SUPPORTING

FUNCTIONAL
UNITS IN LNG
PLANTS

LNG Production Plant

The process and utility requirement design depends on site conditions,
compositions and products specification.
The natural gas entering a liquefaction facility will often contains several
contaminants that must be first reduced to acceptable levels to ensure
satisfactory liquefaction plant performance or to meet LNG sales
specifications or both.

Composition Natural gas is a complex mixture of hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon

constituents and exists as a gas under atmospheric conditions.
Raw natural gas typically consists primarily of methane (CH4), the shortest and lightest
hydrocarbon molecule. It also contains varying amounts of:
Heavier gaseous hydrocarbons: ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), normal butane (nC4H10), iso-butane (i-C4H10), pentanes and even higher molecular weight hydrocarbons.
When processed and purified into finished by-products, all of these are collectively referred
to NGL (Natural Gas Liquids).

Acid gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and mercaptans such as
methanethiol (CH3SH) and ethanethiol (C2H5SH).

Other gases: nitrogen (N2) and helium (He).

Water: water vapor and liquid water.
Liquid hydrocarbons: perhaps some natural gas condensate (also referred to
as casing-head gasoline or natural gasoline) and/or crude oil.
Mercury: very small amounts of mercury primarily in elementary form, but
chlorides and other species are possibly present.

Typical LNG plant specifications are:

Hydrogen Sulphide ex acid gas treating unit < 3.5 ppmv
Carbon Dioxide ex acid gas treating unit < 50 ppmv
Total Sulphur (Hydrogen Sulphide +Carbonyl Sulphide + Organic Sulphur Compounds ex

acid gas treating unit) < 20 mg /Nm3

Total sulphur in fuel gas < 300 ppmv (depending use)
SO2 emission ex incinerator < 250 mg /Nm3
Sulphur purity > 99.9 %wt Sulphur recovery > 95 - 99.9 %
Water in LNG ex driers < 0.5 ppmv
Mercury in LNG < 0.01 mmg/Nm3

 Effect of Impurities Found in Natural Gas Field processing operations of

natural gas, which is classified as a part of gas engineering, generally
include the following:
1. Removal of water vapor, dehydration
2. Removal of acidic gases (H2S and CO2)
3. Separation of heavy hydrocarbons

Overall Process Flow Scheme

TRAIN 4
SULFUR

SULFUR
RECOVERY
TO TRAIN 5
REFRIGERATION
(C3, MR, N2)

Chilled
Selexol

OFFSHORE
PRODUCTION

INLET
FACILITY

ACID GAS
REMOVAL

DEHYDRATION
MERCAPTAN
REMOVAL

NGL
RECOVERY

07

FRACTIONATION
C3, C4 TREATING

LIQUEFACTION

NITROGEN
REJECTION

LNG

PROPANE
BUTANE
PLANT
CONDENSATE

CONDENSATE
TREATING

FIELD
CONDENSATE