural gas. However, conventional technology can be expensive and not always reliable. The company Gorgon Gas implemented a system using the new technology of the zero-edge fluorination reactor. This technology can remove an abundance of H2S from natural gas in a cost-effective manner. In a recent achievement, Progress Energy demonstrated that hydrogen removal from natural gas can be accomplished by employing Gas Conversion Technologies (GCT) technology to quickly break down H2S into its two constituent parts, hydrogen and sulfur. This process creates a mixture of water and carbon dioxide, reducing the amount of potentially explosive gas in the company’s pipelines by over 76%. Three ways companies can find, implement, and benefit from GCT are: leveraging natural gas storage tanks for sale to other customers; selling off their by-products for alternative uses; and reducing emissions.
