Perspective Recovery Processes on Urengoy Oil-Gas-Condensate Field

V.A. Istomin Research Institute of Natural Gases and Gas Technologies - VNIIGAZ, OAO Gazprom, Russia R.S Suleimanov, G.A. Lanchakov, A.N. Kulkov and V.A. Stavitskii Urengoygazprom, OAO Gazprom, Russia

Abstract
Some problems concerning gas and gas-condensate conditioning systems on Urengoy oil-gascondensate field are discussed. Absorption method is used for drying the Cenomanian gas. At final compressor stage of field development there are some problems for providing dehydration conditioninig. Some solutions are proposed for improving the gas conditioning process, including two stage absorption technology at two temperature levels, recycling dried gas by using ejector system, etc. The problem of hydrate formation and prevention at the final stages of field development is of particular attention also. The main method of conditioning gas of deep horizons at Urengoy field is low temperature separation at a temperature level of 30 0C. Metanol is used for hydrate control both at gas gathering systems and at separation units. Since 1986 a recycling methanol technology is employed which is decreasing the amount of the inhibitor. Recently, at final stage of field development the compressor station is included in the head of technological scheme. In this connection new modifications of recycling methanol are proposed in which special steam-stripping column is used.The development of the Achimov pools require a solution of some difficult problems related to paraffin and/or paraffin-hydrate deposition in holes, field product and gathering pipelines, and low temperature separators of gas plants.

Introduction
In Russia gas is being mainly produced in Western Siberia (86 %) which is known with its harsh climate and permafrost (Fig. 1). Only three large fields - Medvezhje, Urengoy and Yamburg fields yielding around 72 % of the total gas production in Russia. The Zapolyarnoe field that will give 100 Bcm per year after its putting into full service will increase the share of Western Siberia in gas production. Natural gas of these fields secures energy supplies both to central Russia and Western Europe. It is clear that the energy supply to Europe depends on the reliability and efficiency of these fields. The Urengoy oil-gas-condensate field is the largest in Western Siberia, therefore its reliable and efficient operation is very important both for Russia and Europe. A current annual gas production of the Urengoy field is over 200 billion cu m produced from Senoman deposit and about 20 billion cu m produced from Valanginian deposit, besides of the Achimov deposit is only under pilot-commercial development. Cenomanian gas is pure methane; therefore, field conditioning of this gas includes its dehydration to the conditions required by the gas industrys norms. Deep gas condensate deposits (valanzhinian and achimov) are under development as well. The main method of conditioning gas of these deep horizons is low temperature separation at a temperature level of 30 0C. Below we consider current technical problems and the main important decisions for gas and gascondensate recovery on Urengoy field.

2. Glycol dehydration of gas at the Urengoy field

The Cenomanian gas is practically pure methane (Table 1) that requires only removal of solid impurities and dehydration. According to Russian standards on northern pipeline gas [1], moisture dew point of the gas in summer and winter is to be kept to -150C and - 200C respectively. In order to dehydrate such natural gas (i.e. practically pure methane) both adsorption and absorption processes are applied in Russia. Adsorption method with silicagel as adsorbent has been successfully used at five Medvezhye conditioning units since 1972. However, absorption method is more common for drying the Cenomanian gas at Russian northern gas fields. This process is applied at the 15 Urengoy, 7 Yamburg, 4 Medvezhye and 1 Zapolyarnoe gas conditioning units. Besides this method is used at the Vyngapurovskoe and Komsomolskoe gas fields. A design unit capacity of the up-to-date absorption dehydration units amounts for 26.5109 m3 of gas per year (for example , on the Yamburg field). DEG is commonly used at these units as absorbent, though TEG is more worldspread. This can be explained both by economical reasons (the local DEG suppliers) and the favourable thermodynamic operating conditions, especially at the initial stage of northern field development. At present TEG also is used at some dehydration units (for instance, at the Komsomolskoe gas field).

