Patent ID: 7959864

Claim:
A system for detecting hydrogen sulfide downhole, the system comprising: a detection mixture including: 1) nanoparticles having discrete uniform spheres with a negatively charged silica particle surface that repel one another thereby yielding a stable solution, wherein the ratio of nanoparticles to water by weight is between about 25% and about 45%, and 2) metal ions having positively charged metal species for reacting with hydrogen sulfide thereby forming a metal sulfide species; wherein dispersing the metal sulfide species into the nanoparticles selectively stabilizes the detection mixture, wherein stabilizing the detection mixer is achieved by electrostatic charge matching between the metal sulfide species and the nanoparticles, resulting in the stabilized detection mixer being a stable homogeneous colloidal liquid detection mixer; a downhole mixture delivery system for exposing the detection mixture to fluids collected from a subterranean formation in a downhole setting; and an optical detection system for detecting the reacted mixture that indicated the presence of hydrogen sulfide in the exposed formation fluid.