TA-97-4 Black Powder in the Gas Industry - Sources Characteristics and Treatment

Abstract

The original objective of this research was to investigate means of controlling materials ingested into compressors in pipeline, refinery, gathering, and storage services. After an initial industry survey, it was determined that "Black Powder" (various forms of iron sulfide mixed with contaminants) is the least understood and most prominent contamination problem in pipelines and their compression equipment. The information documented in this report was gathered from technical literature, the Internet, researchers, experts, practitioners in the natural gas industry, field experience, and equipment manufacturers' publications. This search has determined that there is much expert knowledge in the technical community concerning many aspects of the iron sulfide problem, however, there is only a limited understanding by those in the gas industry that face the problem. This report discusses information gathered as a part of the research, including a section with references to retrievable literature used.