SPE 161217

Innovative Scheme for Crude Oil Stabilization Using Condensate

Dinesh Agrawal, SPE, ADMA-OPCO, Badrul Huda, ADMA-OPCO

Copyright 2012, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, 11–14 November 2012.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been
reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to
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Abstract

For a new sour field development, the scheme for crude oil stabilization is designed using condensate as stripping agent in the
crude oil stabilizer in place of conventional scheme using sweet fuel gas. The article discusses the scheme and its advantages
compared to other industry practice of ‘Reboiled Stripper’ for Crude Oil Stabilization.

The design is based on splitting of gas condensate produced during gas compression in to heavy cut and lights in a condensate
splitter operating as a distillation column. The lights are recycled back in to the gas compression for gas injection while heavy
condensate is vaporized and used as stripping agent in crude oil stabilizer.

The benefits are higher oil volumes with some improvement in oil API achieved through ability to mix higher fraction of the
condensate produced in to oil, while maintaining Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) and Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) Specifications for
oil export.

The scheme eliminates light condensates drying and pumping for injection in to reservoir as it mixes it with gas for injection
and a common gas drying and compression system can be used for injection in to reservoirs. Also instead of boiling crude at
higher temperatures in the reboiler of crude oil stabilizer which is the case for the ‘Reboiled Stripper Scheme’, clean
condensate vapors are used for stripping H2S and light hydrocarbons in crude stabilizer with operations at near 100°C.

This will reduce the system fouling while providing higher plant availability by eliminating reboiler from the Crude oil
Stabilizer. The estimated Capital Cost is lower in comparison to other schemes.

Thus the design gives a simplified scheme for simultaneous processing of condensate with crude oil stabilization, producing
oil in quantity and specification similar to the ‘Reboiler Option’ while providing additional bebefit of lower CAPEX with
higher plant availability.

Introduction

Oil & gas producers experience increasingly complex challenges in the exploration and development of new oil & gas fields,
where it requires innovation, creativity and gainful deployment of industry best practices in selection of process, equipments,
materials, control systems and technology to meet organizational objectives of safe and productive utilization of capital while
ushering in new technology and preserving environment.

New field development projects involve large capital outlay and carry the risk of ‘high uncertainty’. As the projects get
assessed for their potential and feasibility, they undergo various stages of assessment, design improvements and management
approval, before being executed, installed and made operational.

For design of new facilities serving oil processing for two new fields, stringent availability norms were set by the management
to ensure uninterrupted production from the common facilities of oil processing, storage and export. Among the many
2 SPE 161217

challenges that were overcome, the paper describes the design development undertaken in Crude Oil Stabilization and
Condensate processing meeting multiple objectives simultaneously.

Crude Oil Stabilization (COS)

Objectives
!
The objective of Crude Oil stabilization & Sweetening process is to meet two important specifications for export of oil:

• Allowable Reid vapour pressure (RVP) for export & True Vapour Pressure (TVP) for storage
• Allowable hydrogen sulphide content.

Simultaneously it tries to maximise the volume of oil production, while processing to overcome the above two important
constraints.

This requires removal of the light and intermediate hydrocarbon groups and hydrogen sulphide from the Degassed and
dehydrated & desalted crude oil before it can be stored for export. This process is described as a ‘dual process’ of both
stabilising and sweetening of the crude oil.

Technical goal of stabilization is to remove C1, C2, and C3 as completely as possible and maximize C5 and heavies in the
export oil. Butanes increase the vapour pressure of crude oil considerably i.e. both RVP & TVP. Control of butanes can largely
control the vapour pressure specifications of the stabilized crude oil.

The phase separation pressures upstream of crude oil stabilization are optimised for maximising oil gain vis-a-vis compression
power and compression ratios. Normally numbers of such separation stages do not exceed 3-4 stages depending on well fluids
arrival pressure, due to reducing benefits of oil gain v/s the additional Capital Expenditure (CAPEX).

