Natural Gas Dehydration

Institute of Oil & Gas Production Technology

Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.
Panvel, Navi Mumbai 410 221
 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system

Contents

1.0 Introduction 01
2.0 Why Dehydrate Gas? 01
3.0 Methods of Dehydration 03
3.1 Dehydration using liquid desiccant (TEG) 03
3.2 Dehydration using solid desiccants. 07
3.3 Twister technology 09
3.4 Membrane technology 10

4.0 Desired Result and Performance 12

5.0 Effect of Design Parameters on Performance 13

6.0 Operating Problem 14

7.0 References 16

Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 0

 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system

1.0 Introduction
The process of removal of water vapour from natural gas is known as Dehydration.
Natural Gas is naturally occurring at depths well below earth’s surface and because of
presence of water at high temperature (in equilibrium), when it cools at the surface
well head, it is always saturated with water vapour. During transmission to shore
additional cooling of the saturated gas by subsea temperature will cause formation of
free water and hydrates causing serious problems. Besides in presence of moisture the
corrosion in the transmission lines could be very rapid.
Thus Gas Dehydration is therefore absolutely essential to ensure smooth operation of
gas transmission lines.

2.0 Why Dehydrate Gas?

There are three principal reasons for dehydrating of gas. These are:
i. Prevention of line plugging due to formation of hydrates.
ii. Prevention of reduction of line capacity due to formation of free water
(liquid).
iii. Elimination of retarding of corrosion in gas pipeline.
Hydrate Formation:
Hydrate formation occurs in the gas stream when free water is present and the stream
is at or very near the hydrate temperature for the system pressure. Hydrates are water
precipitated as a snow like solid (Figure 2.1). By reducing water content in natural gas
with dehydration, it can be assured that no free water with resulting hydrates will form
in the pipeline until the gas in the pipeline reaches its saturation temperature.

Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 1

 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system

Figure 2.1: Gas Hydrates

Figure 2.2: Hydrate Formation Conditions

Free water in the pipeline occupies volume and reduces the line’s gas carrying
capacity. Therefore, it is desirable to dehydrate the entering gas to a water vapour
content that will prevent the formation of free water in the pipeline.

Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 2

 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system
A very important reason for dehydrating natural gas is to eliminate or retard corrosion.
Not only will moisture alone cause corrosion in the pipeline but also water in the
presence of any gas like H2S, CO2 etc. in the stream will form even corrosive acid
solutions. By removing water vapour by dehydration to keep the gas in an under
saturated condition and eliminating the condensing of free water in the pipeline,
corrosion rate could be kept within permissible rate.
In addition to the above reasons, dehydration of gas is required for sales gas contracts
and /or pipeline specifications to maintain maximum water content usually 7 lbs of
H2O/mmscf of gas or dew point. Dehydrating of natural gas also allows operation of
cryogenic and refrigerated absorption plants without freeze-ups.

3.0 Methods of dehydration

The methods used for gas dehydration are absorption, adsorption, membrane processes
and refrigeration.
Following types of gas dehydration systems have been studied:-
 Dehydration using liquid desiccant (TEG)
 Dehydration using solid desiccants.
 Twister technology
 Membrane technology
3.1 Dehydration using liquid desiccant
The most widely used method of drying natural gas especially for offshore
applications, is the liquid desiccant unit. It can handle large quantities of gas with high
dew point depressions and also the operation is continuous.
Liquid desiccants commonly used are:
 Methanol
 Ethylene Glycol
 Di-ethylene Glycol(DEG)
 Tri-ethylene Glycol(TEG) &
 Tetra-Ethylene Glycol

Methanol and Ethylene Glycol are used in an emergency or temporary because they
are not easily recovered for re-use. Ethylene Glycol has been used in some special
applications but its vapour pressure is too high resulting in considerable loss during
regeneration.

Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 3

 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system
Di- ethylene Glycol (DEG) is used because its vapour pressure is lower than Ethylene
Glycol and it is not as soluble in liquid hydrocarbon as triethylene and tetra ethylene
glycol. Diethylene glycol is primarily used in glycol injection systems as a hydrate
inhibitor, but it can be in the conventional dehydrator where a limited dew point
depression is acceptable. DEG cannot be regenerated to a high concentration as tri and
tetra ethylene glycol due to its lower decomposition temperature.

Tri-ethylene Glycol (TEG) is the most popularly used glycol for gas dehydrators and
has largely supplanted di-ethylene glycol for this purpose. Because of its higher
decomposition temperature and a lower vapour pressure, it can be easily recommended
to a higher purity resulting in higher dew point depression without incurring
decomposition and losses.

Although Tetra-Ethylene Glycol has a higher decomposition temperature and lower

vapour pressure than TEG, it is not commercially popular due to its higher viscosity
and higher regeneration temperatures which become a factor with low ambient air
conditions and in cold climates.

For decades, the most widely used technology for dehydrating natural gas to meet
pipeline specifications has been to absorb the water with a liquid desiccant (solvent)
flowing in counter current inside bubble cap tray columns. Glycols are extensively
used for gas dehydration as they have a high affinity for water. It is absorption based
dehydration. Among the glycols, Tri Ethylene Glycol (TEG) has gained universal
acceptance as the most cost effective choice.

3.1.1 Process Description:

The Gas Dehydration plant can be divided into four major sections:
 Free Water Knock Out
 Gas Dehydration
 Glycol Cleaning
 Glycol Regeneration

Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 4

 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system

Figure 3.1 TEG based gas dehydration system

Free Water Knock Out: Wet natural gas containing entrained water and hydrocarbon
particles first enters the knock out drum where these particles are removed.
Gas Dehydration: Saturated gas, free from entrained liquid particles is brought into
counter current contact with concentrated Triethylene glycol (TEG) in the contactor
tower which has bubble cap trays. The TEG absorbs the water vapour from the gas
and passes out from the bottom of the contactor. The dried gas leaves from the top of
the contactor and exchanges heat in two steps. First it cools the lean TEG entering the
contactor and then partially condenses the top product of the glycol still in the Reflux
Condenser. The gas then passes through the overhead scrubber where the entrained
glycol is knocked off. The dried gas is then sent to the launcher.
Glycol Cleaning: The ‘water rich’ TEG from the contactor goes to the Flash Drum
where contaminant hydrocarbons are skimmed off and the dissolved gases flashed and
vented. This vessel also provides adequate TEG hold up to take care of process upsets.
The glycol filters remove the solid gummy particles of particles of polyglycols and
entrapped hydrocarbon droplets. Glycol filters are generally designed to remove solid
particulates below 5 microns. Glycol filters are designed to pass the entire circulated
quantity of glycol. Part of the glycol( 15-30 %) are passed through the activated
carbon filter placed in the rich TEG side downstream of glycol flash drum for

Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 5

 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system
cleaning the glycol before it is sent for regeneration . The cleaned TEG is sent for
regeneration.
Glycol Regeneration: The rich glycol is preheated in the lean/rich glycol exchanger
by the hot re-concentrated glycol from the storage tank before being fed to the glycol
still which is a packed column. Here it is regenerated by distillation. The glycol still is
mounted on the Reboiler which generates vapour for distillation. The reboiler is fired
by hot oil. Reflux for the still is provided by the Reflux Condenser. The hot
concentrated TEG flows by gravity to the glycol storage tank through a packed
stripping column. With atmospheric pressure regeneration, it is possible to regenerate
TEG to about 98.5 % concentrations at reboiler temperatures of about 400oF (2040C).
With this concentrations, generally dew point of about 55oF(30oC) may be expected. If
higher dew point depression is required TEG has to be regenerated to higher
concentrations. With gas stripping (gas rate 30-75 SCM / M3 of glycol circulated) very
high TEG concentration up to 99.8 % can be achieved. The lean TEG is pumped back
the contactor for re-use.
3.1.2 Advantages of glycol dehydration:
 Lower pressure drop about 5-10 psi, vs 10-50 psi for dry desiccant units.
 It is a continuous process rather than batch.
 Glycol makeup is easily accomplished. Glycol units require less regeneration heat
per pound of water removed thus lowering utility costs.
 It can operate in the presence of materials that would foul solid desiccants.
 It can dehydrate natural gas to 0.5 lbs H2O/MMSCF.
 TEG system does not require the gas to be at high pressure, though setting up a
TEG system at the downstream of the compressor definitely reduces the costs.
3.1.3 Disadvantages of glycol dehydration:-
 Glycol is susceptible to contamination.
 Glycol is corrosive when contaminated or decomposed.
 Contamination of Natural Gas with TEG Solvent.
 Hazardous emissions of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene) and
VOCs (volatile organic compounds) make this system unsuitable for use in
environmentally sensitive areas.
 Continuous supervision and monitoring of process parameters is essential to
maintain system efficiency.

Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 6

 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system
3.2 Dehydration using solid desiccants
Solid desiccants dry the gas by adsorption process which is a surface phenomenon.
The water forms an extremely thin film that is held to the desiccant surface by forces
of attraction, but there is no chemical reaction. The adsorption capacity is determined
by the particular gas being adsorbed, the nature of the solid desiccant, its effective
surface area and internal porosity, the temperature and the partial pressure of the
adsorbed gas. For cryogenic operations widely preferred method is to use molecular
sieve dryers.
3.2.1 Process Description
The system consists of two solid desiccant towers, while one is on adsorption, the
other is on regeneration. The wet gas after passing through the scrubber enters the
absorber column and contacts the desiccant bed. Water vapour is adsorbed by the solid
desiccant and the dry gas leaves the tower from the bottom. The flow of wet gas into
the adsorber column is continued till the bed reaches the saturation limit. Just before
the bed saturation occurs, the adsorbing tower is switched over for regeneration. The
other tower is taken on adsorption. A slip stream of feed gas is heated in a furnace or
an electrical heater to regenerate the saturated solid desiccant bed. The hot wet gas is
passed through the tower under regeneration. The water laden gas leaving the
regeneration tower is cooled and free water is removed through a KOD. The gas after
regeneration is recycled back into the adsorber tower.

Figure 3.2 Desiccant dehydration system

Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 7

 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system
3.2.2 Advantages of dehydration by solid desiccants are:
 Very low dew points of about -1500F of (1 ppmv of H2O) are obtainable.
 Less effect of small changes in gas pressure, temperature or flow rate.
 They are less susceptible to corrosion or foaming.
3.2.3 Disadvantages of dehydration by solid desiccants are:
 Higher pressure drop
 Possibility of poisoning of desiccants by heavy hydrocarbons, H2S, CO2, etc.
 Excessive contactor pressure or the presence of liquid water may crush or crack
solid desiccants.
 Resins, paraffin’s and hydrocarbons may coat desiccant particles and reduce their
efficiency.
 Mechanical breaking of desiccant particles.
 Recharging solid desiccants towers is time consuming and sometimes requires
interruption in gas transportation.
 High space and weight requirements.
 High regeneration heat requirements and high utility costs (fuel gas).
3.2.4 Desiccant Choice:
Solid desiccant pellets are characterized by an internal porous structure which
generates very large internal surface areas with very small radii of curvature. The
adsorbents most commonly used for drying oilfield fluids are silica gel, silica based
beads, activated alumina, activated bauxite and molecular sieves. Careful
consideration of following factors is required while making a choice of desiccant.
 Inlet gas temperature, pressure and composition
 Required outlet water dew point
 Hydrocarbon recovery requirement
 Capital & operating costs

