Petrochemical & Petroleum

Refining Technology
Natural Gas
Introduction
Introduction
 Natural gas is a fossil energy source that formed deep beneath the
earth's surface.
 Natural gas contains many different compounds. The largest
component of natural gas is methane, a compound with one carbon
atom and four hydrogen atoms (CH4) along with other hydrocarbons
such as ethane, propane, butane and inert gases such as carbon dioxide,
nitrogen and helium.
 Natural gas also contains smaller amounts of natural gas liquids (NGL;
which are also hydrocarbon gas liquids), and nonhydrocarbon gases,
such as carbon dioxide and water vapor.
Formation of NG
Types of NG
 Natural gas moved into large cracks and spaces between layers of
overlying rock and this formations is called conventional natural gas.
 In other places, natural gas occurs in the tiny pores (spaces) within
some formations of shale, sandstone, and other types of sedimentary
rock. This natural gas is referred to as shale gas or tight gas, and it is
sometimes called unconventional natural gas.
 Natural gas also occurs with deposits of crude oil, and this natural gas
is called associated natural gas.
 Natural gas deposits are found on land and some are offshore and
deep under the ocean floor. A type of natural gas found in coal deposits
is called coalbed methane.
Types of NG
 NG Reserve
Two terms used to express NG reserves:
Proved Reserve
Potential Resources

Proved Reserves
Potential Resources
- Quantities of gas found by the
- Quantities of NG that are believed
drill
to exist in various rocks of the earth’s
- It can be proved by known reservoir
crust but have not yet been found by
characteristics (production data,
the drill
pressure relationships & other data)
NG Reserve in Malaysia
NG Production & Delivery
NG Consumption
Co-generation System
 Co-generation is a production of
electricity (mechanical power) and
heat (high-temperature heat,
hightemperature liquid and
steam), which is known as
Combined Heat and Power or CHP.
 From theoretical analysis and
tests, it is found that the co-
generation system provide more
efficient than producing electricity
and heat separately
Benefit of co-generation
 Co-generation is a high-efficiency energy system which encourages
utilization of waste heat from electricity production to produce other
types of energy such as steam and coolness. The system is over 80 %
efficient energy utilization compared to conventional centralized power
system which is 40-50 % efficient.
 The system helps reduce oil import through the use of natural gas as
fuel.
 The system helps reduce energy expenses and industries’ production
costs respectively. Obviously, the system can curb the electricity
expense which is the main production cost of industry and improves
competitiveness.
Benefit of co-generation
 The system is beneficial for industries which require both electricity
and useful heat. Waste heat is used to produce other types of energy
such as steam production, drying process and etc.
 The system can reduce investment costs of large-scale power plants
which have low efficiency but which require a large budget due to the
different period of peak loads in a day.
 The system helps decrease environmental impact by using natural gas
in replace of fuel oil to produce steam, dry process and etc.
Malaysia primary energy
consumption (2012)
NG Production
NG Industry
 NG was once a by product of crude oil production.
 In the early years of the NG industry, when gas accompanied crude oil,
in the absence of effective conservation practices, oil well gas was often
flared in huge quantities.
 The liquefy NG is attractive to transport across oceans by tanker, was
first attempted on a small scale in Hungary 1934.
 NG in this way reduced to about 1/600 of its original volume & the
non-methane components are largely eliminated.
 At the receiving terminals, the LNG is reconverted to a gaseous state
by passage through a re-gasifying plant
NG Composition