The sales value of gas is a fraction (approximately 1/8th) of the sales value of oil. Thus any crude oil stabilization process that
prevents loosing the intermediate hydrocarbons to overhead gases when producing the stock tank liquid, satisfying above two
constraints of RVP & H2S for export oil, can help in achieving higher revenues from higher sales volume..

Project Specific Constraints

New field developments face numerous challenges and constraints. Some such constraints faced with the new field
development being discussed were:
A. Installation of processing & export facilities for oil & gas on an Island due to its proximity to the new field.
B. Requirement of high volume sour gas injection at high pressure (about 400 MMSCFD) for reservoir pressure
maintenance.
C. Disposal of about 22-25 MBD condensate produced from gas compression in a way which is most beneficial to
the company, considering that:
a) Nearest condensate processing facility was located at about 30 km from Island which required
condensate transport through sub-sea pipeline.
b) The above condensate processing facilities did not have any spare capacity.
c) The option of stabilizing & exporting condensate was CAPEX intensive & involved additional safety
hazards as it involves facilities for
- Condensate stabilization,
- Condensate storage and
- Dedicated pipeline/loading facilities for export

In such situations, where condensate export is cost prohibitive, options that can be exercised are:
- Condensate can be stabilized & then spiked in to the stabilized crude oil Or
- The heavy cut from a condensate splitter can be spiked in to oil during process of crude oil
stabilization maintaining RVP & H2S within oil export specifications.

Pre-FEED Scheme

Alternative Schemes Evaluation

!
Two schemes which are generally practiced for sour crude oil stabilization & sweetening by various companies are:
SPE 161217 3

- Stripping the desalted and dehydrated crude oil in a multistage stripper column with sweet fuel gas
- Using a reboiled stabilizer column, where the hydrocarbon vapours produced in the reboiler at the stabilizer
column bottom provide the required stripping action for crude oil stabilization and sweetening.

The salient features of stripping with sweet fuel gas are:

- It performs best at low pressure, closer to atmospheric pressures
- It operates at lower temperatures, has no major fouling problems and provides very high availability for
equipments

However, it has certain disadvantages in comparison to the alternative ‘Reboiled Stripper Option’ for crude oil stabilization,
namely:
- For the same input feed stream it produces less oil (about 1% less oil as estimated for the field development case
under evaluation)
- It requires an additional stage of oil & gas separation upstream of Crude oil stabilizer.
- It produces larger quantity of overhead gases & requires higher compression power.
!
Though the Reboiled stripper option has the advantage of producing slightly higher oil it suffers from a serious disadvantage
of extreme fouling in the reboiler, which leads to frequent shutdown of the equipment and requires maintenance for cleaning
at regular frequency.
!
This was the main deterrent which led Pre-FEED recommendations to adapt ‘Sweet fuel gas stripping option’ for stabilization
of the crude oil.

The Table-1 below summarises the study results from Pre-FEED study for the two options, Option-1 & Option-2.
!
The condensate produced in the gas compression was split in to light and heavy ends, with heavy ends spiked in to stabilised
oil from COS, such that RVP & H2S specifications are not exceeded in the mixed crude. The flashed gases from the degassing
drum were returned through VRU to LP gas compressor suction. Both the Crude Oil Stabiliser and the Condensate splitter
were designed with overhead gas coolers, but operating without any reflux, similar to schemes existing in many operating
companies. The Schemes Options -1 & 2 are shown in the figures 1 & 2 below.
!
FIGURE -1
Option-1: Crude Oil Stabilization with Sweet Fuel gas
Crude Stabilizer
Overhead Water
Crude Stabilizer
Cooler
Overhead Air
Cooler CWS CWR LP Gas

1.034 barg To LP Gas

Compressor
PC
Desalted Crude
Crude Stabilizer
67 oC
27 Overhead Separator

To Desalter
Crude Stabilizer Outlet
Column To Produce Water
Treatment
Crude Stabilizer
Reflux Pumps
Sweet Fuel Gas Fuel Gas Heater
1

