10/2/2013

Gas

Burning Feed Stock

UTILITIES CHEMICAL PLANTS
TOWN GASS SUPPLIES AMMONIA
ENERGY INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES METHANOL

Power 
Generation

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Fundamentals of Natural Gas Processing

Natural gas has been formed by the degradation of organic matter

accumulated in the past millions of years.

Two main mechanisms:

Biogenic
Thermogenic

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 Water

 Sulfur
S lf species
i

 Mercury

 NORM ((Naturallyy occurringg radioactive materials))

 Diluents

 Oxygen

1) Non-associated gas that occurs in conventional gas fields

2) Associated gas that occurs in conventional oil fields

3) Continuous (or unconventional) gas.

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Natural gas is colorless, odorless, tasteless, shapeless, and lighter than

air

Crude oil–gas–water are directed to a central processing and

ttreatment
t t facility
f ilit normally
ll called
ll d the
th gas–oil
il separation
ti plant
l t
(GOSP).

The first step in processing of the produced stream is the separation

of the phases (oil, gas, and water) into separate streams.

This takes place in mechanical devices known as:

 Two-phase gas–oil separators when the produced stream
contains no water
 Three-phase separators when the produced stream contains
water.

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The separators are used to relieve the excess pressure due

to the gas associated with the produced crude and,
consequently, separating it from the oil.

When water exists in the produced stream, separators are

aalso
so used to separate
sepa ate tthee free
ee water
wate from
o the
t e oil.
o .

Once separation is done, each stream undergoes the proper

processing for further field treatment

Flare

Gas Processing 
Gas Processing Gas sales or reinjection
j
NGL sales
Module CO2 &/or Sulfur sales
Reservoir
GAS

Crude Oil OIL Crude Oil Field 

Oil sales
Separation Treating Storage

WATER
Water disposal
Produced Water  or
Treating Reinjection

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This module is required to meet crude oil sales

specification:

1. BS&W (Basic Sediment and Water)

2. Vapor Pressure
3. Salt
4 Sulfur
4. S lf CContent
t t

A typical crude oil produced from a field in the Middle

East before and after treatment

Raw crude oil has the following materials present:

Water: present in two forms: emulsions (10%) and free water (30%)
Salt: 50,000–250,000 mg/L formation water
Gas: dissolved gas (600 scf/bbl crude oil)
H2S: 1000 ppm

Treated crude oils have the following final specifications:

Water content: 0.3 vol% maximum
Salt content: 10 lbs (as NaCl) per 1000 barrels of oil
H2S: 70 ppm
Vapor pressure: 10 psig (4–5 psi RVP)

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Produced water must be treated in order to meet

reinjection or disposal specification:

1. Hydrocarbons
2. Free solids
3 Dissolved solids ee.g.
3. g CaCO3, NaCl,
NaCl BaSO4, etc.
etc

Market sales of natural gas require some specifications set by the

consumers regarding the maximum contents allowable for the following:
1)) Acidic g
gases and sulfur
2) Oxygen
3) Carbon dioxide
4) Water vapor
5) Liquefiable hydrocarbons
6) Minimum thermal heating content of the gas

Two common standard conditions of temperature and pressure are used:

1) Universal scientific, reported at 32°F and 760mmHg
2) Natural gas industry, reported at 60°F and 14.7 psia

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Natural Gas Sales

Produced
Gas
Stream NGL
Conditioning Fuel
Extraction

Recompression NGL
Sales
Product
Stabilization
Treating

Conditioning NGL Extraction Stabilization Product Treating

1) Dehydration 1) Adsorption (SCU) 1) Demethanizer 1) Dehydration
2) Sweetening 2) Absorption (lean oil) 2) Deethanizer 2) Sweetening
3) Condensation a)H2S, COS, CS2
a)Valve b)CO2
b)Turboexpander
c)Refrigeration 

Removal of water is named gas dehydration.

The most common processes are:
1) Absorption (highly concentrated glycol solutions)
2) Adsorption [a solid desiccant such as silicagel, alumina or molecular
sieve (zeolite)].
It is used when very low (<1 ppm) effluent water content are required.
3)) Condensation
4) Other - membranes, CaCl2, etc.

