Dear TexasPE,
I found your post quite interesting. I have a patented process, now owned by Ashland Chemical, for converting H2S to an insoluble sulphide or sulphate form. It requires injection of an oxygen scavenger. It worked well in a NG salt dome storage facility that had high H2S in the pipeline (greater than OSHA limits of 10 ppm).
However, keep in mind that most sour gas/oil is produced with "produced water." Produced water has a very high sodium chloride (salt) content. But the H2S is still abundent. If indeed seawater scrubbed H2S, then refineries wouldn't be spending billion of $ to upgrade and remove sulfur from diesel. Likewise, the H2S would be removed in the desalter if this were the case. Then there would be no need for the Claus plant to convert H2S to SO2 and/or sulfur, then convertthe sulfur or SO2 to SO3 and finally to sulphuric acid for the Alky plant. Likewise, you would also eliminate the SAR plant.
And all of the H2S now sulfate would flow from the desalter to the wastewater treatment plant(WWTP). The sulfate of course would not be converted back to H2S by sulfate reducing bacteria, because the WWTP would operate very effectively.
Now, if you flow the entire stream through an electrolysis cell, such as diaphram cell (chlor-alkali plant), then when you generate chlorine, the chlorine will oxidize the H2S. Likewise, any SO2 present will neutralize the chlorine. But remember, if you don't remove the ammonia prior to the cell, you will form nitrogen trichloride - a chlor-alkali plant's worse nightmare - it explodes violently when compressed or exposed to UV light. see US patent #5,832,361.
Sincerely,
Todd
Todd