There are many methods of extracting natural gas including offshore drilling, hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and traditional land based dry wells. In addition, natural gas is often a sub-component from crude oil
extraction. No matter what source it is derived from, natural gas must go through processing and transportation before it can be used in household and industrial applications.
Oxygen Measurment Challenges
Measuring trace ppm oxygen (0 ~ 75 ppm) in natural gas pipelines is traditionally done by utilizing a electrochemical sensor referred to as a Clark Cell. A gas sample is extracted from the pipeline with either a portable or online analyzer mounted next to a slip stream. The sensor requires a sophisticated sample conditioning system to remove moisture, control the pressure and flow, and most importantly, remove H
2S. Moisture will interfere and clog the sample lines to the sensor requiring frequent maintenance of the system. Changes in pressure and flow will affect the readings of the membrane so the sample must be controlled. H
2S will quickly contaminate the sensor. If the H
2S level are high, the life of the sensor will be destroyed in a matter of hours. H
2S is one of the greatest challenges when using a membrane sensor technology.