Turning sour gas into hydrogen
Thiozen Inc. has piloted a patented thermochemical process that removes hydrogen sulphide from sour gas while converting it into hydrogen.
Thiozen Inc. has piloted a patented thermochemical process that removes hydrogen sulphide from sour gas while converting it into hydrogen.
Rising hydrogen sulphide levels from souring reservoirs and high-sulphur crude oils are turning sulphur recovery units into major throughput bottlenecks in both gas plants and refineries. Bryan Research & Engineering presents oxygen enrichment as a practical debottlenecking strategy, with water electrolysis – especially alkaline water electrolysis and, to a lesser extent, solid oxide electrolysis – offering promising oxygen supply options.
Sour gas production is costly because hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide require extensive sweetening, sulphur recovery, safety, and compliance infrastructure, with sulphur sales helping offset but rarely eliminating those added costs.
The Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has awarded global oilfield services firm SLB a five-year integrated contract worth about $1.5 billion for the next phase of development at Kuwait’s Mutriba oil field. The contract covers design, development and production management work and builds on SLB’s existing subsurface studies of the Mutriba field. It includes development of high-pressure, high-temperature reservoirs with sour conditions, expanding SLB’s scope as the project moves into more technically complex stages. SLB says that the award reflects its long-standing partnership with KOC and gives the company end-to-end responsibility for planning and execution as field development progresses.
The 8th SulGas® Mumbai sulphur recovery and gas treating conference and exhibition, organised by Three Ten Initiative Technologies LLP, took place on 5 and 6 February 2026. We report on some of the key topics on the agenda.
Efficient sulphur recovery is essential for modern refineries to meet stringent environmental regulations and support sustainability goals. Fluor examines the key design considerations, smart design strategies and flexible sulphur block configurations that are essential in achieving an overall optimised design. Together, these strategies enhance efficiency, reduce emissions, improve reliability, and provide flexibility for changing crude qualities, ensuring compliant and economically robust refinery operations.
Bryan Research & Engineering (BR&E) and INEOS GAS/SPEC continue their review of neutralisation of heat stable salts. Part 2 focuses on how caustic (NaOH) affects amine chemistry and corrosion and the effects of adding too much NaOH.
Joel Cantrell of Bryan Research & Engineering and Clay Jones of INEOS GAS/SPEC re-evaluate the historical practice of intentionally adding strong base such as caustic (NaOH) to amine with the purpose of improving performance and reducing corrosion by “neutralising” heat stable amine salts (HSAS) which have accumulated in the amine.
CSV Midstream Solutions says that it has successfully completed commissioning and commenced operations at its Albright gas plant in northern Alberta, tapping into the Montney shale gas field. The new 150 million scf/d sour gas plant with associated sulphur recovery represents the first of its kind to be built in Alberta in more than a generation.
First gas from Abu Dhabi’s 1.5 billion cfd Ghasha sour gas concession will be reached in early 2026, according to project partner PTTEP. The gas will come from the first phase 340 million cfd Dalma development. The Ghasha project is being developed by ADNOC (70%), Eni (10%), Thailand’s PTTEP (10%) and Russia’s Lukoil (10%). The outlook, published in PTTEP’s Q3 results, is a more cautious assessment than that provided by Eni in its own Q3 results. Eni said it was optimistic that the development would start up by the end of 2025.