Hydrocarbons Non-hydrocarbons

C1-C7
Diluents Contaminants

H 2S
•N2
Sulfur compounds
•CO2
•H2O
NG Composition
NG Application
NG Application
NG Application
There are two basic uses of natural gas.
 Fuel. directly use natural gas as fuel for power generation and in
factories e.g. ceramic, sanitary ware as well as in the cogeneration
system. And it can be used as fuel for Cogeneration system and for
vehicles as known as Natural Gas for Vehicles (NGV).
 Produce various products through gas separation process. As natural
gas is made up from many beneficial compositions, at the gas
separation plants, those compositions can be extracted for a number of
products as follows:
NG Application
 Methane (C1) is used as fuel for power generation known as Sales
Gas. If compressed in high-pressure cylinder, the product derived is
called compressed natural gas or as known as natural gas for vehicles or
NGV used as fuel for cars.
 Ethane (C2) is used as feedstock for upstream petrochemical industry
which will be used to produce plastic pellets and fibers for other
synthetic products.
 Propane (C3) and Butane (C4) are used as feedstock for upstream
petrochemical industry as well. The compressed mixture of propane
and butane at different proportions stored in a cylinder is called
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or cooking gas. It is used as fuel for
household, vehicles, metal welding, as well as in some industries.
NG Processing Plant
 Natural gas is a mixture of various hydrocarbon gas known in scientific
names i.e. methane, ethane, propane, and butane.
 Over 70% of natural gas is formed by methane, the major component.
To maximize its use, natural gas must be extracted.
 In addition to hydrocarbon, other components, for instance, carbon
dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen and water can also be found.
 The composites can be separated from the gas through the natural
gas processing at the gas separation plants.
 Each of them has a wide variety of uses.
NG Processing Plant
NG Processing Plant
NG in Transportation Fuel
 Natural gas as a Transportation Fuel:
1. Natural gas burns cleanly
2. Emits little carbon monoxide or reactive gases that pollute the air
Advantages
 Natural gas is a fossil fuel with high efficiency and cleaning burning.
 Natural gas reduces greenhouse effect which is a main cause of global
warming.
 Natural gas has high safety as it is lighter than air and disperses
upward when leaked.
 Natural gas is cheaper than other types of fuel e.g. fuel oil and LPG.
 Natural gas can add value and drive economy.
 As most of the gas is procured domestically, it thus helps reduce
energy import and save foreign currency.
Advantages
 It can be used directly as it is taken from the ground, while other fuels
must be refined.
 It has an octane rating of about 130 as compared to 90 for gasoline .
 Costs less on a per-gallon equivalent basis than gasoline or diesel.
 Natural gas leads to reduced engine maintenance and to longer
engine life.
 Natural gas vehicles burn 80 percent cleaner than conventional
vehicles.
Emission from power plant
compare to NG
Disadvantages
 Natural gas occupies about four times the space of an energy
equivalent of gasoline resulting in added weight and space of fuel
storage tanks.
 New fuel tanks and some fuel system modifications are required on
retrofits.
 Limited availability of refueling stations.
 Natural gas vehicles experience a shorter driving range between fill-
ups.
Future of NG
 NG is the fuel that is superior to other energy sources not only in
economic attractiveness but also in environmental concerns.
 The U.S demand for NG can also be seen from the increase in gas
prices in the last three decades.
 It is clear that NG is now becoming the premier fuel of choice for the
world economy.
Future of NG OIL

NG
Petrochemical & Petroleum
Refining Technology
Natural Gas
(Properties)
NG Properties
 Main component is methane CH4
 Lighter than air (specific gravity 0.55 to 0.65). If leaks, it disperses
upward and dissipates into the air quickly.
 Tasteless and odorless. For security during transportation or
processing, a commercial odorant is added to allow users to detect the
gas for safety.
 NOT toxic/poisonous.
 Simple asphyxiant gas (ie. displaces oxygen from the air)
 Flammable in concentration of 5% to 15% by volume of air. The self-
ignition temperature of natural gas is 537-540°C.
 Not a liquid when compressed (it just becomes very dense).
 Boiling point -162°C. Above this temperature it is gaseous
Physical Properties
Types of NG
Non-associated gas:
 Richer in methane, leaner in terms of the higher molecular weight
HCs and condensate.

Associated gas:
 Exists in contact with the crude

Dissolved natural gas:

 A solution with the crude
Types of NG
Types of NG
Non-associated Associated

Can be produced at high Must be separated from

pressure crude oil at lower
separator pressure

Most preferred CH4 generally

flared
Different form of NG
 Pipe Natural Gas or natural gas that transport via pipeline, it is known
in commercial term as Sale Gas. Sale Gas is mainly composed of
methane. It is transmitted to customers to be used as fuel at the power
generation and industrial plants.
 Natural Gas for Vehicles (NGV) is the form of natural gas used as fuel
for vehicles. NGV is primarily composed of methane and transported
through the pipeline to the gas stations. At the gas stations, low
pressure gas will be compressed and stored at high pressure of 3000-
3600 pound per square inch (psi) and can be then filled up the gas
tanks.
Different form of NG
 Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) conventionally, the gas is transmitted
through the pipeline from production fields to users. If the distance is
over 2,000 kilometers, it requires a considerable amount of money to
lay a pipeline. Therefore, LNG solves thus limitation. The gas is liquefied
by lower temperature to minus 160 degrees Celsius and becomes 600
times smaller in volume, then stored at atmospheric pressure in
designed vessels and transport to users. The cost of waterway transport
is less than transportation through pipeline.
NG Properties
Gas Gravity
Density - Specific gravity of natural gas
- Ratio of apparent molecular weight
Calculated from of a NG to that of air (28.97)
gas gravity and
pseudocritical
properties

Viscosity
Calculated from gas gravity and
pseudocritical properties
Pseudocritical properties
Energy Content
 Quantities of natural gas are measured in normal cubic meters or in
standard cubic feet.
 The gross heat of combustion of one normal cubic meter of
commercial quality natural gas is around 39 megajoules (≈10.8 kilowatt-
hours), but this can vary by several percent.
 1 standard cubic foot of natural gas produces around 1,000 British
Thermal Units (BTUs).
Impurities in NG (Gas Hydrate)
 Compounds of frozen water that
contain gas molecules.
 The ice molecules are Clathrates
and contain not only methane but
also ethane, hydrogen sulfide, and
carbon dioxide.
 Gas hydrates occur in very
specific pressure-temperature
conditions (as high as 29.4°C and
higher)
Formation of gas hydrate
Gas Hydrate
 Solids resembling ice.
 They occur in shallow arctic
sediments and deep oceanic
deposits.
 Reduce pipeline efficiency
 Preventions:
Gas hydrates
1. lower freezing point
2. Methanol
3. glycols
Thank You