Stabilized Crude
65 oC

To Desalter
Inlet Heaters

Crude Stabilizer
Bottoms Pumps

!
!
!
4 SPE 161217

FIGURE -2
Option-2: Crude Oil Stabilization with Reboiler

Crude Stabilizer
Crude Stabilizer Overhead Water
Overhead Air Cooler
Cooler CWS CWR LP Gas

3.5 barg
To LP Gas
Desalted
PC Compressor
Crude Crude Stabilizer
100 oC Overhead Separator
27

To Desalter
Crude Stabilizer Outlet To Produce Water
Column Treatment
Crude Stabilizer
Reflux Pumps

1
Hot Oil

Stripped
Crude
NO Bottom Pumps 148 oC

To Desalter
Inlet Heaters

!
Table-1: Pre-FEED Schemes Comparison (For constant inputs)
!
Fuel Gas Stripping Reboiler Option
Number of Upstream Separation Stages 3 2
Condensate Produced MSTBD 26.9 24.9
Condensate Spiked in to Crude MSTBD 7.6 7.5
Stabilized Crude Oil From COS MSTBD 238.1 240.5
Export Oil MSTBD 244.9 247.7
Operating Pr barg 0.7 3.5
Feed Temp °C 67 100
Bottom Temp °C 65 148
Sweet Fuel Gas MMSCFD 3.2 NA
RVP Psia 9 9
H2 S ppm w/w 14 23
% Gain in oil 1%

!
The Pre-FEED scheme, opted for splitting of the condensate produced in to light & heavy cuts, with their disposal as below:

- Uncondensed gases from condensate splitter overhead condenser condensate collection drum were returned back
to suction of gas injection compressor
- Heavy cut from bottom was spiked in to the stabilized oil from crude oil stabilizer followed by a degasser drum.
RVP of Stabilized crude and the spiked condensate were adjusted so that export oil specifications for RVP and
H2S are met.
- Light condensate from condenser reflux drum was to be dried using mole sieves and pumped for mixing with gas
for injection. It has the mutual benefit of providing injection gas of higher molecular weight, which provides
better driving force for oil, as well as providing additional volumes for injection in to wells, which in case of any
gas shortages reduces the make-up or support gas requirements.
!
SPE 161217 5

Given below in Figure -3 is the condensate processing scheme recommended during Pre-FEED.
!
FIGURE – 3
Pre-FEED Condensate Processing Scheme

Condensate Condensate Condensate Splitter HP Gas

to Crude Splitter Overhead Overhead Water
Air Cooler Cooler
Condensate To Injection Gas
Collection CWS CWR Compressor
Vessel Suction
28.6 barg
105 oC
Condensate
Feed/Bottom
Exchanger
Condensate
20 Splitter Overhead
Drum
Water

Condensate
Splitter To Produced
1 Water Treatment
Hot Oil
To Injection Gas
Compressor
Discharge

Injection
LT Condensate Condensate
Condensate
29.3 barg Pump Drying Package
160 oC Pumps

However, Pre-FEED Condensate Processing scheme was deficient on the following:

- It operated condensate splitter without any reflux, thus poor separation
- It required light condensates to be dried and pumped to high injection pressures of 6000 psig. Pumping light
condensate to such high pressures from relatively low pressures of about 400 psig provides high technical challenges
in selection of pumps due to liquids of very low specific gravity and very low viscosity, which combined together,
impractically increase the number of stages for pumping. It became a technical challenge to identify any suitable
supplier that could meet constrains of both deliveries of capacity and head among the current available models, added
to which were the maintenance and integrity issues seriously impacting the facilities availability.
- It required drying of the condensate prior to its mixing with the injection gas.

