HSPC (high-sulfur petroleum coke) has been used as precursor in the preparation of natural gas adsorbents with chemical activation. The effects of activating parameters, such as activating temperature and duration, on the pore-structure of adsorbents and methane uptake were investigated systematically in this study. The results show that the adsorbents derived from HSPC have comparable pore-structural characteristics and methane uptake to that derived from LSPC (low-sulfur petroleum coke). As evidenced by methane adsorption measurements, the highest deliverable capacity of methane, 129.7 v/v at 3.5 MPa and 25 degrees C, is obtained on HSR4 prepared at activating agent/coke mass ratio of 4:1. Furthermore, sulfur distribution analyses show that the sulfur in HSPC was almost removed by chemical activation and that sulfur content of as-synthesized adsorbent was as low as 0.18 wt% for HSR4. This study shows that HSPC could be used potentially as a good precursor to prepare high quality adsorbents with lower cost. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.