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Removal of H2S and CO2

The most common processes are:
1) Chemical absorption – amines, potassium carbonate
2) Physical absorption – SELEXOL, methanol
3) Solid bed – molecular sieves, iron sponge, zinc oxide
4) Other – direct conversion, membrane, extractive distillation

Nitrogen removal
Cryogenic fractionation from methane
Operating temperatures vary with pressure but can be as low as
-185°C [-300°F]

Mercury removal
Mercury removal is done by passing the gas across a bed of sulfur-
impregnated
p g activated charcoal where the mercuryy reacts to form mercuric
sulfide.
Effluent levels of Hg should be less than1 pbb.

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WHY EXTRACT NGL?

1)Meet gas sales specification requirement such as hydrocarbon
dew point
2)Upgrade the market value of the products

NGL products and their markets are summarized as:

Ethane(C2) – Petrochemical feedstock

Lightest NGL with NBP of -88°C [-127°F]
Recovery can be justified in those areas where a ready
petrochemical market and viable transportation exist

Propane (C3) – Petrochemical feedstock and fuel

NBP of -42°C [-44°F]

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Butanes (iC4 and nC4)

Petrochemical feedstock, fuel and gasoline blending
iC4 is the more volatile isomer NBP of -12°C [11°F]
and the most valuable.
nC4 an important feedstock for the manufacturing of
monolefins (ethylene, propylene) and the diolefin,
butadiene. NBP -0.5°C [31°F]

Natural gasoline (iC5+)

Pentanes and heavier components in a gas stream
primarily consist of straight and branched chain
hydrocarbon
Refinery feedstock, Petrochemical feedstock

Commercial NGL extraction processes can be classified as

f ll
follows:

Absorption – lean oil

Adsorption – short cycle unit, hydrocarbon recovery unit
Condensation – mechanical refrigeration, turboexpander, valve
expansion

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Gas and liquid contracts usually contain the following basic

considerations:
GAS
1) Minimum, maximum, and nominal delivery pressure
2) Maximum water content (as a water dew point at a given
pressure or as a concentration)
3) Maximum condensable hydrocarbon (hydrocarbon dew point,
analysis, etc.)
4) Maximum delivery temperature
5) Allowable concentration of contaminants (H2S, CO2,
mercaptanes)
6) Minimum heating value
7) Cleanliness (allowable solid concentration)

Liquid
1) Quality of products (vapor pressure,
pressure relative or absolute density,
density
or by standard designation such as Commercial Propane)
2) Specifications such as color, concentration of contaminants, etc.
3) Maximum water content

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Heating value (heat of combustion): 

The amount of heat developed by the complete combustion of a 
material. 
material
a) The gross or higher heating value 
b)The net, or lower, heating value (normally referred to in Europe)

Sulfur content
This limits the amount of sulfur compounds to prevent corrosion, 
This limits the amount of sulfur compounds to prevent corrosion
toxicity and odor when the gas is burned.
Typical specification for H2S is 4 ppm [0.25 grain/100scf]

Maximum delivery temperature

A maximum delivery temperature at the transfer point may be
specified.
specified
It is often about 49°C [120°F].

Water content (dew point)

The mass of water per unit volume of gas or the maximum allowable
water dewpoint temperature at specified pressure
In the U.S. 7 lb H2O/MMscf [110mg/m3] equivalent to a water
dewpoint of 32°F at 1000 psia
In Europe and Canada 50-60 mg/m3 [3-4 lb/MMscf]

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Hydrocarbon dewpoint
Hydrocarbon dewpoint specifications vary with climate and buyer.
In north America and Europe values range from -10 to 0°C [15-32°F]
at any pressure.
Other
Nitrogen is the most important inert
Its concentration is usually limited to less than 1-2%.
CO2
A maximum 2% is typical, but the CO2 specification is often
negotiable.

Liquid produced by simple separation is a mixture whose composition

is fixed by equilibrium. This is sometimes called a “slot” cut

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Acid Gas Tail  Gas
Raw Gas Tail Gas 
Desulfurization
Treatment

Condensate 
Acid Gas
Acid Gas 
and Water  sulfur Offgas to 
Removal
Removal Incinerator

Waste water Dehydration

condensate
Nitrogen  Mercury 
NGL Recovery
NG Recovery
Rejection
R j i Removall
R

Gas Sales Nitrogen Rich Gas

Ethane, Propane, Butanes, 
Fractionation Train
Pentane+

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