FLOWING SUPER SOUR GAS WELLS WITH DMDS.

A new technology using sulfur-dissolving agents has been developed to efficiently unplug sour gas production wells and keep sour gas freely flowing. The sulfur-dissolving agent, dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), can be used periodically or continuously and can be regenerated for reuse downhole. In order to counter the problem of sulfur deposition or drop-out in the formation, downhole tubulars and wellhead equipment, a commercially feasible and environmentally acceptable process, which can keep sour gas freely flowing, is essential and urgently needed because of the potential shortage of elemental sulfur and of the revenue and profit of recovering sulfur from sour gas. This paper presents a new technology and covers process chemistry, process description, solvent regeneration and economic analysis.