Gas treating plant

Selective H₂S removal (OASE® sulfexx™)

OASE sulfexx solvent is a highly energy efficient gas treating technology aimed at helping customers achieve sulfur removal targets.

Raising the bar for selective H2S removal

OASE sulfexx solvent enables selective removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) while minimizing the co-absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2). The new solvent is based on a new proprietary amine that allows gas treatment units to achieve high absorption capacity with low energy consumption for regeneration. The result is lower operating costs, smaller equipment, and lower capital investments than conventional amine gas treatment units.

OASE sulfexx is sold and supported by BASF.

Key benefits

    • Improved selective removal of hydrogen sulfide
    • Minimized co-absorption of carbon dioxide
    • Can meet low sulfur emissions standards

    • Lower capital investment
    • Reduces size of equipment
    • Reduced steam use
    • Attain capacity increase with same equipment

    • Suitable for use in hot arid climates
    • Improves plant reliability
    • Full technology package offered by BASF including:
    • Process modeling
    • Onsite assistance
    • Solvent analysis
    • Reliable global supply

Our process

The gas treating process explained.

Best fits

  • Natural gas to pipeline
  • Natural gas to power
  • Claus tail gas treatment
  • Acid gas enrichment
  • Enhances oil recovery
  • Suitable for warmer climates

Tested and proven

Suitable for both low- and high-pressure gas treatment, the solvent provides superior performance characteristics over MDEA (methyldiethanolamne) solvents in Claus tail gas treating, acid gas enrichment, and acid gas removal applications. When used in a tail gas treating unit in conjunction with a Claus sulfur recovery unit (SRU), the new technology has the capability to achieve greater than 99.99% overall sulfur recovery to cope with future requirements. Commercially demonstrated to show superior performance characteristics over MDEA formulations and even improvements over FLEXSORB™ SE/SE PLUS solvents.

Energy demand and H2S selectivity by temperature range.

Benefits across applications

  • H2S selectivity over CO2
  • Increase capacity with existing equipment
  • Reduction in energy consumption (via less steam generation) of up to 50%
  • Reduction in circulation rate
  • Debottleneck existing amine unit with no or minimum equipment changes
  • Savings in cooling water and energy for chiller operation
  • Lower amine losses due to high thermal and oxidation stability
  • Robust operation, low maintenance
  • Lower capital investment for grassroots facilities
  • A creative innovator

    Leading her team of ExxonMobil scientists, Jenny Seagraves worked with colleagues from BASF in a four-year, painstaking process that resulted in a breakthrough technology — OASE® sulfexx™.

Featured resources

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  • ExxonMobil Chemical play button icon

    Raising the bar for selective H₂S removal

    OASE sulfexx solvent enables the selective removal of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) while minimizing the co-absorption of carbon dioxide (CO₂).

  • ExxonMobil Chemical Library icon

    New gas treating technology from BASF and ExxonMobil

    Introducing a new gas treating technology aimed at helping customers lower sulfur and overall CO₂ emissions: OASE sulfexx.

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