Two of a set of newly established international standards can help address key issues of sulfur deposition and quality monitoring in the development of sour gas, with improved exploration solution to increase output of gas fields.
The establishment of the standards, which are five in total, was led by China and released by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
About 40 percent of the world's proven natural gas reserves are high-sulfur gas reservoirs, which are extremely difficult to develop due to sulfur deposition problems.
The new standards help build a unified global technical specification that enables rapid and accurate detection of hydrogen sulfide and other corrosive gases.
They will also help accurately predict the trend of sulfur deposition, establish a dynamic early warning model for the development of sulfur-containing gas fields, or sour gas fields, and provide key indicators and data for optimizing development plans.
With the new standards, the annual output of a single gas field is expected to increase by about 70 million cubic meters.
"Sulfur content must be kept at a very low level during transportation. Otherwise, it will easily corrode pipelines, potentially causing cracking, perforation and other failures. The newly released international standard adopts an optical method for rapid on-line monitoring of hydrogen sulfide, enabling precise detection of hydrogen sulfide content across the entire system," said Zhou Li, expert on natural gas technology.
With help of the new standards, more than 40,000 kilometers of cross-border pipelines around the world can achieve real-time and accurate monitoring of hydrogen sulfide content, effectively avoiding risks such as pipeline corrosion and unplanned shutdowns.
Newly established int'l standards address key issues in natural gas development
The International Aerospace Exhibition 2026, also known as ILA Berlin 26, spotlighted defense and space exploration cooperation among European countries.
Running from Wednesday through Sunday, the event drew more than 750 exhibitors from 37 countries, showcasing innovations across aviation, space and defense.
At the opening of the event, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz outlined plans for closer European defense cooperation.
Merz's comments came after Berlin and Paris agreed to scrap plans for a joint next-gen fighter jet, a flagship defense project that had been intended to replace some of Europe's current combat aircraft.
But military aviation is only part of the story. Beyond aviation, attention is also turning to space, with researchers and companies showcasing technologies aimed at future missions to the Moon and Mars.
As governments and private firms expand their ambitions beyond Earth's atmosphere, experts say international cooperation will be key to making those plans a reality.
"What we need is cooperation between the nations to reach our goals, to reach the moon and the Mars. That's what we need for rockets like this, for space stations, for spacecrafts and infrastructure on our moon and other planets," said Andreas Schutz, head of communications and spokesperson of German Aerospace Center.
China is also represented at the exhibition, with companies highlighting innovations in drone technology and the country's rapidly growing low-altitude economy.
"Europe is strong in system integration. China is strong in efficiency and cost. Through cooperation and exchange, both sides can complement each other's strengths. I believe the opportunities for development between Europe and China are becoming greater and greater," said Molly, international business manager at Qingdao Jinhuan Fuyao Machinery Co., Ltd
ILA Berlin 2026 spotlights European defense, space cooperation
