A technical talk focused on offshore sour gas desulphurization, exploring the challenges of processing H₂S-containing natural gas in deepwater developments. The presentation introduces a practical offshore gas sweetening concept, supported by process simulation and environmental modelling, and evaluates its operational performance, key sensitivities, and compliance with marine environmental regulations.
Location
University of Nicosia Main Campus – UNESCO Amphitheatre
Date
28th January 2026
Time
5:00 PM
Bio/Abstract
Increasing global demand for natural gas, coupled with the depletion of easily accessible hydrocarbon reserves, has driven the industry toward technically demanding deepwater targets. Where these reservoirs contain sour components, offshore sour gas management can limit development flexibility and constrain viable development options. A sour gas field is defined as a gas containing hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) levels above 4 parts per million by volume (ppmv), whereas gas containing significant concentrations of H₂S and/or CO₂—referred to as acid gas—poses substantial challenges for extraction and processing. Removing H₂S, a process known as natural gas sweetening, is essential due to the gas’s toxicity, associated health risks, and strict environmental regulations governing both offshore and onshore operations.
Offshore deepwater processing presents unique challenges compared to onshore facilities, including space limitations, stringent health, safety, and environmental (HSE) requirements, offshore operating conditions, reservoir location, hydrocarbon characteristics, and development plans requiring high natural gas flow rates. This study presents a practical sour gas management strategy based on natural gas desulfurization, simulated using Aspen Plus® to evaluate the feasibility of an integrated offshore process configuration. The proposed system includes an amine unit, a thermal oxidizer, a seawater scrubber column, and an aeration tank. This configuration was optimized for natural gas flow rates ranging from 200–600 MMscfd and H₂S concentrations between 50–300 ppmv.
A sensitivity analysis, visualized through a tornado graph, identified key operational parameters influencing emissions, including seawater temperature, gas flow rate, seawater flow rate, seawater salinity, and H₂S concentration. COMSOL Multiphysics® was employed to develop a comprehensive numerical model of effluent dispersion from the processing unit upon discharge into the marine environment. This framework enabled assessment of hydrodynamic transport, dilution behavior, concentration distribution, and pH evolution, providing critical insight into effluent dispersion and regulatory compliance with pH discharge limits.
Results indicate that incorporating a seawater scrubbing unit in floating processing facilities can achieve effective H₂S removal and offer reliable solutions across a wide range of operational conditions.