Combined measurement of hydrogen sulfide content and sulfur isotope in natural gas

Abstract

The natural gas containing hydrogen sulfide in China has great exploration potential, and the origin, source and formation mechanism of hydrogen sulfide are of concern to petroleum workers. Hydrogen sulfide content and sulfur isotope analysis are two common and important identification indicators. Due to strong toxicity of hydrogen sulfide, many laboratories in China conduct fewer tests or cancel such testing items. In this paper, hydrogen sulfide conversion reagent is preferring selected in pretreatment process. At the same time, through improving isotope mass spectrometer supporting equipment, i.e. tuning the parameters of ion beam focusing of sulfur isotope Faraday cup, installing special chromatography column, Teflon pipeline, sulfur reaction tube, etc., the technology platform for combined measurement of hydrogen sulfide content and sulfur isotope is constructed. Secondly, the high purity sulfur dioxide standard gas is replaced with working standard gas of low concentration, low pressure and small volume, and the optimal experimental conditions are determined through system condition experimental exploration (stability, standard substance analysis, etc.). Finally, the solid precipitate generated by the reaction was sent into the mass spectrometer for the detection of sulfur isotope composition information, and the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the gas to be measured is calculated by comparing signal with the isotopic composition of standard pure sulfur-containing substances. By using this method, the hydrogen sulfide content and sulfur isotope in some natural gas of Daniudi and Fuxian gas fields in Ordos Basin, and Hongxing area in western Hubei and eastern Chongqing are measured. The measured results are stable with good precision, and are consistent with the results of external laboratories. Comparing traditional method, this method can obtain sulfur content and sulfur isotope values by a single sampling. The preferred silver acetate reagent with one-step chemical method can reduce isotopic fractionation. In addition, the hydrogen sulfide inverting into solid silver sulfide are more reliable directly compared with the standard substance silver sulfide isotope. With low concentration, low pressure, small volume SO2 as the working standard gas, it reduces the laboratory safety risk and instrument damage, and meets the environmental safety requirements.

Keywords

• hydrogen sulfide
• sulfur isotope
• combined measurement
• natural gas