SilcoTek Coating Blog

Do's and Don'ts of Refinery, Flare, Oil & Gas Sampling

Written by Marty Higgins | October 17 2014

Refinery, flare gas or oil and gas sampling can be a difficult and sometimes maddening task.  Long calibration times, loss of sample, and inaccurate sampling can all lead to premature gray hair.  The leading causes of premature aging of compliance and process engineers are sulfur, mercury and ammonia sampling.

Here are some helpful hints on how to improve process sampling. 

Go inert

Part per billion level analysis not possible and very slow change times to signal given concentration change.

Coatings are great for these materials to improve reliability and analytical results.

Keep it smooth

The smoother the better. Reduce surface area, less chance of contact points and more efficient and effective coating.

Electropolished heat traced coated tubing adds unmatched value for analyzer installations:

  • Chemically inert sample path
  • Reduced carryover contamination
  • Durability
  • High Temperature (450° C)
  • Improved dry-down
  • Faster response times
Say no to copper

•H2S and sulfurs will be scrubbed from sample streams with high copper alloys such as

  • Monel®
  • Brass
  • Recommend use of Hastelloy in the HF containing streams with SilcoNert® coating

Know where you're sampling

•Studies and presentations by Welker Engineering (www.welker.com) throughout the years demonstrate a good sample point is required.

  • Away from the wall
  • Away from turbulent flow
  • From center of stream if possible
  • Away from any flow disruptions

Don't let corrosion get the best of you

•Corrosion not only damages system integrity, it's a source of active and adsorptive particles.

•SilcoTek® coatings reduce corrosion by 8x or more while preventing adsorption of sulfur compounds. 

Remember that experts at all OEM's deploying improved equipment are there to help recommend the best solution for your application. 

Read more!  Go to our solutions page.