sour gas
Quick Summary
Sour gas is natural gas that contains significant amounts of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) or other organic sulfur compounds. This sulfur content makes it toxic, corrosive, and a pollutant when burned.1
To make sour gas usable, it undergoes a process called "sweetening," where the sulfur compounds are removed. This is typically done using liquid absorbents like ethanolamine, which captures the sulfur. The purified gas is then safe for commercial use and transport.12
While most natural gas is formed from the decomposition of organic matter over millions of years, a portion can also be biogenic, produced by microbes in environments like swamps.3
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
natural gasNonhydrocarbon content…gas is known as “sour gas.” Sulfur compounds are removed in processing, as they are toxic when breathed, are corrosive to plant and pipeline facilities, and are serious pollutants if burned in products made from sour gas. However, after sulfur removal a minute quantity of a noxious mercaptan odorant…
Read More…gas is known as “sour gas.” Sulfur compounds are removed in processing, as they are toxic when breathed, are corrosive to plant and pipeline facilities, and are serious pollutants if burned in products made from sour gas. However, after sulfur removal a minute quantity of a noxious mercaptan odorant…
Read More- natural gasSweetening
Sour gas is sweetened, or purified of its sulfur compounds, by treatment with ethanolamine, a liquid absorbent that acts much like the glycol solution in dehydration. After bubbling through the liquid, the gas emerges almost entirely stripped of sulfur. The ethanolamine is processed for removal…
Read MoreSour gas is sweetened, or purified of its sulfur compounds, by treatment with ethanolamine, a liquid absorbent that acts much like the glycol solution in dehydration. After bubbling through the liquid, the gas emerges almost entirely stripped of sulfur. The ethanolamine is processed for removal…
Read More