Properties of Natural Gas

PE 5603: Introduction to Natural Gas

 Value Chain
Value chain is the process of linking specific functions from a raw
or initial state to the final product or service, including delivery
to the customer.
This process enhances the economic value or selling price of the
final product or service.
 Value Chain

A value chain is a set of activities that an individual or

organization operating in a specific industry performs
in order to deliver a valuable product or service to the
market.
The concept comes through business management
and was first described by Michael Porter in his 1985
best-seller,
‘Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining
Superior Performance’.
 Competitive Advantage

A competitive advantage is what makes a marketer’s

goods or services superior to all of a customer's other
choices. The strategies to improve such advantage
work for any individual, organization or country in a
competitive environment.
 Competitive Advantage

Factors to enhance competitive advantage:

i) Benefit
ii) Target market
iii) Competition
Natural Gas Value Chain

1. Exploration
2. Drilling
3. Production
4. Conditioning/processing
5. Transportation
6. Storage
7. Distribution
8. Marketing
Natural Gas Value Chain
Composition of Natural Gas:
Hydrocarbons and Non-hydrocarbons
 Composition of Natural Gas
➢Natural gas is a complex mixture of hydrocarbon
and non-hydrocarbon components and exists as
a gas under atmospheric conditions.
➢Virtually tens of different chemical compounds
may be present in produced gas in varying
amounts.
 Composition of Natural Gas

➢Two wells producing natural gas from different

reservoirs may have gas of different composition
➢Any two wells producing from the same reservoir
may produce gas of different composition
➢A production well in a reservoir may produce gas
of different composition over a period of time
 Classes of Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons

Alkanes Aliphatics Aromatics

Alkenes Alkynes Cyclic Aliphatics

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 Non-hydrocarbons in Natural gas
Some of the non-hydrocarbons present in produced Natural gas are:

➢ Nitrogen ➢ Mercaptans
➢ Sulfur dioxide ➢ Helium
➢ Carbon dioxide ➢ Water vapor
➢ Carbonyl sulfide ➢ Mercury
 Effect of Some Non-Hydrocarbons

1. Nitrogen (N2):
➢It is an inert gas and does not contribute to natural gas in
any way except to reduce its heating value.
 Effects of Some Non-Hydrocarbons

2. Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S):

➢ It is the cause of ‘sourness’ in natural gas and it is one of the
most dangerous of industrial gases. It is combustible and toxic in
nature
➢It has to be removed from natural gas by the process of ‘gas
sweetening’ to less than 0.25 grain/100 SCF
➢It is an acidic gas and in the presence of liquid water it acts as a
corrosion-causing agent. It reacts with water to form sulfuric acid
which corrodes pipeline material of construction
 Effect of Non-Hydrocarbons
3. Carbon dioxide (CO2):
➢Like H2S it is an acidic gas and reacts with water to form carbonic acid
which acts as a corrosion-causing agent
➢It does not support combustion thus it has no contribution to the gas
except reducing its heating value
➢Generally up to 2 % of CO2 is acceptable for transportation of natural
gas through the pipelines
 Effect of Non-Hydrocarbons

4. Carbonyl sulfide (COS):

➢It is generally present in natural gas with large amounts of hydrogen
sulfide and is reported as grain/100 SCF of natural gas.
➢It has the undesirable property of forming non-regenerable
compounds with most commonly used sweetening agent (mono-
ethanolamine or MEA) in the field.
 Effect of Non-Hydrocarbons
5. Water vapor (H2O):
➢Water vapor is generally measured in Natural gas as lbs/million SCF
of gas or as water dew point which changes with pressure and
temperature of the gas.
➢Natural gas and associated condensate are often produced from the
reservoir saturated and in equilibrium with water.
 Effect of Non-Hydrocarbons

Water is removed from natural gas for following reasons:

➢Prevent corrosion of equipment and pipelines

➢Meet specification for equilibrium water content or its dew point
➢Prevent formation of hydrates
➢Prevent condensation of free water during processing and/or
transportation
Properties of Gases
 Properties of Gases
Physical properties of gases are defined as:
1. Intensive:
➢ Properties which are independent of the quantity of
material present e.g. density, specific volume,
compressibility factor etc.
2. Extensive:
➢ Properties such as volume and mass are termed as
extensive; their values are determined by the total
quantity of materials present.
 Properties of Gases
The manner in which hydrocarbons behave when their pressures and
temperatures change is best explained by considering the behavior of the
individual molecules.

