Analytical methods for speciation of mercury in gas condensates - Critical assessment and recommendations

The wide range of mercury species present in gas condensates can cause major problems such as corrosion of installations and reduced catalyst life. The understanding of speciation of this element is required to predict and improve the efficiency of mercury removal technologies. This review paper presents the state-of-the-art of the analytical methods available for the analysis of mercury speciation in gas condensates, highlighting the advantages and drawbacks. Particular attention is given to gas chromatography with mercury specific detection as the most promising tool for mercury speciation analysis in hydrocarbon-rich samples. Questions regarding accuracy of the data available are raised in view of the limited stability of mercury species in organic solutions, possibility of artefacts formation and unavailability of reference materials.