A multidimensional gas chromatography method for the analysis of hydrogen sulfide in crude oil and crude oil headspace

Abstract

Two-dimensional heart-cutting gas chromatography is used to analyze dissolved hydrogen sulfide in crude samples. Liquid samples are separated first on an HP-PONA column, and the light sulfur gases are heart-cut to a GasPro column, where hydrogen sulfide is separated from other light sulfur gases and detected with a sulfur chemiluminescence detector. Heart-cutting is accomplished with the use of a Deans switch. Backflushing the columns after hydrogen sulfide detection eliminates any problems caused by high-boiling hydrocarbons in the samples. Dissolved hydrogen sulfide is quantified in 14 crude oil samples, and the results are shown in this work. The method is also applicable to the analysis of headspace hydrogen sulfide over crude oil samples. Gas hydrogen sulfide measurements are compared to liquid hydrogen sulfide measurements for the same sample set. The chromatographic system design is discussed, and chromatograms of representative gas and liquid measurements are shown.