Figure 1 Scheme of largest oil and gas fields of the North of Western Siberia The annual production of gas from the Urengoy fields Cenomanian deposits is currently over 200 109 m3. The development of these formations began in 1978. Field gas conditioning is being carried out at 15 units with a normal capacity of 15-20 109 m3 per year. Each unit incorporates several typical process lines with a through-put capacity of 5 - 10 106m3/day each, combined by common pipings

both at inlet and outlet. The unit includes also one DEG regeneration system for all process lines. The process line (Fig. 2) consists of inlet separator, absorber, fine-dispersed DEG filter, inlet and outlet stop and control valves, gas flow meter, regenerated DEG feed line, saturated DEG line and inlet separators drain system. To cut a metal input and to save an operating area three units (inlet separator, absorber and filter) are commonly combined into a single vertical multifunctional unit (MFU). Practically the same design option was introduced at the Yamburg, Medvezhye and Komsomolskoe fields. Table 1 - The Cenomanian gas composition (at West Siberian gas fields) Component CH4 C2H6 C3H8 C4H10 C5&heavier CO2 N2 H2S Content 98.5 - 99.0% 0.06 - 0.1% 0.01% Trace 0.3 - 0.5 g/st.m3 0.08 - 0.1% 0.5 - 1.0% Non

Regenerated DEG A-1 1 S-1 - Inlet Separator; A-1 - Absorber; FS - Filter-Sseparator

S-1 Wet gas

1 FS

Dried gas

Saturated DEG to regeneration Water phase

Figure 2 - Technological scheme of gas conditioning unit at initial stage of operation (for gases from Senoman deposits) Below is some information on the current thermodynamic operations for the natural gas dehydration units installed at the Urengoy field: contact temperature in absorbers is between 10 - 20 oC, it depends on a unit and a season, but in summer for a shot time contact temperature may be rise up to 35 oC (the last temperature - for units where gas booster is used before absorber, see below);

 pressures in absorbers are in a range of 4.5 - 7.5 MPa and depends primary on an operation period of the unit; regenerated DEG content is between 98.0 - 99.3 mass%; saturated DEG content is between 96.0 - 97.5 mass%, that is 2.0 - 3.0% lower compared to the regenerated glycol content. The vacuum regeneration system makes it possible to maintain the content of regenerated DEG up to 99.0 - 99.3 mass%. At initial stage of dehydration units operation under favorable thermodynamic conditions in absorbers (temperature is below 18 - 20 oC, pressure is above 4.5 MPa) and the use of DEG concentration in a range of 98.5 - 99.0 mass% with a DEG circulating factor of 7 15 kg/1000 m3 of gas, the requirements to the Russian standard on gas quality are easily met. It should be noted that in order to maintain a design pressure in gas pipeline (6.5 - 7.5 MPa) an outlet booster station can be connected to some units with low operating pressure which are installed after dehydration unit (i.e. on dehydrated and treated gas line). Besides, in connection with pipeline construction in permafrost regions provision is made for cooling gas to a soil temperature (i.e. down to zero - minus 2 oC) on the basis of air coolers (in winter) or refrigerators (in summer). When designing and operating dehydration units with process lines of a very high through-put capacity (up to 10 106m3/day), a complex of design problems was solved. For example, the problem of increased fine-dispersed DEG entrainment from the absorbers due to high linear velocities of gas. At initial stage of dehydration units operation at the Urengoy field the process losses of glycol reached sometimes 40 g/1000m3. The problem of reducing these loses by two or three times has been solved by the following ways: a sufficient increase in the efficiency of the MFU separators (with their inspection and repair after 1 - 1.5 years of operation); the usage of special procedure in distributing gas flow in the MFU in order to lower an effective velocity of flow in the mass exchange zone; an increase in the efficiency of the MFU mass exchangers. 3 The MFU modification allowed to reduce process losses of glycol up to 15 - 17 g/1000m . It should be however noted that this reduction was accompanied by some worsening of the MFUs mass exchange properties. Therefore, for meeting sales gas specifications it is necessary to rise the regenerated glycol concentration by 0.2-0.3 mass%. At present new modified MFUs with a capacity of 10 Mm3 are under study, and such modifications are expected to reduce DEG losses up to 4 5 g/1000 m3. During the development of the Urengoy field an operating pressure in the dehydrator absorbers decreases with the worsening of both thermodynamic and process parameters. This can be explained by two factors: increasing in equilibrium moisture content in gas (because of decreasing the pressure at the pool); increasing in linear velocity of gas in absorbers (while maintaining their capacity when pressure in absorber is decreased). Once a pressure has reached 4.0 MPa and lower, a booster station and air cooler are connected to the gas dehydration system before the MFU absorber (Fig. 3). This allow to rise and maintain the operating pressure in absorbers in a range of 4.5 - 5.5 MPa. At present boosters and air coolers are being used before MFU at 7 dehydration units of the Urengoy field. In near future this technological option will be installed at the all dehydration units. However, the use of booster station causes an increase in wet gas temperature up to 35 oC and higher (after a booster). In spite of the presence of air cooler to reduce this temperature to a design level is practically impossible, especially in summer. New problems arising in this connection are as follows: the difficulties in meeting sales gas quality standards, especially in summer; the difficulties in air coolers operation in winter due to the possibilities of formation of gas hydrate plugs in heat exchanger tubes, especially when air temperature is lower that -20 oC; the possibility of DEG salinization followed by salt build-up in DEG regeneration system at a later stage of the field development because of an increase in the content of reservoir mineral water in producing wells; a 4-5 fold increase in DEG solubility in natural gas and followed by general glycol losses as the contact temperature in the MFU absorbers rises from 10 - 140C to 35 oC; increase in absorbent contamination by the products of its destruction and resinification due to the necessity of the DEG regeneration unit operation under maximum operation capability (at least, during summer period).

