U.K.

nitrogen-removal plant
starts up

Michael J. Healy, Adrian J. Finn, Les Halford

Costain Oil Gas & Process Ltd.
Manchester, U.K.

The gas-treatment plant at Connah's Quay, North Wales, U.K., is dominated

by a view of the cold boxes, ground flare, and compressor house.

Connah's Quay Gas Treatment Plant

The 40 million natural-gas-treatment plant at Connah's Quay, North Wales,
U.K., and owned and operated by the U.K. utility PowerGen, started up in
November 1997. It processes up to 200 MMscfd of natural gas, reducing
sulfur compounds and rejecting sufficient nitrogen to make the sales gas
suitable for export to the U.K. National Transmission System (NTS).

This plant is part of projects for processing and commercializing natural gas
from the Liverpool Bay development. It was designed, installed, and
commissioned by Costain Oil, Gas & Process Ltd., Manchester.

Nitrogen is removed by cryogenic separation that employs the Joule-

Thomson principle in a series of integrated distillation columns. This process
was found to be optimal compared with less-sophisticated schemes and is
sufficiently tolerant to CO2 to avoid an upstream CO2-removal step.

Costain undertook the project on a turnkey basis.

Four fields

The Liverpool Bay development (Fig. 1) consists of four offshore fields in the
Irish Sea off the North Wales coast. Although oil is exported directly from the
Douglas platform, natural gas is brought ashore at the Point of Ayr terminal
through a 20-in., 33-km subsea pipeline.
The Point of Ayr gas terminal has a design capacity of 300 MMscfd. The inlet
facilities remove methanol (used for hydrate inhibition), water, and
condensate. The dry gas is then sweetened with an amine-based solvent.
Hydrogen sulfide content is reduced to 3.3 ppm, mercaptans to 35 ppm.

The hydrocarbon dew point of the gas is reduced by a mechanical

refrigeration unit to typical pipeline quality, and the gas is then exported
through a 27-km underground pipeline at 30 bar along the North Wales Coast
to Connah's Quay (Fig. 2).
Connah's Quay is the location of a new 1,430-megawatt, combined-cycle gas
turbine power station. The fuel-gas requirement of 230 MMscfd leaves a
surplus of 70 MMscfd in the pipeline from the Point of Ayr terminal. The gas
required for power generation is routed through an aboveground installation
directly to the power station.

The balance is passed to the gas-treatment plant where it is purified and

compressed before being exported through a 30-in., 3-km pipeline under the
Dee Estuary to Burton Point where it connects into the NTS.

The gas-treatment plant normally expects to process 70 MMscfd but has been
designed to treat up to 200 MMscfd to cater for additional gas if the power
station is operated at reduced capacity.

Process design

While the natural gas is of adequate quality for power generation, it requires
treatment for the NTS. The Wobbe Index is less than permitted because of
the high nitrogen content (up to 11%), and the level of sulfur compounds must
be substantially reduced (Table 1).
A cryogenic process reduces the nitrogen content to less than 5% (Fig. 3).
This process consists of a double distillation-column system with an upstream
preseparation column to give low overall power consumption, a simple
configuration of process compressors, and tolerance to carbon dioxide.

Such triple-column systems have been used previously in the U.S. and
Western Europe for natural gas of similar nitrogen content.1 2 A rigorous
evaluation of alternative process flowsheets concluded that this configuration
was optimum for this particular application.

The heart of the process, cryogenics, requires deep gas drying. This is
achieved by molecular-sieve adsorbers which are sized to remove not only
water but also the sulfur compounds. Mercury is removed from the natural gas
before the cryogenic section to protect the brazed aluminum heat exchangers.

The treated gas from the cryogenic section is compressed to NTS pressure
and exported from the plant.

18-month turnkey

Costain's work included conceptual design and process optimization, basic

and detailed engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning.

Along with the process plant, the contract included all necessary
infrastructure: firewater systems, control building, power distribution, flare,
sulfur-compounds incinerator, distributed control system (DCS), and process-
safeguarding systems.

The project was undertaken on a fixed-price basis with PowerGen monitoring

progress and performance against agreed "milestones" to ensure that
contract intent was met throughout.

The critical path for the 18-month, fast-track schedule was specification and
procurement of the sales-gas compressors and the design and fabrication of
the cryogenic cold boxes.

The selected compressors were multistage centrifugal types. From both an

economic and environmental standpoint, electric drives were selected.
Costain's previous experience with such machines on hydrocarbon service
and process development undertaken before contract award enabled
procurement of these machines within the first 6 weeks of the contract
program.

