With new opportunities of development in the Caspian and other locales, E&P operators wrestle with the dichotomy of maximizing the recovery of hydrocarbons, while adhering to strict regulations for managing toxic gases released into the environment. Sour gas, hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), and acid gas (AG), a blend of H₂S and CO₂ the ‘greenhouse gas’, can be devastating to the environment in large amounts and must be effectively managed to minimize their impact. When possible, H₂S and CO₂ are separated during production with CO₂ components being vented to the atmosphere and the remaining H₂S is processed into sulfur for industrial uses. With the development of mega-fields (>1 billion barrels of reserves) in the Caspian Sea and Middle East the amount of sulfur produced will exceed market demand, meaning that the produced sulfur is now an economical and environmental liability.

This paper weighs the risks and opportunities of H₂S management technologies utilized in developing fields in Middle East and Caspian. Addressed are the impacts on recovery and environment, health and safety, reputation and consequences, operational complexities and both regulatory and recent judicial actions. Although underground injection and sequestration of E&P associated streams (produced water, drill cuttings slurries and production/completion return fluids) are industry standards, the practice of injecting sour gas is an emerging technology.
This paper focuses on the considerable benefits of H₂S gas injection and its application during improved oil recovery (IOR) projects. Sour Gas injection is an environmentally sound solution that manages toxic gases, reduces acid production, dust generation and avoids adverse impacts on agriculture and aquaculture, thus improving the operator's image and reputation with local community. In addition, H₂S injection provides for permanent, reliable storage and eliminates current taxation (in foreign countries) or future liability associated with emissions and/or surface storage of sulfur. With the use of established technologies, the method of sulfur-handling is easily implemented without the need for separation plants or additional equipment. As the sour gas mixture has better sweeping efficiency than CO₂ or sweet gas alone, the amount of recoverable hydrocarbons is increased thereby improving economics of EOR or IOR schemes.

Experience	Solutions/Tools
Injection Design Risk Analysis Surface System Verification HSE Analysis	@Frac Best Practices
Geographical Environments	Contact
Kazakhstan/Caspian Onshore/Offshore Continental USA	Mr. Karim Zaki Ph. 713.979.0377 Email: Karim@ADVANTEKInternational.com