It should be pointed specially to an important problem concerning the unreliability of air cooler design. The coolers are operated with raw (untreated) gas and this may be a reason of gas hydrate formation in air cooler due to a considerable non-uniformity of gas cooling in different tubes. Therefore, inspite of the sufficient operating potentials of the coolers, they can not tackle the problems in a full scale. For example, at the Medvezhye field where the booster station has been operated before absorbers for several years the problem of decreasing contact temperature below +200C in winter has not been solved as yet.
Dew point - up to minus 5 C M FU

Ddgstoiplin rie a p e e
Dew point - minus 22 C Temperature +5 - +20 P=5.5 MPa C Regenerated DEG

S
Wet Gas P=4 Pa, t=12

Regeneration System

DEG for resycling

Saturated DEG to regeneration

S - Inlet Separator (it may be used as preliminary absorber); B - Booster (compressor); C - Air Cooler; MFU - Multifunctional Unit

Figure 3 - Technological scheme of gas conditioning unit after including booster before absorber column (for gases from Senoman deposits) There are possible solutions to the problems under discussion, namely: the displacement of absorbent, that is the changing DEG over TEG (it seems that TEG is better than DEG in summer season, when contact temperature in absorber above 25 oC, however, tests show that this option does not cover the all technological problems); using methanol for gas hydrate control at air cooler in winter season (but methanol losses is sufficiently high and its losses may reach 0.3 kg/1000 m3 or more, so the operational costs are high); the changing of inner construction of MFU for an increase its mass exchangers properties (this solution is already used at some units, but the capital costs are sufficiently high). Thus, above technical solutions are not so effective for economic reasons. There are three main ideas to solve the problems more effective and practically without any capital costs and with acceptable operational costs by using: a preliminary stage of absorption process before the fist booster station; a gas recycling process by means of ejector (dried gas after second booster station is partly recycled to MFU); an automatic control for air coolers operation. Also it seems that all three ideas may be used simultaneously at the same dehydration unit (if its necessary for some reasons). The first idea lies in performing the dehydration process in two steps (see DEG solutions circulation at Fig. 3): preliminary dehydration (for example, at the Urengoy field the preliminary dehydration is carried out at a contact temperature of 12 14 oC and pressure of lower than 4.0 MPa); final dehydration in MFU (at the Urengoy field this process is carried out at a wide temperature range of 5 - 350C and pressure range of 4.5 - 5.5 MPa).

The temperature of the second step varies to great extent depending on the season. The use of saturated DEG after the second step as absorbent for preliminary dehydration step in modified design is of particular importance. The calculation and analysis of field data show that it is preferable to reduce a moisture content in gas by 2.0 - 2.5 times at the preliminary stage of dehydration, i.e. to bring dew point by moisture to 0 - +5 oC and, sometimes, below. Such reduction allows to meet sales gas specifications at the second stage of dehydration even under unfavourable thermodynamic conditions, i.e. at contact temperature up to 35 oC. The main advantages of such improved gas dehydration system are as follows: the necessity of changing DEG over TEG is excluded; the requirements to Russian standards are met at the all possible thermobaric conditions; technological possibility in cooling raw gas in air cooler is extended thus allowing to maintain MFU contact temperature close to optimal (optimal temperature is between 10 and 17 oC) practically during the whole year ; during the most part of the year the DEG regeneration system can operate in soft conditions and a regenerated DEG concentration may be not more than 97.5 - 98.0 mass %. At present this technology is put into operation at two dehydration plants on Urengoy gas field. The second idea lies in performing the dehydration process at final stage of recovery by using partly recycling process for dried gas. In this technology a free capacity of a booster station (compessor after MFU) and a free capacity of MFU unit are used. So its not necessary in reconstruction of a booster station or an absorption equipment. The third idea is in improving the air cooler by means of careful studing of the apparatus aerodynamics and also the optimization of its temperature regime. So an optimal design for preventing hydrate formation in air coolers may be realized. The last two design options are being commercially tested at one of the gas conditioning plant of the Urengoy field and may be recommended for application at the other Urengoy gas dehydration units.