Activated Alumina and silica gel can achieve water dew points of -600F to -900F,
while molecular sieves are capable of -1500F to -3000F. Silica gel is the most widely
used solid desiccant for normal dehydration of natural gas to pipeline specifications (1
to 7 lbs of H2O /mmscf of gas). Molecular sieves are the overwhelming choice for
natural gas dehydration to cryogenic process standards. Molecular sieves are also
excellent for simultaneous removal of H2S and/or CO2. Desiccant life varies from 6
months to over 4 years. Molecular sieves are more susceptible to liquid water,
Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 8
 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system
corrosion inhibitors and heavy hydrocarbons than some of the other desiccants.
Activated alumina is less susceptible to breakage than silica gel.
3.3 Twister technology
Twister is a revolutionary gas conditioning technology. Condensation and separation
at supersonic velocity is the key to some unique benefits like eliminating chemicals
and associated regeneration systems. Twister is a simple reliable static device with no
rotating parts and operates without chemicals, ensures a simple facility with high
availability.
3.3.1 Process description
The device uses static inlet guide vanes to generate high vorticity, concentric swirl. A
laval nozzle is employed to efficiently expand the gas to supersonic velocities, whilst
achieving extreme cooling. The low temperature created by the near isentropic
expansion process causes water and natural gas liquids to condense into a mist type
flow. The induced vorticity generates high centrifugal forces which drives the droplets
to the outside of the tube. The liquids which concentrate on the inner wall of the tube
can now be separated. The resulting dry gas then flows into a diffuser, where the
velocity converts back into pressure. With such a short residence time inside the tube,
hydrates do not form, as the time required for hydrate kinetics in not reached.

Figure 3.3 Twister technology

3.3.2 Advantages of Twister technology

 The simplicity of the process with no rotating parts & compact design makes it
suitable for remote locations.
 Significant savings in operational costs can be achieved on supply, storage,
transport and manning.
Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 9
 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system
 As Twister is a closed, chemical free system, there are no pollutants, such as
benzene, Toluene and Xylene emissions.
 The whole installation is extremely light and compact.

3.3.3 Disadvantages of Twister technology

 There is typically 25% loss in the pressure of the gas.

3.4 Dehydration by membrane technology

There has been development and commercialization of newer technologies such as
membrane for dehydration of small scale gas streams. Basically, membranes are thin
films made from different types of polymers which are specially prepared and suitable
for a particular application. Membranes work on the principle of diffusion of gases in
a polymer. High pressure gas is fed into the devices, forcing the gas through the
membrane. Since membranes use the principle of selective permeation to perform a
desired separation, some gas components will not permeate quickly through the wall
of the membrane and thus accumulate in the high pressure gas leaving the device.

Other gas components will permeate through the wall and accumulate in the low
pressure gas leaving the device. The separation of gas mixtures by membrane is
achieved by exploiting the relative differences in permeability of various gases
through the membrane. The more permeable gas, called as ‘fast gas’ present in the
feed gas mixture is enriched on permeate or low pressure side of the membrane. The
less permeable gas, called as ‘slow’ gas is enriched on the feed side or high pressure
side of the membrane. For natural gas separation,’ fast’ gases are H2O,H2S and CO2
and ‘slow’ gases are CH4,C2H6,other hydrocarbons, nitrogen and argon. Membranes
are effective for bulk removal of fast gases. Water vapour being very fast, dehydration
to pipeline specifications can be achieved by membrane systems. The temperature of
feed gas favours high permeation rates of the components through the membrane and
so reduces the overall membrane area requirements. But increase in temperature
reduces the overall purities of product by allowing more unwanted gases. Therefore, it
is necessary to optimize the operating temperature and product purity.

The absolute pressure of feed stream and the pressure differential between feed and
permeate gas streams have a marked effect on separation efficiency. Careful
Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 10
 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system
conditioning of the feed gas is required to prevent membrane degradation. Pre-
treatment typically consist of a two phase separator and coalescing filters upstream of
the membrane modules to remove any entrained aerosols, particulates and
condensates. The permeate stream can be recompressed and recycled to mix with the
inlet feed gas or permeate stream can be routed to mix with other suitable process. The
residue gas is the conditioned product gas which can be routed to the pipeline or
suitable process header. Within the membrane unit, operating conditions are ambient.
Membranes can achieve water pipeline specifications of 1- 5 lbs water/MMSCF. It is
possible to achieve dew point as low –200C.

