Sulfur recovery for gas processing plants

Natural gas produced in gas fields is a mixture of hydrocarbons containing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and organic sulfur species (carbonyl sulfide, COS; carbon disulfide, CS2; and mercaptans, RSH), along with other impurities. The content of the sulfur compounds spans 0.1 vol%–25 vol%, depending on field location and well age. These gases must be removed due to their toxic properties and adverse impacts on the environment. Therefore, gas processing facilities originate gas effluents rich in sulfur species, notably H2S. Since the sulfur species cannot be discharged to the atmosphere, they must be converted into elemental sulfur and recovered in liquid or solid form by means of a sulfur recovery