Acid Gas & Sour Gas

An acid gas is a natural gas mixture that contains significant quantities of acidic gases, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO­2). Sour gas is a specific type of acid gas that contains a significant amount of H­2S.

Acid gas typically needs to be treated in a natural gas processing plant to remove these chemical impurities before the gas can be considered safe for pipeline transport. This process, which removes the strong, sour odors of H2S and other acids, is referred to as “sweetening.” Depending on the processing method used, sulfur or sulfuric acid may be byproducts of the sweetening process.

Acid gases may be corrosive, toxic, or otherwise hazardous, and thus require special care and handling.

Welker sampling systems can be customized for the specific level of hazardous gas in your system to promote safe handling and equipment longevity.