Figure 3.4: Membrane gas dehydration system

3.4.1 Advantages of Membrane Dehydration System:

 Membranes can be easily packaged in an environmentally closed system with no
BETX (aromatics) or methane emissions.
 Up to a 40 % reduction on system size and weight compared to traditional drying
technologies.
 Simple to operate, lower maintenance costs; no moving parts; less downtime.
 No heat required

Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 11

 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system
 Unattended operation is possible
 Easily accommodates changing feed flow conditions and can be easily expanded
with its modular design. Multiple assembly options are possible.
 No chemical inventory or makeup required.
 Easy installation and removal of membrane cartridges for replacement.

3.4.2 Disadvantages of Membrane Dehydration System:

 A single membrane module cannot handle very large flow rates. As the capacity
increases, more membrane modules have to be installed in parallel, which leads to
a corresponding increase in the size and weight of the membrane skid.
 Membrane module cannot handle wide variation in flow rates as pressure drop
increases across the feed and residue which degrades the membrane performance.
 Feed to the membrane has to be at higher pressure.
 Requires additional processing/pre-treatment steps to protect membranes from
getting irreversibly damaged by heavy hydrocarbons/liquids & chemicals.

4.0 Desired Result and Performance

The desired results of the TEG dehydration process are:

4.1 Water content of Dried Gas

The water content of the dried gas is normally required to be 7 lbs per mmscf. The
dew point /water content can be monitored by on-stream dew point / moisture content
analyser on the dried gas outlet line.
4.2 Glycol Loss
The maximum glycol loss due to vaporisation and entrainment is normally specified at
13.4 litres per MMSCM. The potential areas for glycol loss are Glycol Contactor and
Glycol Still.

Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 12

 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system

5.0 Effect of Design Parameters on Performance

The equipment size and performance of a Glycol Dehydration system are affected by
the following variables:
 Inlet Gas Temperature and Pressure.
 Gas Flow rate
 Glycol Inlet Temperature to Contactor
 Number of trays in the contractor
 Glycol Concentration entering the Contactor
 Glycol Circulation Rate.

5.1 Inlet Gas Temperature and Pressure.

If the inlet gas temperature is high, the gas has higher water vapour carrying capacity
so that the unit would have to remove much more water to get the required outlet gas
water content. The glycol vaporisation loss from the contactor would also be greater at
higher temperature. Similarly if the inlet gas pressure is very low, water content of the
gas will be very high and the contactor will be of comparatively larger size in order to
keep the actual gas velocity in proper range.
5.2 Gas Flow rate
Units are designed to operate efficiently at a specified range in gas rate. Above this
rate the unit will lose dehydration efficiency and experience excessive glycol loss.
Also Reboiler will become overloaded resulting in insufficient glycol regeneration.
Below specified range there may be some loss of efficiency in terms of increased dew
point if the contractor internals are not designed for the required turn down.
5.3 Glycol Inlet Temperature to Contactor
The temperature of the glycol entering the contractor has a significant effect on the gas
dew point depression and should be held to within 100F above the inlet gas
temperature. At higher temperature higher glycol losses and a higher dew point occur.
5.4 Number of trays in the contractor
The most commonly used trays in the contractor are Bubble Cap type, Valve type or
Sieve type. Generally, 6-8 contact trays are used to achieve better balance between the
contactor and regenerator capacities and greater flexibilities in operation. For a given
glycol circulation rate, higher dew point depressions are obtained as additional trays
are added to the contactor. High dew point depression units require seven or more
trays. For very low gas capacities a packed tower may be preferred.
Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 13
 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system
5.5 Glycol Concentration entering the Contactor
Higher the inlet TEG concentration to the Contactor higher will be the dew point
depression as a greater driving force for absorption of water is available. It is for this
reason that gas stripping becomes necessary after the TEG has been regenerated in the
re-concentration still to drive of the last traces of moisture.
5.6 Glycol Circulation Rate
The dew point depression with a given number of trays and a specific glycol
concentration can be increased by increasing the circulation rate. However, care must
be exercised when increasing the glycol rate as the re-concentrator capacity can be
easily exceeded, resulting in loss of efficiency. High circulation rate can also cause the
temperature of lean glycol entering the contactor to increase with a subsequent
increase in glycol loss.

