Factsheet for mercury wastes from oil and gas sector

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dc.contributor.approvalRecordDirector, Industry and Economy Division
dc.contributor.authorUnited Nations Environment Programme
dc.contributor.organizationIndustry and Economy Division
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-16T11:16:13Z
dc.date.issued2026-06
dc.date.submitted2026-06-16
dc.descriptionThe oil and gas industry is a major and often underestimated source of mercury waste, presenting unique challenges (large volumes, low concentrations, complex matrices, NORM cooccurrence). Mercury is naturally occurring, found in almost all oil & gas reservoirs. Typically, the mercury is present in an elemental metallic or vapour form (Hg0), but will react to form complex species during production and processing. The mercury present in production fluids (gas, oil and water and contaminants from the well) can vary from sub ppb to ppm concentrations. It is important that the oil & gas facilities measure mercury in their process fluids to understand the concentrations present, what species transformations occur and where there may be accumulation, adsorption to process infrastructure or emissions to the environment. It is advised that specialist advice is sought as the sampling and analysis of trace Hg in oil & gas can be complex and erroneous results may be obtained if not done correctly.
dc.description.conventionAgreementMinamata Convention on Mercury
dc.description.reviewStatusinternal review only
dc.description.statusAdopted
dc.description.urihttps://www.unep.org/globalmercurypartnership
dc.formatpdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/49592
dc.languageEnglish
dc.page.number13 p.
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGOen
dc.rights.accessLevelPublic
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/
dc.subject.sdgSDG 3 - Good Health and Well-Being
dc.subject.sdgSDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
dc.subject.sdgSDG 14 - Life below Water
dc.subject.sdgSDG 15 - Life on Land
dc.subject.themepollution
dc.subject.thememercury contamination
dc.subject.themeadministration
dc.subject.themewaste management
dc.subject.themechemistry
dc.subject.themechemical waste
dc.titleFactsheet for mercury wastes from oil and gas sector
dc.typeProgramme/project resource

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