1. Pressure: the number of molecules present and their motion

2. Temperature: the kinetic energy of the molecules
3. Molecular attraction and repulsion:
a) Pressure and molecular attraction confine the molecules and bring
them together.
b) Temperature and molecular repulsion separate the molecules apart.
 Fluid Properties

The properties of fluids that we deal with while handling,

transporting and processing natural gas and crude oil are of
prime importance in the design of equipment and facilities to
handle and process these fluids.
These properties are generally categorized as:
 Fluid Properties

1. Chemical Properties: e.g. composition (HC’s and Non-HC’s),

mole fraction or mole percentage
2. Physical Properties: e.g. density, critical properties,
compressibility etc.
3. Kinetic Properties: e.g. viscosity, Reynolds number etc.
4. Thermodynamic Properties: e.g. enthalpy, entropy, thermal
conductivity etc.
 Chemical Properties
Three important chemical properties of compounds found in natural gas
are:
1. Reactivity: With the exception of water, nitrogen, helium and carbon
dioxide, all common compounds in natural gas are combustible, i.e.,
they react with oxygen to generate heat.
Otherwise, hydrocarbons are nonreactive and stable at ambient
temperature.
Ethane and heavier hydrocarbons will thermally crack or
decompose at high temperatures. The heavier the compound, the
easier it is to crack.
 Chemical Properties
2. Solubility: Solubility of a gas in a liquid is a function of temperature,
pressure, and the chemical natures of both. Mutual solubility of two
liquids depends primarily on temperature and the chemical nature of
components.
➢ Liquid hydrocarbons are completely soluble/miscible with other liquid hydrocarbons
➢ Liquid hydrocarbons and water are essentially insoluble in one another
➢ Methanol and ethanol are completely miscible in water and in liquid hydrocarbons
because these compounds contain both hydrocarbon and water like groups
➢ Methanol and ethanol prefer the water phase if both water and liquid hydrocarbons
are present
 Chemical Properties

3. Hydrogen Bonding: These solubility characteristics can be

explained in terms of a property known as hydrogen bonding.
It occurs in compounds containing hydroxyl (OH-) groups or
nitrogen. Hydrocarbons contain only carbon and hydrogen and
cannot have hydrogen bond; thus they are known as “nonpolar.”
Water is a polar compound because in water, the oxygen atom
strongly attracts one electron on each of the hydrogen atoms.
 Physical Properties
Pressure, temperature, and composition of natural gas determine
the following key properties:

➢ Molecular Weight and Mole Fraction

➢ Gas Density
➢ Specific Gravity
➢ Compressibility Factors
➢ Critical Properties
➢ Viscosity

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Physical Properties

➢ Thermal conductivity
➢ Specific heat
➢ Heat of combustion
➢ Enthalpy
➢ Entropy
➢ Surface tension
➢ Equation of State
 Determination of Physical Properties

Physical properties of oil and natural gas can be

determined by:

1. Estimation using available charts, tables or

correlations
2. Calculating from properties of components of the oil
or gas streams.
The nature of the molecules and the forces existing
between them control the properties of the fluid.
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Physical Properties

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Physical Properties
Physical Properties

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Physical Properties

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FIG. 24-2: Influence of Pressure on Enthalpy
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Phases
 What is a Phase?
➢ The term “phase” defines any homogeneous and physically distinct
portion of a system which is separated from other portions of the
system by definite boundary conditions.

➢ For example, ice, liquid water, and water vapor are three distinct
phases.
Phase Diagrams
Phase Diagram of Methane
Phase Envelope of Reservoir Fluid

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Gas Laws
Ideal Equations of State
 Gas Laws
➢Boyle’s Law (Constant Temperature)

➢Charles’ Law (Constant Pressure)

➢Avogadro's Law ( Same P,V and T)

➢ 6.022 x 1023 /gr-mol , 2.73 x 1026 /lb-mol
➢Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures
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 Gas Laws
➢Amagat’s Law of Partial Volumes
Vgas = v1 + v2 + v3 … + vn

➢Roult’s Law
The vapor pressure of an ideal solution
depends on the vapor pressure of each
chemical component and the mole fraction of
that component present in the solution.
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 Roult’s Law

Pi = pvi xi
Where
➢Pi = Partial pressure of component i
➢pvi = Vapor pressure of component i at a given temperature
➢xi = Mole fraction of component i in liquid phase
Natural Gas Behavior
 Equation of State

➢An equation of state is defined as an equation which relates

volume to pressure and temperature of a specified or known
amount of a gas.

➢There are several such equations which have been proposed by

researchers over the years.
 Ideal and Real Gases
All gases, whether in pure state or as mixtures of various
components, are classified as:
a) Ideal
b) Real
 Ideal Gas
A perfect or ideal gas is a theoretical gas composed of many
randomly moving point particles that do not interact except
when they collide elastically.
 Ideal Gas

Assumptions for an ideal gas:

1. The volume occupied by the molecules is negligible compared
to the total volume occupied by the gas.
2. There are no attractive or repulsive forces between the
molecules or between the molecules and the walls of the
container.
3. All collisions of molecules are perfectly elastic, i.e., there is no
loss or gain of internal energy upon collision.

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 Real Gases
No known gas behaves as an ideal gas at all times and under all conditions.
The equation of state for ideal gases describes the behavior of most real
gases at low pressures, generally less than 50 psig.
Also, it gives us a starting point for developing equations of state which
describe more closely the behavior of real gases at elevated pressures and
temperatures.
 Real Gas
A real gas, as opposed to a perfect or ideal gas, exhibits properties that
cannot be explained entirely using the ideal gas laws.
To understand the behavior of real gases, the following must be taken into
account:
1. Compressibility effects
2. Variable specific heat capacity
3. Van der Waals forces
 Equation of State

➢ The equations of Boyle and Charles can be used as the basis to arrive at
an equation of state for an ideal gas.

