Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) Gas Dispersion Potentials and Release Scenarios for Pacific OCS Region Oil and Gas Platform and Pipelines Located in the Santa Barbara Channel and Santa Maria Basin, California

摘要

Oil and gas facilities located on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf Region (POCSR) generally produce gas that contains varying concentrations of hydrogen sulfide gas. Gas containing high levels of H2S is commonly referred to as sour gas. Minerals Management Service (MMS) regulations require that lessees, Take all necessary and feasible precautions and measures to protect personnel from the toxic effects of H2S and to mitigate damage to property and the environment by H2S (30CFR 250.490(a)(1)). Workers on the platforms are trained and drilled in the potential hazards of H2S and there are extensive safety measures in place to reduce the potential for releases, enable rapid detection, and implement immediate response, if a release were to occur. The primary focus of this analysis was to estimate the areal extent around a potential release source (wellhead, process vessel, piping, pipeline) for eleven (11) of the twenty three (23) platforms located on the POCSR that produce gas with H2S concentrations greater than or equal to (=) 100 parts per million (ppm), which could present a hazard to members of the public.