Flammable liquid, flammable gas, toxic gas, poisonous gas.

Toxic & Combustible Gases in the Oil & Gas Industry

Learn which hazardous gases could be present at your oil and gas site and the types of safety threats they may present.

Common Toxic Combustible Gases in the Factory

Are Combustible and Toxic Gases a Concern at Your Facility?

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.

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About Toxic & Combustible Gases

Toxic Gas Types

Common toxic gases in the oil and gas industry include:

  • Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
  • Carbon Monoxide (CO)
  • Oxygen Depletion (O2)
  • Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
  • Ammonia (NH3)
  • Benzene (C6H6)

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.

Toxic Gas Exposure

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.

Combustible Gas Types

Common combustible gases in the oil and gas industry include:

  • Ammonia (NH3)
  • Benzene (C6H6
  • Butane (C4H10)
  • Heptane (C7H16)
  • Hexane (C6H14)
  • Pentane (C5H12)
  • Propylene (C3H6
  • Iso-Butane (C4H10
  • Ethylene (C2H4)
  • Ethane (C2H6)
  • Iso-Pentane (C5H12)
  • Isobutylene (C4H8)
  • Methane (CH4)
  • Propane (C3H8)
  • Hydrogen (H2)

Gases that are stored under pressure, commonly in cylinders or bulk containers, may readily ignite if an uncontrolled release were to occur.

Combustible Gas Risks & Dangers

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.

Effective Detection Technologies

Wireless Gas Monitors

  • Obtain an early warning of gas presence to prevent your employees from entering potentially hazardous areas
  • Hot-swappable smart sensors are lab calibrated prior to installation, resulting in 50% periodic maintenance savings
  • Save 60% on installation equipment costs by eliminating the need for expensive wiring

Fixed Point Gas Detectors

  • Continuous, localized gas detection for a variety of toxic and combustible gases provides vital property and personnel protection
  • Universal transmitters are compatible with universal electrochemical, infrared, and catalytic bead sensors for use in a wide range of applications

Open Path Gas Detectors

Ultrasonic Gas Leak Detectors

  • Critical for safe operation, these devices respond instantaneously to gas leaks in high pressure processes, such as pipeline monitoring or gas compressor stations
  • Achieve optimal asset coverage with four independent sensors that provide the widest overall detection range available
  • Unaffected by inclement weather, wind, leak direction, or gas dilution, making it well suited for use in ventilated outdoor applications
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