➢ We must imagine a two-step process in order to combine Charles’

equation and Boyle’s equation to describe the behavior of an ideal gas
when both temperature and pressure change.
 Derivation of Equation of State
Assume 1 mole of a gas:

Also assume the initial condition of that gas as

condition ‘1’, stored in a container at P1, V1 and T1,
and it is to be changed to its final condition ‘2’ at
P2, V2 and T2.
It will be accomplished in two steps:
Step 1: From P1 & V1 to P2 & Vi (const. T1)
Step 2: From Vi & T1 to V2 & T2 (const. P2)
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 Derivation of Equation of State

• Boyles Law , PV = K at constant Temperature (Step 1)

P1V1 = P2Vi at T1
• Charles Law , V/T = K at constant Pressure (Step 2)
Vi /T1= V2 /T2 at P2
Vi = P1V1 /P2 (1)
Vi = V2 T1 /T2 (2)
Or Vi = P1V1 /P2 = V2 T1 /T2
P1V1 /T1 = V2 P2 /T2 = R
PV = RT for 1 mole of gas
Where R is Universal constant 58
Universal Gas Constant ‘R’

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 Ideal Gas Law

PV = nRT
Where:
P = Absolute Pressure [ psia, Kpa]
V = Volume [ ft3, m3]
T = Absolute Temperature [ R, K]
n = Number of moles at P & T
R = Universal Gas Constant
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➢For a pure gas

m wt. of the gas

n= =
M Molecular Wt. of the gas

➢For a gas mixture

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 Molecular Weight

Molecular Weight of Air

Component Mole Fraction, yi MW, Mi Mi yi
Nitrogen 0.79 28 22.1
Oxygen 0.20 32 6.40
Argon 0.01 40 0.40
Total 1.00 28.92

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Non-Ideal Equations of State
 Non-ideal Equation Of State

The ideal equation of state describes most real

gases at low pressures and high temperatures but
does not yield good results at higher pressures.
Many PVT equations have been developed to
describe non-ideal or real gas behavior.

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 Non-Ideal Equation Of State
➢Each is empirical in that it correlates a specific set
of data using one or more empirical constants.
There is no single correlation that holds good for all
gaseous mixtures under all operating conditions.
➢Some of the more common equations of state that
attempt to define the relationship between P, V
and T for the real gases are:
 Non-Ideal Equations Of State
PV = nRT
1. Van der Waals
2. Redlich-Kwong (RK)
3. Peng-Robinson (PR)
4. Benedict-Webb-Rubin (BWR)
PV = ZnRT
m Actual Gas Volume
Where compressibility factor, Z =
M Ideal Gas Volume
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Compressibility Factor, Z
Non-Ideal Equations of State

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 Van der Waals Equation

A modification of the ideal gas

law was proposed by Johannes
Van der Waals in 1873 to take into
account molecular size and
molecular interaction forces.
Van der Waals Constants
Non-Ideal Equations of State

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Non-Ideal Equations of State

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 Non-Ideal Equations of State
A number of modifications to the above equations have been proposed
in an attempt to improve their validity. The above equations are
commonly used in most computer simulation programs.

However, the real accuracy may be no better than some simpler methods
when the designer considers the quality of the compositional data usually
obtained from a drill stem test in the early stages of a project.
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 Principle of Corresponding States

According to van der Waals, the Principle of

Corresponding States indicates that all gases, when
compared at the same reduced temperature and
reduced pressure, have approximately the same
compressibility factor and all deviate from ideal
gas behavior to about the same degree.
 Principle of Corresponding States

This is an empirically based principle that

states that all gases deviate from ideality in
a similar fashion, when compared at the
same reduced temperature T/Tc and reduced
pressure P/Pc
Principle of Corresponding States
Z = f (Pr , Tr)
Pr = P/ Pc = Reduced Pressure
Tr = T/ Tc = Reduced Temperature

For a mixture of gases:

Pr ’ = P/ Pc’ and Tr ’ = T/ Tc ’
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 Compressibility Factor, Z

Compressibility Factor, Z
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Compressibility Factor For Low-molecular Weight Natural Gases (0.55 Sp Gr)

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 Example Problem
Calculate the density of methane gas at 800 psia
and 120oF. Methane behaves non ideally at
those conditions.
PV = ZnRT or ρ = PM/ZRT
- Z= 0.94 (From compressibility chart MW=16)
- R=10.732 psia.ft3 /(lb-mol. oR)
- T=120o F (or 580o R)
- P= 800 Psia
- Or density of Methane, ρ = 2.19 lb/ft3 81
 Reading Assignment

• Chapter 1 (Gas Conditioning and

Processing – John Campbell).

• Chapter 23 and 24 (GPSA Handbook).

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