New Mobile Bay complex exploits major sour gas reserve

In March, Exxon Co. U.S.A. dedicated its natural-gas treating plant near Mobile, Ala. From start-up, the plant was handling its capacity of sour gas from leases in state and federal waters offshore in Mobile Bay. The company claims this is the world's largest sour-gas development, with reserves estimated at more than 1 tcf. Exxon further believes the wide swings in gas composition have led to a unique air-emissions permit from the state of Alabama. The complex third in the area for handling the high-sulfur gas being produced in the bay, began taking the produced in the bay, began taking the full 300 MMcfd of gas in October 1993 when the overall project started up. The paper discusses producing conditions, the unique permit, plant flows, and sulfur recovery.