The cold-box designs required careful study early in the basic engineering of
the project to ensure constructability was adequately addressed. The size and
configuration of the heat exchangers, columns, separators, and pipe work
required detailed evaluation to ensure the most cost-effective overall solution.
Transport and lifting limitations were considered in detail because of the
restrictions of the site layout and limited access constraints.

To maintain project schedule, hazard and operability studies were completed

early with a "design freeze" implemented by the fourth month of the schedule.
This was key in ensuring the project schedule could be met at a controlled
cost.

To afford maximum time for civil works and to minimize site-construction work,
it was agreed that the plant should consist of several preassembled modules:
12 modules whose total weight exceeded 1,000 metric tons. The largest
modules were the two cold boxes, key in ensuring satisfactory operation of
the cryogenic process.

These were also critical items to the schedule. With overall shipping
dimensions exceeding 49 m x 5.5 m x 4.5 m, transport and lifting logistics
required detailed planning.

Use of a multidisciplined three-dimensional electronic model on plant-design

management system (PDMS) reduced design detailing man-hours and
enabled model reviews to be conducted rapidly, thus ensuring good layout,
tight bulk-materials control, and error-free construction drawings (Fig. 4).

These were all factors in ensuring effective "single pass" design and
construction in the least amount of time. Field and module rework was kept to
an absolute minimum and represented less than 2% of costs with no program
slippage.
The use of PDMS is especially valuable for cold-box design. It simplifies
hydraulic analysis, enables layout to be generated and quickly assessed, and
often results in reduced box size and cost (Fig. 5).

A reliability, operability, and maintainability (ROM) analysis of the complete

plant was performed during the detailed-engineering phase with an in-house
program linked to a database.

This step helped to target those plant areas with low availability so that
solutions could be found to meet overall plant availability criteria. Overall plant
availability is designed to exceed 98%.

Cold-box modules

The two cold boxes, shop-fabricated near the construction site, comprise
complete package units in which aluminum plate-fin heat exchangers,
distillation columns, separators, piping, and instrument-sensing elements are
housed. The housing is a carbon steel frame, clad with plate (Fig. 6 ).
The equipment inside the cold boxes is a combination of aluminum and
stainless steel. Exchangers are of aluminum alloys; vessels and distillation
columns are of stainless steel. Cold equipment such as plate-fin exchangers
are supported on stainless steel beams that are insulated from the carbon-
steel frame via heat-resistant supports.

Similarly, heat-resistant supports are used between the carbon-steel frame

and vessels mounted from the cold-box floor. The cold boxes stand on
elevated piers, ensuring an air gap between the base of the box and the
ground.

Piping between equipment is mostly of stainless steel with some aluminum.

All piping connections are welded to prevent leakage from the process into
the cold-box housing. Changes in pipe material from stainless steel to
aluminum are made with proprietary design bimetallic transition pieces
especially developed for the cryogenic industry.

All lines passing through the cladding are of stainless steel or similar material
and terminate with external flanges. Cold lines that penetrate the cladding
have specially designed and fabricated thermal shunts to protect carbon-steel
plate from brittle fracture.
Insulation of the cold equipment is achieved by filling the internal void of the
cold box with free flowing nonflammable expanded perlite after erection at
site. To ensure a safe atmosphere in the cold-box housing, the internal void is
continuously purged with dry nitrogen.

The cold-box housing is provided with a purge/pressure-control vacuum break

system and protected by an emergency relief manway in case of process
leakage.

Gas drying

Fig. 7 shows the gas drying and sulfur-removal section.

Molecular sieve is in three internally insulated vessels in a two-duty/one-

regenerating arrangement. Water is removed to less than 1 ppm to prevent
ice forming in the downstream cryogenic process. Hydrogen sulfide is
removed to less than 1 ppm and total sulfur to less than 15 ppm to achieve
sales-gas specification.

The molecular sieves are regenerated with hot waste nitrogen from the
cryogenic section of the plant to desorb water and sulfur compounds that are
then destroyed in a thermal oxidizer. The resulting sulfur dioxide is dispersed
to atmosphere through a 45-m stack.

The design of this system was fully evaluated against the Best-Available-
Technology-Not-Entailing-Excessive-Cost requirements of the U.K.
Environmental Agency.

If, for any reason, one of the molecular-sieve vessels is unavailable, the
control sequence enables plant operation to continue with two beds to ensure
high availability.