Development of New Scheme for Crude Oil Stabilization

!
The objectives set for design improvements from Pre-FEED were:
- Minimise the light condensate cut volumes to be handled
- Maximise the heavy condensate cut that can be spiked/blended with the crude oil
- Find a replacement for mole sieve drying of light condensate, which has associated regeneration requirements
with environmental concerns from disposal of waste streams
- Find a solution to pumping of light condensate
!
The study steps which followed in achieving the above set objectives are outlined below:

Step1: Improve Splitting of Condensate

To improve splitting of condensate i.e. make the carryover of lights and intermediates to the heavy cut as low as possible. This
was achieved through the following:
i. Designing condensate splitter with reflux and higher number of trays
ii. Controlling the carryover of intermediates to the heavy cut largely by modulating reflux flow to the condensate
splitter
iii. Splitter operation at about 400 psig with bottoms temperature near 160 degree C.
iv. The RVP of the condensate heavy cut from the bottom was adjusted such that after spiking heavy condensate cut,
crude oil from degasser meets export oil specifications.
6 SPE 161217

The above modifications in condensate splitter design improved the oil gain. Export oil increased by about 1100 STBD or
about 0.5% of export oil volumes.
However, some of the observations were:
- Light condensate quantity from column overhead condenser was still high and needed separate drying and
pumping to arrive at pressures suitable to be mixed with injection gas in the dense phase.
- Sweet gas was the stripping media in the crude oil stabilizer.
- The degasser off gas flow was significant.
- The need to prevent RVP from exceeding export oil specification, constrained the quantity of the condensate
heavy cut that could be spiked in to the stabilized oil.

Step 2: Spiking Heavy Condensate Cut in Crude Stabilizer Directly

An option was checked for spiking of the heavy condensate cut directly in to the crude oil stabiliser. Condensate splitter design
reflux and bottom RVP was adjusted for heavy condensate cut guided by stripping action needed in the crude oil stabilizer.

The results indicated the following:

- Higher quantity of heavy condensate cut could be spiked /injected in to the crude oil stabilizer without increasing
RVP.
- The H2S specifications were easily achieved.
- No need for Sweet fuel gas injection.
- Degasser off gases flow dropped to Zero.
- TVP remained lower than 11 psia.

With above achieved, cases were studied to arrive at operating conditions which would minimise the light condensate cut,
while maximising the heavy condensate cut that could be used for injecting in to the crude oil stabilizer. Also a Pre-heater was
incorporated on the condensate heavy cut feed line to crude oil stabiliser to provide higher flashed vapours for stripping.

The flashed vapours of light hydrocarbons from heavy condensate cut provide a good stripping media for both RVP & H2S
control, while condensing intermediate hydrocarbons and returning them back to oil. This increased the oil production by 1000
STBD, almost 0.5% of the total oil production.

The net oil gain from the combined improvements in design of crude stabilizer, condensate splitter and replacing sweet fuel
gas by heavy condensate cut for crude oil stripping thus resulted in oil gain of about 1% over the Pre-FEED scheme..
These design improvements could offset all benefits of the reboiled stripping option.

Step 3: Light Condensate Processing

!
Condensate splitter overhead uncondensed gases were returned to the HP gas compressor suction which operates at about 375-
380 psig, as splitter column operates at about 400 psig.

The small light condensate cut still needed to be disposed through drying and pumping as per the original Pre-FEED Scheme.
A check was made for the effect of light condensate being vaporised and the gases mixed with other incoming gases to HP gas
compressor suction. It was observed that all these lights could be loaded in to the gas compression system, without any
additional condensate production and without any building of recycles. This provided a break-through on light condensate
handling as it eliminated:
- Need for separate handling of any light condensate liquid
- Need for any separate drying of light condensate – as it was dried along with other gases at first stage discharge of
the compressors.
- It eliminated need for separate pumping of light condensate as it got compressed as gases in the HP gas
compressor.
Thus the ‘Final Design’ for Crude Stabilization & Sweetening along with Condensate Processing and handling was arrived at
for the project, as depicted in the Figure- 4 below.
SPE 161217 7

FIGURE-4
FEED Scheme for Condensate Processing & Crude Oil Stabilization

28.6 barg
To HP
70°C
Compressor

Cooler
Condensate
Splitter

!"#$%&'()*+),-%+& Hot
Condensate From ./-0(1-%"()&23,%+4 Oil
Compressor Trains
Reboiler

