Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology

Characterization of black powder found in sales gas pipes

3^rd International Conference and Expo on Oil and Gas

July 13-14, 2017 Berlin, Germany

Tariq Saeed Khan and Mohamed S Alshehhi

Petroleum Institute, UAE

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Pet Environ Biotechnol

Abstract:

Black powder (BP) is a typical contaminant usually found in sales gas pipelines. Its presence may cause major operational and maintenance issues including blockage of sensors and filters, erosion of pipeline bends and compromise the sales gas quality. There has been little known about its composition and sources of formation in the gas pipelines. Understanding its characteristics is considered crucial for appropriate mitigation planning and execution of smooth pipelines operations. Black powder samples collected from sales gas pipelines network of a Middle Eastern gas company are analyzed using semi electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM- EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods for surface analysis and phase identification of the crystalline material. These analyses revealed variation in size distribution and shape of the BP samples. Likewise most of the BP particles were found agglomerated. Elemental analyses of the sample have shown presence of iron as the most abundant element after sulfur. XRD patterns can be indexed with both iron oxides and sulfides suggesting presence of moisture and hydrogen sulfide in the gas.

Biography :

Email: tkhan@pi.ac.ae