Learn which hazardous gases could be present at your oil and gas site and the types of safety threats they may present.
Identifying potential toxic and combustible gases at your oil & gas site is crucial to the safety of your onsite personnel and property assets. Once the possible gas threats have been identified, it is vital to put in place gas detection and sensor technologies to monitor for these likely gases if a gas release were to occur. Integrated gas detection technologies help to protect your personnel and property from dangerous gases while maintaining profitable operation.
Common toxic gases in the oil and gas industry include:
Some of these poisonous gases may be easily identifiable by an individual upon exposure while others are not. For instance, hydrogen sulfide has an odor similar to that of a rotten egg, whereas carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless toxic gas. By the time a person may or may not realize they are in the presence of a toxic gas they may have already been exposed at a life-threatening level.
Exposure to toxic gases can potentially have negative side effects such as chronic illness, dizziness, irregular breathing, fatigue, nausea, headache, eye irritation, and some exposure levels could even result in death.
Below is a table showing common toxic gases in the oil and gas industry with corresponding Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) figures.
Gas | IDLH |
Carbon monoxide (CO) | 1,200 ppm |
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) | 100 ppm |
Oxygen (O2) | <19.5% O2 by volume |
Carbon dioxide (CO2) | 40,000 ppm |
Ammonia (NH3) | 300 ppm |
Benzene (C6H6) | 500 ppm |
Proactively monitoring for toxic gases is critical for the safety and health of your personnel.
Common combustible gases in the oil and gas industry include:
Gases that are stored under pressure, commonly in cylinders or bulk containers, may readily ignite if an uncontrolled release were to occur.
Combustible gases act as hazards in the oil and gas industry, jeopardizing the safety of your personnel and property assets.
Explosions at plants and other facilities could occur due to a lack of equipment maintenance, improper handling of volatile liquids/gases, dismissing regulatory safety standards, and a variety of other reasons.
Closely monitoring lower explosive limits (LEL) and following other proactive gas detection strategies could help prevent a catastrophic fire-related disaster from occuring.
Rosemount™ 928 Wireless Gas Monitor
Learn about Emerson's new platform for wireless gas detection. In industries with toxic & combustible gases present, flame & gas detection products help safeguard critical assets, maintain a profitable operation & address operation safety concerns.
Learn more at https://Emerson.com/RosemountAspirator
The Emerson™ Gas & Smoke Aspirator System enhances safety by providing reliable, long-lasting smoke and gas detection in extreme environments.
Rosemount™ 928 Wireless Gas Monitor
Learn about Emerson's new platform for wireless gas detection. In industries with toxic & combustible gases present, flame & gas detection products help safeguard critical assets, maintain a profitable operation & address operation safety concerns.
Learn more at https://Emerson.com/RosemountAspirator
The Emerson™ Gas & Smoke Aspirator System enhances safety by providing reliable, long-lasting smoke and gas detection in extreme environments.