3. Valanginian gas conditioning at the Urengoy field

The conditioning of the gas produced from the Valanginian deposits is more difficult due to a more complex composition of the gas. Besides methane such gas includes ethane (up to 5 6 mol.%), propane (2.5 - 3.0 %), butanes (0.8 1.5 %), heavier hydrocarbons (4 5 %) and some amounts of CO2 and N2. The treatment of the Valanginian gas at field conditions is currently performed by process of low-temperature separation (at present four plans at Urengoy area work since 19851988 and will be three ones at near future, - the last will be put into service within the period between 2002 and 2005) and a process of low-temperature absorption (one big unit which works since 1992 at Yamburg area). Each unit incorporates several similar process lines (up to 8). The ordinary Russian name of the conditioning plant at field conditions is complex gas conditioning unit. Methanol is ordinary used for hydrate control of the low-temperature process at complex gas conditioning unit. Comprehensive physical-chemical analysis the properties of methanol as inhibitor at northern fields made it possible to develop novel process schemes of its optimum application in the second half of 1980-s. (see for review [1]). The basic concept of these novel process schemes is a methanol recirculation from low temperature separator to primary separator with its self-regeneration due to solubility and condensation effects in compressed natural gas between different temperature o levels (Fig. 4). The temperature in low temperature (outlet) separator may be minus 30 C or near. Approximately at the same time, but slightly later, similar activity are being conducted by French Petroleum Institute (so called IFPEX-1 process). There are some interesting modifications of the process under consideration. For instance, two or three-contour recirculation of the methanol solutions an be applied. These advanced technologies give us possibility to cut in hydrate inhibitor consumption, to reduce twice the operational costs and at least to exclude the conventional methanol regenerator from the technological scheme. After successful testing of the process during some years in Urengoyskoye and Yambourg gas-condensate fields, a number of similar field gas conditioning schemes will be realised at new gas-condensate fields as well as gas fields in Western Siberia and Yamal peninsula. At final stage of valanginian deposits development the booster station is incorporated into technological scheme (Fig. 5) between inlet and intermediate separators. Such simple approach give us a chance to prolong a life time of the lowtemperature process. On the other hand a situation with

hydrate control is worsened at gas gathering systems (at senomanian pools an opposite behaviour
D ried gas to pipeline M ethanol, 95 mas. % S-1 H -2 S -2 W et G as

H -1

T r

S -3

P-1

I II
P-2

G as-condensate W ater phase for utilization

I - M etanol solution, 70-80 mas.% S-1, S-2, S-3 - Inlet, Intermediate and O utlet Separators; H -1, H -2 - H eat E xchangers;

II - M etanol solution, 20-40 mas.%

T r - T rottle (or E jector); P-1, P-2 - pumps;

Figure 4 - Technological scheme of valanginian gas conditioning unit at initial stage of field development

Methanol DS
Wet Gas

Dried gas to pipeline Methanol

II
H-2 S-2 S-1 B C H-1 Tr S-3

Well's Clusters

I III
Condensate Water phase for utilization

I - Metanol solution, 70-80 mas.%, S-1, S-2, S-3 - Separators; B - Booster;

II - Metanol solution, 20-40 mas.%, Tr - Trottle (or Ejector); DS - Desorber -Separator;

III - Metanol solution, 10-20 mas.% H-1, H-2 - Heat Exchangers; C - Air Cooler

Figure 5 - Technological scheme of valanginian gas conditioning unit at final stage of field development