The dry sulfur-free feed gas from the molecular sieves containing 8-11%
nitrogen passes to the cryogenic nitrogen-removal system (Fig. 8) which
produces a natural-gas stream containing less than 1.5 mol % nitrogen and a
nitrogen-rich off-gas containing less than 1.5 mol % methane.

The depth of nitrogen rejection allows approximately 30% of the feed to

bypass the cryogenic process and be sent directly to sales-gas compression,
the NTS specification allowing up to 5% nitrogen.
The cryogenic process is based on two main separations. In the
preseparation column, the feed gas is separated into a methane stream and a
nitrogen-enriched stream suitable to be passed to the downstream double
column system.

The preseparation column allows more than 50% of the methane to be

separated and recovered at higher operating temperatures (-100? C.) than the
downstream double-column system. This reduces the work of separation,
hence minimizing sales-gas compression power,3 and it also increases
tolerance to the carbon dioxide in the feed gas.1 4 5

Costain Oil, Gas & Process6 also applied this concept for the British Gas
North Morecambe terminal farther north on the English coast.7 The
preseparation step upgrades the nitrogen level and reduces the feed rate to
the double-column system, which further improves the efficiency of the overall
cryogenic process.

The associated reduction in column size and exchanger size for the double-
column system reduced cold-box size and cost.

In the low-temperature, double-column system (Fig. 9), the nitrogen-enriched

gas is separated (lowest temperature -185? C.) into the reject-nitrogen stream
containing less than 1.5% methane and a low-pressure methane stream. This
stream is pumped to 10 bar and passed to the sales-gas compressors.
A common methane reboiler/nitrogen-reflux condenser links the two columns
operating at 25 bar and 1.5 bar, respectively. This double-column system
resembles that employed extensively in oxygen production and avoids the
need for complex heat pumps and excessive machinery.8 9

The Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazard regulations apply to the site,
and the plant has operated in accordance with the Integrated Pollution Control
requirements of the 1990 Environmental Protection Act.

This requirement dominated much of the thinking behind the process and
engineering design.

Helium removal

The natural-gas feed to the gas-treatment plant contains up to 600 ppm

helium. Although insufficient for economical recovery, the helium must be
removed to prevent it blanketing the reboiler/condenser in the double-column
system.
A refluxing heat exchanger10 takes a vapor stream from the lower column
condenser, using refrigeration from the rich liquid stream to condense out
nitrogen and leaving a helium-rich purge stream.

The refluxing heat exchanger has the equivalent of several equilibrium stages
and provides a 30% rich helium stream, which is passed into the reject-
nitrogen stream.

The reflux-exchanger action resembles the upper part of a distillation column

but has two distinct advantages over a column:

1. The temperature difference between the feed stream and the

stream providing refrigeration is small, thus giving high efficiency.
2. The exchanger has in effect a large number of partial-
condensation stages, so that temperature and composition differences
between vapor and liquid are small and separation is effected near to
equilibrium conditions.

Capacity control

The turndown requirements for the unit were to be able to run at any capacity
between 30 MMscfd and 200 MMscfd and to be able to move between plant
capacities at a ramp rate of 2 MMscfd/min.

Facilitating this requirement were the following design features:

Compression. The main compression system consisted of four

machines, each having a capacity of 25%-that is, 50 MMscfd-with each
motor rated at 4.1 megawatts. These compressors can deliver between
55 and 75 barg, depending on NTS pipeline pressure.

As the plant throughput increases, the suction pressure to the machine rises
and the control system would automatically start another compressor. As the
plant throughput decreases, the sales-gas flow would decrease and the
control system would automatically stop one of the compressors.
 Molecular sieves. At minimum feed-gas nitrogen content-that is,
8%-all of the reject nitrogen produced by the cold box is required for
mol-sieve regeneration.

To ensure there was always sufficient reject nitrogen for regeneration, the
molecular sieves ran on a variable on stream time, depending on the feed gas
flow rate. The on stream time was considerably extended during turndown
conditions based on flow totalizers, which automatically ensured complete
regeneration. This approach also reduced overall regeneration-energy needs.

Process-control system. Flow rate to the gas-treatment plant is

controlled; any change in the required flow is input to the DCS.

By application of "feed-forward control," the DCS then increases the feed flow
at the maximum ramp rate allowed and adjusts the set points of all cold-box
controllers to the values required for the new feed flow rate.

The main reason for this approach is the relatively rapid ramp rate and the
need to maintain process temperatures and liquid levels. Some controllers
use temperature set points cascaded onto flow controllers.

As temperature controllers are normally slow acting, feed-forward control

ensured that the temperature controller did not retard the ramp rate.