6.0 Operating Problem

Some of the common problems experienced during plant operations are as below:
 Failure to meet the ‘dried’ gas specification.
 Excessive Glycol loss.
 Foaming
 Corrosion
 Fouling and degradation.
6.1 Failure to meet the ‘dried’ gas specification
Failure to operate at design condition often results in unsatisfactory operation. The
process parameters must be specified correctly which will govern designer’s choice
for Glycol Concentration, Glycol Temperature and Flow rate etc. Also the contractor
tower and its internals must be suitable for the liquid and vapour traffic proposed to be
handled in the equipment.
6.2 Excessive Glycol loss
There are many reasons for excessive loss of Glycol during plant operation. These
losses may be classified as Entrainment and Vaporisation losses.
Entrainment losses occur due to high velocity of gas in the Contactor, insufficient mist
elimination in the Contractor and Overhead Scrubber, Flashing of liquid hydrocarbons
in the Reboiler, Plugging of Contactor trays and mechanical leaks.
Vaporisation losses occur mainly due to high reboiler temperature, in sufficient reflux
to glycol still, High lean glycol temperature and plugging of still packing.
Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 14
 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system
Losses can be reduced considerably if the aforementioned parameters are taken care of
in the design of the glycol gas dehydration unit.
6.3 Foaming
Foaming in the Contactor, Flash Drum and Reboiler poses operating problems,
particularly glycol loss. The design engineer has to incorporate this extremely
important aspect in the process design. Adequate tray spacing in the contactor,
removal of liquid hydrocarbons before the gas meets glycol, proper removal of
hydrocarbon from glycol and proper filtration and addition of anti-foam agent may
minimise this problem.
6.4 Corrosion
Corrosion problems are encountered especially in the re-concentration system because
of the presence of chlorides in solution, High Reboiler temperature, low pH of Glycol
and presence of particulate matter in Glycol.
Proper reboiler temperature, proper filtration and maintenance of glycol pH around 7.0
help in reducing this nuisance. Both high and low reboiler temperature causes
problems. Hence a proper Reboiler temperature can ensure smooth and trouble free
operation to a large extent.
6.5 Fouling and degradation
This creates problems mainly in the heat exchangers and reboilers. The heat transfer
Coefficient is drastically decreased causing a heavy loss of efficiency. Fouling occurs
because of contaminates like chlorides, poor filtration, Hydrocarbon Polymerisation
and Corrosion. Degradation is a result of High Reboiler temperature. , low pH of
solution and separation of hydrocarbons. Compressor oils entering the plant with gas,
greatly reduce the absorbing capacity of Glycol and largely responsible for fouling.

Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 15

 Handbook on
Natural Gas Dehydration system

7.0 References
1. GPSA Engineering Data Book 11th Edition, (1998).
2. Oilfield processing Volume One: Natural Gas, Francis S. Manning, Richard
E. Thompson.
3. Reduction Of Glycol Loss From Gas Dehydration Unit At Offshore Platform
in Bombay Offshore - A Case Study, Arun Gupta, N.A.K.R. Ansari, R. Rai,
A.K. Sah.
4. IOGPT Report-1849

Institute of oil and gas production technology Page 16

 Editorial Board
1. Shri Debasis Roy, GM (P)
2. Shri S.K. Jaruhar, CE (P)
Institute of Oil & Gas Production Technology
Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.
Phase II, ONGC Complex, Panvel, Navi Mumbai-410221 INDIA
Phone: 91 22 2745 1891/2748 6100, Fax: 91 22 2745 1690
Web: www.ongcindia.com