Patent analysis of hydrocarbon desulfurization processes

The presence of sulfur component in natural gas,crude oil and the products thereof, impacts negatively upon the economic value of such resources and poses serious environmental and corrosion problems.In the light of the increasing number of research in the field of sulfur component emissions associated with oiland gas development,the present study is an effort aiming at mining all the patent information in the field of sulfur removal from hydrocarbon fluids and analysis thereof at the strategic level.The results show that absorption and bio-desulfurization relating in the field of gas sweetening and the processes based on extraction and adsorption in the field of sulfur removal from liquid hydrocarbon feed are the most attractive and innovative processes with more increasing patent publication rates.The analysis of the acquired information is of great value and benefit in determining the research and technology orientation in the field and to the inventors active in the field.