Total plans downhole sulfur removal demonstration

Oct. 30, 2008
France's Total intends to use the downhole sulfur removal technology, which it developed with CrystaTech, on sour gas fields in the Middle East and in the Caspian Sea area, a Total spokesman told OGJ.

Doris Leblond
OGJ Correspondent

PARIS, Oct. 30 -- Total SA intends to use the downhole sulfur removal (DSR) technology, which it developed with Austin-based CrystaTech, on sour gas fields in the Middle East and in the Caspian Sea area, Total spokesman Kevin Church told OGJ. A decision has already been taken to move to the pilot unit demonstration phase of the project.

Total signed a technology development and commercialization agreement with CrystaTech, a clean-energy technology development company, to develop a recycling process for the continuous removal and recovery of sulfur deposits in sour gas well bores. CrystaTech is modifying its patented CrystalSulf hydrogen sulfide removal process to develop the new technology for this downhole application.

DSR technology makes the sulfur soluble by continuously injecting a liquid hydrocarbon into the production well bores. It is a nonspecified refinery product that absorbs and carries the sulfur out of the well bore through a state-of-the-art recycling and regeneration process.

Total plans to use the technology in the production of large sour gas reserves in the Middle East and the Caspian Sea. Existing technologies, points out the company, require producers to either shut in gas production while injecting disposable solvents to clear blocked well bores, continuously inject nonrecyclable solvents, or use chemical regeneration processes.