Mercury

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Mercury

• Mercury
• in PDO
• Gas Processing

Mercury Technology Services
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Types of Mercury

• Elemental Hg0
• Organic CH3HgCH3
• Inorganic HgCl2
• Suspended HgS

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Mercury Metal
Hg0
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Elemental Mercury
Hg0

• Found in gas and condensate
• Volatile (evaporates)
• Can be inhaled
• Adsorptive (sticks to surfaces)

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Mercury is Volatile
Mercury evaporates like water
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Mercuric Sulfide
HgS
Cinnabar
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Ionic Mercury
HgCl2

• Sometimes found in produced water
• Not volatile (does not evaporate)
• Cannot be inhaled
• Can be ingested (drinking or eating contaminated
  food or water)

Ionic mercury is a salt
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Mercury Amalgam
Mercury reacts with metals
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Organic Mercury
CH3HgCH3

• Almost never found
• Less volatile
• Can be absorbed through the skin
• Adsorptive (sticks to surfaces)

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Concentrations

• Gas 0.1 to 1000 ug/m3
• Condensate 0.1 to 2000 ppb
• SE Asia 500 ug/m3, 800 ppb condensate
• South America 100 ug/m3 wellhead, 40 ug/m3
  export 100 ppb condensate
• Algeria, Offshore Holland, Indonesia, China,
  Argentina, Venezuela

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Measuring Mercury in Air
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Jerome Mercury Analyzer
Mercury in air
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Jerome Detector
Gold wire detector
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Measuring Mercury in Gas
Mercury traps
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Measuring Mercury in Solids and Liquids
Combustion Method
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PDO CPP
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Why worry?

• Mercury and mercury compounds are in natural gas,
  condensate and crude oil.
• You cannot smell, see or taste mercury.
• Mercury and its compounds are neurotoxins meaning
  they are poisonous to the brain.

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Risk Analysis
Mercury is successfully dealt with in
virtually all gas production and processing
facilities without risk to workers or negative
impact on efficient operations.
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How can I be exposed?

• Mercury is volatile and you can absorb it through
  your lungs if it is in the air you breathe.
• Some forms in condensate can be absorbed into the
  body through the skin.
• Mercury and its compounds are neurotoxins meaning
  they are poisonous to the brain.

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Where can I be exposed?

• Cleaning tanks, vessels and equipment
• Hot work on corroded metals
• Maintenance, changing filters
• Glycol unit

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Avoiding Exposure

• Follow safety policy and procedures
• Ask the Safety Officer
• Monitor the worksite
• Use Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
• Stay clean (good hygiene)

Safety
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Avoiding Exposure

• Training
• Wear PPE when required
• Cartridge Respirators
• (Hg0 lt 0.5 mg/m3)
• BA (Hg0 gt 0.5 mg/m3)
• Gloves
• Chemical suits in some situations

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Avoiding Exposure

• Chemical Suits
• Barricade
• 4H
• Responder
• Tyvek

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Worker Hygiene
Shutdown Procedures

• Wash hands and shower after working
• Use disposable clothing or segregate laundry
• Do not eat in work area

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Respirators

• NIOSH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MERCURY IN AIR
• UP TO 0.5 mg/m3 Chemical cartridge respirator or
  SAR.
• UP TO 1.25 mg/m3 SAR operated in a
  continuous-flow mode or powered air- purifying
  respirator with cartridge(s) to protect against
  mercury compounds (canister).
• UP TO 2.5 mg/m3 Full-facepiece chemical
  cartridge respirator with cartridge(s) to protect
  against mercury compounds or SAR with a
  tight-fitting facepiece operated in a
  continuous-flow mode or full-facepiece SCBA or
  full-facepiece SAR.
• UP TO 10 mg/m3 Positive pressure SAR.
• Abbreviations SAR supplied-air respirator
  SCBA self-contained breathing apparatus IDLH
  immediately dangerous to life or health.

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Symptoms of Acute Exposure

• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Chest pain
• Blurred vision

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Symptoms of Chronic Exposure

• Loss of memory
• Depression
• Confusion
• Personality change
• Dementia

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Mercury Waste
Solid Waste

• Used PPE
• Sludge
• Debris
• Sorbents
• Filters

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Mercury Waste
Liquid Waste

• Glycol
• Decon Solutions
• Condensate

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Mercury Waste Flow
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Mercury Sludge

• Mercury is a hazardous waste above 200 ppb. 
• Keep mercury wastes separate from other wastes

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Disposal of Mercury Waste
Storage

• Double bag
• Add sulfur
• Drum
• Label

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Waste Handling and Storage

• Store mercury in metal containers in a secure
  area.
• Exercise caution when decanting liquid mercury. 
• Mercury is incompatible with bleach and other
  oxidizers
• Mercury is incompatible with acids

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Decontamination
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Decontamination

• Metals - degrease
• Metals - chemical clean
• Plastics - throw away

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Decontamination
Vapor Test
Test for contamination
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Corrosion
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Corrosion
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Next Steps

• Review safety policy
• Review PPE requirements
• Know action levels
• If you have questions, ask the Safety Officer

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Risk Analysis
Mercury is successfully dealt with in
virtually all gas production and processing
facilities without risk to workers or negative
impact on efficient operations.
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smw_at_hgtech.com