take place, surprisingly on the first view). The gas gathering systems are often operated under hydrate conditions (especially in winter) with hydrate inhibitor supply to a well cluster centrally, from the complex gas-conditioning unit through special inhibitor pipelines. So with time the hydrate formation problem is becoming more and more serious on valanginian gathering system and results in the increase of hydrate inhibitor consumption. Under a gas gathering system we understand connecting lines from well clusters (usually a number of wells in cluster is 3-8) to preliminary gas treatment unit (with only gas separation) or to field complex gas conditioning unit. The length of such lines is from 1 km to 10-12 km and more. Depending on geocryological conditions, gas gathering pipelines may be either above surface or buried. Methanol is used for hydrate prevention on gas gathering system and the concentration of the methanol at inlet separator can be 10 - 20 mass.%. For utilization of such low concentrated methanol solution from inlet separators conventional regeneration system with two columns may be used, but such approach is not effective. When a booster station is included into low-temperature process (see Fig. 5), the another idea for utilization of low concentrated methanol solutions from primary separators may be realizes. This is a desorption process by using a hot gas stream at a special stripping column which is incorporated into technological scheme after booster station (see Fig. 5). This technology may be considered as a further modification of the recycling technology (see Fig. 4) and as a useful solution namely at final stage of development. The result of process simulation is a very optimistic. Field testing will be soon at a complex gas conditioning unit on Urengoy gas-condensate field.

4. A suggested technology for producing and processing paraffin-containing hydrocarbons on Achimov pool of the Urengoy field
The growth in gas condensate and liquefied gases production volumes on the Urengoy gas condensate field is related to great extent with the development of the Achimov pools. A total reserves of hydrocarbons in Achimov pools are comparable with the reserves of Valanginian pools. As for gas condensate reserves (C5+), its content in reservoir fluid of the Achimov pools (condensate factor 250 400 g/m3) is two-fold of that in the Valanginian pools. Also ethane, propane, butane content in gases of Achimov pools is somewhat higher than in Valanginian gases. The development of the Achimov pools require a solution of some problems related to paraffin deposition in holes, field product and gathering pipelines, low temperature separators of gas plans. Analysis of oil and gas practice shows that the knowledge of the main features taking place during the production and processing of paraffincontaining oils can be applied to paraffin-containing gas condensate and gas-condensate and oil fields. These features can include the influence of temperature, gas saturation, well product composition, feed flow velocity and some others on the processes of crystals formation in the system and their precipitation in separate units of producing and technological complexes. At the same time some specific conditions of gas condensate mixtures processing at low temperature separators and, firstly, the necessity of carrying out the process at low temperature call for the solution of some additional technological problems. The temperature of the Urengoy oil saturation with paraffin varies between 27.7 and 47.3 oC. During the operation of the oil-producing wells intensive paraffin and/or paraffin-hydrate precipitation takes place on the lifting column surface. This problem was solved at Urengoy field by using special solvents and other methods. Also the similar process of parafinn precipitation may take place at the field treatment system for Achimol gases. Under paraffin-containing fractions for Achimov gases we mean a summation of reservoir fluid fractions with a boiling temperature of over 560 K. At a first stage of the field development condensate factor of Valanginian pools amounted to150 - 235 g/m3 with paraffin-containing fractions in condensate being up to 3 %. On the base of the oil wells cleaning experience we have selected a number of complex solvents which are rather effective at lowtemperature processes during Achimov gases treatment. Another approaches are also considered, for instance, by some modifications of the technological scheme and using gas-condensate fractions as a natural solvents for paraffin plugs.

Conclusions
Let us consider the most promising directions for improving conditioning technology on gas and gas-condensate fields at norther area. 1. Improvement of dehydration process for lean gases at northern fields in the period after connection of a compressor (booster) station before absorber (at the head of dehydration

process). There are some variants of glycol dehydration technological schemes with efficient using of the environmental cold. Such technological schemes have been proposed for Yamburg and Urengoy gas fields. Currently at Urengoy field a number of units for absorption gas dehydration already operate on this technological scheme providing the standard requirements for water dew point. 2. Further development of novel low-temperature processes in which volatile organic reagents (mainly methanol, but not only methanol) are used with self-regeneration and utilization of these absorbents-inhibitors directly in the technological process without any special regeneration unit. The application of such recirculation technologies with volatile inhibitors can be significantly widened, especially for the latest stage of the field exploitation. 3. The improvements of conditioning and transportation technologies for paraffin-content gases and liquid gas-condensate systems. The technologies considered in the paper are a flexible and effective means designed for solving different problems which arise at the Russian northern gas fields both for initial and final stages of field development. The processes can be used in type-design practice for developing new gas fields in the North of Tuymen region, as well as for modifying the existing conditioning units both on Urengoy and other northern gas fields of Russia.

Reference
1. Gritsenko, A.I., Istomin, V.A., Kulkov, A.N., Suleimanov, R.S. (1999). Gathering and Conditioning of Gas on the Northern Gas Fields of Russia. - Moscow, Nedra Publishing House, 476 pp. (in Russian).