Construction strategy

The bulk of the equipment arrived at site as preassembled modules. This

ensured much of the fabrication work was performed in controlled workshop
conditions, thus enhancing quality control.

This approach also minimized schedule risk (associated with working in a

coastal environment) and maximized the time available at site for completion
of civil and building work before onset of mechanical hook-up.

Preassembled units included:

 Methane preseparation column. This column was trayed,
insulated, fitted with ladders, platforms, external pipe work,
instrumentation, and lighting, and transported to site. With this
approach, any high-level work was minimized, and the column in its
fully dressed state was complete within days of delivery to site
Preassembled pipe racks. These racks were fully fabricated, fire
proofed, loaded with pipe work, painted, insulated, and tested before
shipment to site. Laser alignment, with particular attention to site
surveying of the preformed concrete-support piers, ensured hook-up of
these units without need for any rework on site and minimum amount
of scaffolding.
Adsorber and suction-drum control and switching valves. These
valves were connected complete with all necessary pipe work,
instrumentation, insulation, platforms, ladders, and lighting.
Filters and filtration equipment. This equipment includes
associated piping, platforms, ladders, instrumentation, and lighting.

Such preassembly dramatically reduced the time for mechanical and electrical
field construction compared to industry norms. Commencement of module
installation to mechanical completion required less than 10 weeks.

Because of the overall sizes of the heating medium heater, ground flare, and
thermal oxidizer, these items were site assembled. They were contracted as
turnkey packages from the proprietary equipment suppliers.

The control of site construction work was especially important because the
plant location, adjacent the River Dee, is a "site of special scientific interest";
strict environmental conditions controlled all stages of the project including
minimization of emissions and site and plant appearance.

Approximately 100,000 man-hr of engineering work and project management

were expended on the project in addition to almost 500,000 man-hr in
construction and module assembly. The site work force peaked at
approximately 300.
The plant was built in full compliance with U.K. Health and Safety Executive
Construction and Design Management regulations and has undergone
considerable monitoring to ensure these new regulations are adhered to.

In scope, construction work was managed under the U.K. National Agreement
for the Engineering Construction Industry, the site being nominated as part of
the overall power-plant construction project.

References

1. Streich, M., "N2 Removal from Natural Gas," Hydrocarbon

Processing, April 1970, p. 86.
2. "Ethane and helium recovery," Hydrocarbon Processing, April
1984, p. 66.
3. O'Brien, J.V., and Maloney, J.J., "Continuous improvement in
nitrogen rejection unit design," Hydrocarbon Engineering, September
1997, p. 68.
4. Rathmann, W., and Grimm, P., "Separation of NGL, Nitrogen
and Helium from Natural Gases and Associated Gases," Linde Reports
on Science and Technology, p. 14, Vol. 34, 1982.
5. Boocock, R., and Trautmann, S., "Nitrogen Rejection Units in
Natural Gas Processing," Gas Processors Association European
Chapter Meeting, London, Sept. 26, 1991.
6. Finn, A.J., and Kennett, A.J., "Separation of nitrogen from
methane- containing gas streams," U.K. Patent No. 2208699.
7. Mayer, M., and Crowe, T., "The North Morecambe Onshore
Terminal," Gas Processors Association European Chapter Meeting,
London, Sept. 28, 1995.
8. Limb, D.I., "Poland's Natural Gas Will Fuel Major Helium
Buildup," Chemical Engineering, December 1974.
9. Duckett, M., and Ruhemann, M., "Cryogenic Gas Separation,"
The Chemical Engineer, December 1985, p. 14.
10. Finn, A.J., "Enhance Gas Processing with Reflux Heat
Exchangers," Chemical Engineering, May 1994, p. 142.
The Authors

Mike Healy is process engineering manager at Costain Oil, Gas & Process
Ltd., Manchester, U.K. Previously, he worked for M.W. Kellogg Ltd., London.
Healy holds a BS in chemical engineering from Nottingham University and is a
fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and a chartered engineer in the
U.K.

Adrian Finn is chief process engineer with responsibility for process

development at Costain Oil, Gas & Process. He holds a BS Tech in chemical
engineering and fuel technology from Sheffield University and an MS from
Leeds University. He is a fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and is
a chartered engineer in the U.K. and a member of the Gas Processors
Association.
Les Halford is operations director at Costain. He has a B.Tech in chemical
engineering from Bradford University and an MS in construction management
from Cranfield Business School. He is a member of the Institution of Chemical
Engineers and is a chartered engineer in the U.K.