ELECTOCHEMICAL OXIDATION OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE IN GEOTHERMAL FLUIDS UNDER HIGH TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE

摘要

Hydrogen sulfide is listed by the US Environmental Protection Agency as an extremely hazardous substance. It is a dangerous toxic material that jeopardizes the health of humans and promotes the corrosion of metallic materials. It contaminates massive volumes of natural geothermal fluids that are encountered in the drilling of wells for the production of oil and for the utilization of geothermal energy. Control of hydrogen sulfide in oil production involves precipitation and oxidation using scavengers. at doses of some kilograms per barrel. Depending on the volume of production, a particular oil field may require injection of some hundreds of tons of these scavengers. Electrochemical oxidation of such brines provides an attractive environmentally friendly process that converts the polluting sulfide ions into more benign products, using electrons rather than chemicals.