Method for determining the content of hydrogen sulfide in crude and residual oils

1. A process for determining the H 2 S content which is established in the course of high-temperature storage of a sulfur-containing mineral oil, wherein the sulfur-containing mineral oil is selected from the group consisting of sulfur-containing crude oils and residue oils, and mineral oil distillates comprising sulfur-containing crude oils and/or residue oils, comprising the steps of dissolving a sample of the sulfur-containing mineral oil in a solvent or solvent mixture having a boiling point above 200° C. to form a solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil, conducting a carrier gas through the solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil, wherein the temperature of the solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil is above 80° C. and quantitatively analyzing the amount of hydrogen sulfide discharged with the carrier gas.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the carrier gas is a chemically inert gas.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the carrier gas is nitrogen.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the carrier gas is oxygen or a mixture of oxygen and one or more chemically inert gases.

5. The process as claimed in claim 4 , in which the carrier gas is air.

6. The process as claimed in claim 4 , any SO 2 discharged in the carrier gas is quantitatively determined, converted to H 2 S and added on to the quantitatively analyzed amount of H 2 S.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the carrier gas is introduced through a frit into the solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil.

8. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the solvent or solvent mixture is predominantly aliphatic.

9. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the solvent or solvent mixture has an iodine number of less than 20 g of J 2 /100 g.

10. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sulfur containing residue oil is bitumen, heavy oil or bunker oil.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mineral oil distillate has a boiling point above 250° C. and is from mineral oil distillation arising from vacuum distillation or from cracking plants.

12. A process for determining the concentrations of dissolved hydrogen sulfide and inherent hydrogen sulfide in a sulfur-containing mineral oil, wherein the sulfur-containing mineral oil is selected from the group consisting of sulfur-containing crude oils and residue oils, and mineral oil distillates comprising sulfur-containing crude oils and/or residue oils, comprising the steps of dissolving a sample of the sulfur-containing mineral oil in a solvent or solvent mixture having a boiling point above 200° C. to form a solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil, firstly determining the dissolved H 2 S by conducting a carrier gas through the solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil, wherein the temperature of the solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil is below 100° C. and quantitatively analyzing the amount of hydrogen sulfide discharged with the carrier gas, and then, secondly determining the inherent H 2 S by heating the solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil to a temperature above 80° C. while continuing to purge with carrier gas and quantitatively analyzing the H 2 S discharged with the carrier gas, wherein the temperature of the solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil for the determination of the inherent H 2 S is higher than the temperature of the solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil for the determination of the dissolved H 2 S.

13. The process as claimed in claim 12 , in which the temperature of the solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil for determination of the inherent H 2 S is at least 10° C. higher than the temperature of the solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil for determination of the dissolved H 2 S.

14. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the inherent H 2 S is determined at temperatures of the solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil above 120° C.

15. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the carrier gas is a chemically inert gas.

16. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the carrier gas is nitrogen.

17. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the carrier gas is oxygen or a mixture of oxygen and one or more chemically inert gases.

18. The process as claimed in claim 17 , in which the carrier gas is air.

19. The process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein any SO 2 discharged in the carrier gas is quantitatively determined, converted to H 2 S and added on to the quantitatively analyzed amount of H 2 S.

20. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the carrier gas is introduced through a frit into the solution of the sulfur-containing mineral oil.

21. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the solvent or solvent mixture is predominantly aliphatic.

22. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the solvent or solvent mixture has an iodine number of less than 20 g of J 2 /100 g.

23. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the sulfur containing residue oil is bitumen, heavy oil or bunker oil.

24. The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the mineral oil distillate has a boiling point above 250° C. and is from mineral oil distillation arising from vacuum distillation or from cracking plants.

25. A process for determining the concentration of H 2 S scavengers required for binding of H 2 S in the course of storage of sulfur-containing crude oils and residue oils and of mineral oil distillates comprising sulfur-containing crude oils and residue oils, in which the content in the sulfur-containing mineral oil of dissolved and inherent hydrogen sulfide is quantitatively analyzed according to claim 12 , and the amount of H 2 S scavengers required for the permanent lowering of the H 2 S content is calculated therefrom.