Mercury is a naturally occurring trace element in fossil fuels. It is predominantly present in the metallic form but may be present in the form of inorganic salts and organic species.
The three major problems resulting from the presence of mercury for the oil industry are Liquid Metal Embrittlement (LME), catalytic poisoning and environmental issues.
Typical levels in crude oil range from < 1 ppb to 1000’s of ppm depending on field and well. Some oil refiners are starting to impose mercury specification limits on feedstocks in the single to tens of ppb range. Processing of gas and oil rich in mercury can be problematic and needs to be monitored and managed on an ongoing basis.
Where necessary mercury removal systems may need to be incorporated into process design.
As well as pipelines often imposing mercury specifications, refiners are now beginning to impose financial penalties on crude with high mercury concentrations. Traditionally, specifications were imposed on the gas fraction only, however, pipeline operators and refineries are now imposing specifications on the stabilised oil/condensate as this can cause problems with subsequent processing, and may require an alternative approach for mercury removal.
Mercury in the Oil and Gas Industry
Mercury is a naturally occurring trace element in fossil fuels. It is predominantly present in the metallic form but may be present in the form of inorganic salts and organic species.
The three major problems resulting from the presence of mercury for the oil industry are Liquid Metal Embrittlement (LME), catalytic poisoning and environmental issues.
Typical levels in crude oil range from < 1 ppb to 1000’s of ppm depending on field and well. Some oil refiners are starting to impose mercury specification limits on feedstocks in the single to tens of ppb range. Processing of gas and oil rich in mercury can be problematic and needs to be monitored and managed on an ongoing basis.
Where necessary mercury removal systems may need to be incorporated into process design.
As well as pipelines often imposing mercury specifications, refiners are now beginning to impose financial penalties on crude with high mercury concentrations. Traditionally, specifications were imposed on the gas fraction only, however, pipeline operators and refineries are now imposing specifications on the stabilised oil/condensate as this can cause problems with subsequent processing, and may require an alternative approach for mercury removal.