Much has been written about the GCC, Iraq and Iran collectively holding 40% and 60% of the global gas and oil reserves respectively making the region the world’s biggest source of hydrocarbon energy with gas playing a much greater role in the region’s developing economies.
With the demand for gas for infrastructure and power needs ever increasing the pursuit for development of non-conventional gas deposits persists across the region with sour hydrocarbon field recovery gaining priority in many countries.
Oman is currently developing a gas/condensate field in the south containing 3% H2S and 16% CO2 and another field some 300 km from Muscat also with 3% H2S and 6% CO2.
Qatar continues its dominating presence in LNG and has recently signed a 30 year exploration and production sharing agreement in its North Field, the world’s largest gas reservoir.
Thus all the world’s largest LNG trains include integrated gas treating facilities consisting of AGR units for H2S and CO2 removal, molecular sieves for impurity removal and by the establishment of the Common Sulphur Project have delivered a unique system for collection, processing and market distribution of the sulphur by-product.
Kuwait is studying the challenges of developing HPHT Jurassic sour gas fields both from the point of view of rig and rigless operations and is joined by Saudi Arabia in the prospects of intelligent sour field management given their preference for smart field operations.
Saudi Aramco is aiming to produce 2.5 billion cf/d of sulphur rich non-associated gas to be processed at Wasit. Additionally they are looking at the potential of sour gas processing from the Kidan field as well as bringing on the offshore Karan Field with the 450 MMcf/d of sour gas expected to yield 67% sales gas.
Iran is also addressing its sour field issues having just announced that the 12th phase of the South Pars when operational in 2012 will produce 84 million cubic meters of sour gas per day.
Shah Project
The Shah project in the UAE is critical for infrastructure development in Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030 plan and when operational will process well fluids containing 23% H2S and 10% CO2 thus making the project a new benchmark for the world’s gas processing and treating industry.
Alongside this project are the future expectations of developing the sour Bab and Hail fields . So it can be seen there is a high level of activity in sour gas field development in the Middle East but it is by no means limited to this region with ongoing projects in Chuangdongbei, Puguang and Longgang in China; Kashagan Field, Kazakhstan; South Yoloten Field, Turkmenistan and several activities in Russia with major sour processing facilities in Orenburg and Astrakhan, plus other sour field projects worldwide.
Thus the overall scope of SOGAT 2012 will examine all the ongoing international sour field projects as well as the beneficial uses of the sulphur by-products, particularly through the latest research findings in Qatar.
Through its various pre-conference workshops it will examine the most relevant technical aspects in more depth as well as discussing the beneficial use of the associated CO2 in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia together with new global initiatives in the 6th International CO2 Forum.
Don’t Miss – SOGAT 2012
When: 25 – 29 March
Where: Hilton Hotel, Abu Dhabi Corniche
More: www.SOGAT.org
Highlights: The keynote address will be given by Saif Ahmed Al Ghafli, Al Hosn Gas. Exciting conference presentations include: Sour Gas Solutions to Meet Increasing Energy Demand, delivered by Ad Punt of Shell, plus an insight into the HSE planning and preparations from Tipu Jibran-Zafar, Ala Al-Shaibani, Medhat Salem Ahmed Al Hebsi and Ian Edward Ross, all of Al Hosn Gas, UAE.
Safety issues and monitoring worker exposure to hydrogen sulfide will also be addressed in a key session delivered by Alexandra Duguay, Guy Boisson, Brian Vaz, Srinivasan Rajagopulan, TOTAL Abu Al Bukhoosh (TABK), UAE.
