Condensate Natural Gas Plant with Sulfur Recovery (Process

Description)

1. Sulfur recovery and handling - refers to the conversion of hydrogen

sulfide (H2S) to elemental sulfur. Hydrogen sulfide is a by-product of
processing natural gas and refining high-sulfur crude oils.
2. Liquid processing - consists of separating all of the various hydrocarbons
and fluids from the pure natural gas, to produce what is known as ‘pipeline
quality’ dry natural gas.
3. Acid Gas Removal - the acid gas removal unit (AGRU) is designed to
remove the acidic components to meet sales gas sulfur and CO2
specifications. H2S must be removed to meet the sales gas specification of
4 ppmv, or ¼ grains per 100 scf of gas. In addition, COS, mercaptans, and
other organic sulfur species must beremoved if they exceed the total sulfur
specification. In this process, amine (olamine) solutions are used to remove
the hydrogen sulfide (the olamine process). The sour gas is run through a
tower, which contains the olamine solution. There are two principle
olamine solutions used, MEA and DEA. Either of these compounds, in
liquid form, will absorb sulfur compounds from natural gas as it passes
through. The effluent gas is virtually free of sulfur compounds, and thus
loses its sour gas status.
4. Sulfur Recovery - H2S removed in the AGR process is sent to the sulfur
recovery unit (SRU) as acid gas. SRU recovers H2S as elemental sulfur
through the Claus reaction (see the attached figure). Reactions occur in two
stages: the flame reaction stage and the catalytic reaction stage. The former
consists of a high-performance burner, mixing chamber, and heat removing
boiler, while the latter has two to three reactor stages. The sulfur recovery
rate of the Claus process is about 95 to 97%. The SRU can be coupled with
 a TGT (tail gas treating) unit to achieve 99.9% sulfur removal to meet
today’s emission targets.
5. Gas Dehydration - Treated gas from the AGRU is fed to the gas
dehydration unit to meet the water dew point specification for pipeline
transmission, typically 7 lbs water/MMscf. In colder climates, the water
dew point specification can be as low as 40F to avoid hydrate formation in
the pipeline.
6. Hydrocarbon Dew-Point Controlling - The hydrocarbon dew point
temperature must be reduced to a temperature below the coldest ambient
temperature during transmission. This is to avoid hydrocarbon liquid
condensation in the pipeline, which is a safety hazard. Depending on the
phase envelope of the pipeline gas, the hydrocarbon dew point can actually
increase when the pressure is lowered
7. Condensate Stabilization - The condensate contains dissolved light
hydrocarbons and H2S, which must be removed to meet the export
condensate specifications. A condensate stabilization unit is designed to
produce a condensate with 4 ppm H2S and Reid vapor pressure
specifications, ranging from 8 to 12 psi. The stabilizer overhead vapor is
compressed and recycled to the HP separator. The H2S content in the
condensate from the stabilization unit can typically meet 10 H2S ppmv
specifications. However, it may contain higher levels of organic sulfur
compounds such as carbonyl sulfide (COS) and mercaptans (RSH). If
condensate is exported as a product, the total sulfur content specification
must be met, and a separate unit for removal of the mercaptan content may
be necessary. If the condensate is sent to refineries, the condensate can be
blended with the refinery feedstock and treated in the refinery units.