Insight
Sour gas and sulphur: rising volume, corroding value
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*Please note that this report only includes an Excel data file if this is indicated in "What's included" below
Report summary
Sour gas is coming to the fore. IOCs are targeting a greater gas mix in their portfolios, meanwhile many NOCs are looking for strategic domestic supply. From the Middle East to Central Asia, the biggest and boldest upstream projects must deal with sour gas and its toxic hydrogen sulphide impurities – whether associated with oil or non-associated. Sour gas output will increase by over 50% in the next decade, supplying almost 10% of global gas and shaping sulphur's US$10 billion-a-year market. That excludes the growing volumes re-injected at oil megaprojects.
Table of contents
- Executive summary
- What is sour gas?
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Where is sour gas?
- Middle East and Central Asia dominate the outlook
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What are the development constraints?
- Technical: why is sour gas such an issue?
- Commercial: is there an investment case for IOCs?
- Strategic and corporate: are sour gas assets in the right hands?
- Sulphur: upstream's lesser-known product
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The US$10 billion global sulphur market: five key takeaways
- 1) Oversupply is expected
- 2) China is the dominant market
- 3) Prices are volatile, but regional benchmarks are highly correlated
- 4) Non-China markets matter
- 5) Storage capacity is crucial swing factor
- Is it a golden age for sour gas?
Tables and charts
This report includes the following images and tables:
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Global sour gas reserves and resources (excluding Lower 48)Sulphur value chain: from sour gas to end productKazakhstan: Tengizchevroil sulphur economics
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Gas sales from sour gas fieldsSour gas project tracker: expected and planned start-upsGlobal sulphur exportsChina's sulphur imports – source countries
What's included
This report contains:
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