To LP
29.3 barg Compressor
160°C
1.04 barg
92°C

Cooler

Oil Stabilizer
Crude From
Desalter

To Produced
Water Treatment
Stripping Gas
Heater For Start Up

Heat Exchange & 1.4 barg

Transfer To 96°C
Storage

!
The contribution from the various stages in the FEED design development depicting the oil gains are summarised in Table-2
below.
Table-2:
Crude Stabilization Scheme Comparison: Sweet Fuel Gas v/s Condensate as Stripping Media

Stripping With Sweet Fuel Gas Stripping With Condensate

No Reflux COS & Cond Splitter COS & Cond Splitter
Pre-FEED Scheme Refluxed Refluxed
Condensate Produced STBPD 15750 15750 15404
Light Condensate –Dried & Injected STBPD 4965 2257 0
Heavy Cond Cut Spiked in Stabilized Oil STBPD 8850 9974 0
Cond Splitter OH Gases to Comp Suction MMSCFD 3.7 6.6 8.8
Sweet Fuel Gas for Stripping in COS MMSCFD 1.2 1.2 0
Heavy Cond Cut Used for Stripping in COS STBPD 0 0 10670
Gases from Degassing Drum MMSCFD 0.5 0.6 0
Stabilized Crude Oil for Export STBPD 211700 212825 213780
RVP psia 7.9 7.9 8.1
TVP psia 13.7 13.6 9.8
H2 S ppm w/w 39 38 17
Improvement in API +0.2 +0.4
% Gain in oil over Pre-FEED Scheme 0.5% 1%
8 SPE 161217

Conclusions

The scheme developed during project design provides an alternative option for sour crude stabilization when gas processing
generates significant condensate quantities which need to be utilized internally.
The scheme has following advantages over competing options:

- Provides an alternative option for crude oil stabilization when gas processing generates significant condensate.
- Simplifies condensate processing & produces stabilized oil in higher volumes similar to the ‘reboiled stripper option’.
- Condensate splitter design permits processing of light condensate cut to be mixed with gases to suction of gas
compressor for gas injection, thus eliminates light condensate drying with mole sieves, mole sieve regeneration and
pumping of light condensate for injection in to wells.
- Reduces fouling and downtime from maintenance due to elimination of Reboiler from Crude Oil Stabilizer.
- Provides easy control of RVP & H2S specifications for export oil and TVP for storage.
- The Scheme is less capital intensive – Lower CAPEX and higher availability than competing options
!

Acknowledgement
Authors thank the management of ADMA-OPCO for providing all support and giving permission for the contents of the paper
to be published
!

Author:
Year 1979 Graduate in Chemical engineering from UICT, Mumbai. Worked with Polyolefin Industries Ltd &
National Organic Chemicals Industries (NOCIL), a Shell Group Company in India, serving in various positions
and as DGM Technical. Associated with various technical studies, debottlenecking projects and Major polymers
& petrochemical expansion projects in India. Involved with commissioning of polymers facilities of Q-Chem
Petrochemicals Qatar. Served as Process Head at Technip-Angola. Has been associated with various studies
for New field development projects at ADMA-OPCO.
!
"#$%&'!()*+,+-! Currently working at ADMA-OPCO, as Lead Process Engineer for SARB Project.
! A Chartered Chemical Engineer and a Fellow of the IChemE, Badrul has over 20 years experience working with
! major oil companies and technical consultancies. Upstream oil and gas production, and downstream refinery
experience working in the UK, Norway, Indonesia and UAE. Design and operating experience with most
upstream processing technology including three phase separation, produced water treatment, gas dehydration,
gas sweetening, water injection, gas compression and production chemistry. Badrul obtained his MEng from
the University of Nottingham, UK in 1991.

Currently the Process Engineering Team Leader in ADMA OPCO (BP Secondee) and is the Technical Authority
! for Process Engineering and Process Safety. Previous work experience with ESSO Petroleum, ConocoPhillips
! and NorskHydro.
.+/*0-!10/+!