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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Introduction
What is Gas Processing Purpose?
To produce a gas stream that meets standard requirements and specifications and to
recover the maximum amount of NGLs

Pipelines Standard Requirements and Specifications (Different by Country):

Gas should be within a specific calorific value range.
Gas should be delivered at a specified hydrocarbon dew point temperature level. This
would prevent liquids to condense and form liquid slugs which could be very damaging to
the pipeline (A slug is a large quantity of gas or liquid in 2-phase flow)
Gas should not contain more than trace amounts of compounds or elements such as
hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, mercaptans, nitrogen, water vapor, and oxygen.
 The water vapor must be removed (i.e., dehydrate the gas) sufficiently to prevent
corrosion and the formation of gas hydrates in the processing plant or the pipelines.
All particulates must be removed.

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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Effect of Gas Type and Location in Processing
The productivity of a gas reservoir can vary greatly and depends primarily on type,
location, and age. Because the location and output of the wells can vary widely, then not
surprisingly, the systems that have been designed to collect and process this output also
vary widely.

The gas composition of the field is the most important issue in choosing a processing
scheme. In other words, depending on the type of reservoir and the composition of the
produced gas, the gas processing plant may contain extensive facilities for the processing
of the associated liquefiable hydrocarbons. For example, associated gas is very rich in
liquefiable hydrocarbons and must undergo NGLs and condensate recovery to meet
hydrocarbon dew point or heating value requirements.

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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Typical Natural Gas Processing Plant
CO2

Sulfur Sulfur Acid

Recovery Unit Gas

Raw Gas Inlet Gas Acid Gas

Phase Separation
Compression Treating

Condensate to
Solids Water LNG
Stabilization Units LNG Plant

Natural Gas Liquids Nitrogen

Dehydration
Recovery Rejection
Water Nitrogen

Helium Outlet Gas Gas to

Recovery Compression Pipeline
Helium
C2
Field Operation Natural Gas Liquids Sweetening C3
Gas Processing Plant Operation Fractionation Units C4s
Not Available in all Gas Processing Plants Dr. Tamer Samir © C5+ 107
Receive from Different Gas Processing Plants

Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Natural Gas Processing Steps (1) More Details about
hydrates in just
Field Operations minutes!
Include removal of solids, water and condensate from the raw gas. Depending on the
pressure of the pre-separated raw gas, compression may be required to deliver the gas to
the gas processing plant. Usually corrosion and hydrate inhibitors are injected after the
compression. The condensate separated before compression is either stored in a tank and
picked up on regular basis or is re-injected in the pipelines after compression to be
separated in the gas processing plant. Types of separators used will be discussed in this
course.
Gas Processing Plant Operations
Acid Gas Treating
Gas plants have a gas treating step to remove the acid gases H2S and CO2, along with other
sulfur impurities. Most plants use water-based absorbents to remove the impurities, but
other solvents and processes are used. Since flaring H2S is a safety and environmental
issue (H2S when burned form the highly toxic SO2 gas), usually H2S is converted to
elemental sulfur in a sulfur recovery unit. More detailed will be provided through this
course.

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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Natural Gas Processing Steps (2)
Gas Processing Plant Operations
Dehydration
Nearly all plants utilize a dehydration step because the gas that leaves the acid gas treating
step is usually water saturated. Even if no water-based acid gas treating is used, most gas
streams contain too much water to meet pipeline specifications (hydrate formation and
corrosion issues) or to enter the cryogenic section in the next gas processing steps. More
details will be provide through this course.
Inlet & Outlet Gas Compression
Many plants have inlet compression, but compression requirements vary depending on
the delivery pressure from the gas wells. High pressure is critical, as it enhances some gas
processing operations. For inlet pressures of around 1,000 psi (70 bar) or higher, only gas
coming from the liquids processing step needs compression.
Most plants must compress the gas before it goes to the pipeline. The majority of plants
that have cryogenic NGLs recovery use turboexpanders to provide refrigeration in the
cryogenic section. Work generated in expansion is used to recompress the outlet gas.
However, additional compression is usually required.

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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Natural Gas Processing Steps (3)
Gas Processing Plant Operations
NGLs Recovery, Fractionation, & Sweetening
Any plant that processes natural gas utilizes a hydrocarbon recovery step. This step usually
involves cryogenic separation to recover the ethane and heavier hydrocarbons. Natural gas
liquids recovery often plays an important role, since they are valuable as liquid products
than as sales gas components, i.e., their recovery will yield a better profit. Again, more
details will be provide through this course.
Nitrogen Rejection
It is a less common process in the gas processing operations. The availability of nitrogen
rejection step depends on the amount of nitrogen and the economics of separation. This
process is typically cryogenic, although membrane and absorbent technology are
becoming an attractive options. If the natural gas is intended to be liquefied in a LNG
plant, nitrogen rejection is done as a final step after the liquefaction. Nitrogen rejection
will not be covered in this course.
Helium Recovery
Helium recovery is uncommon, unless the helium content is above 0.5 vol%. Helium
recovery will not be covered in this course.
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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Natural Gas Hydrates (1)
Gas hydrates are a class of solid, nonstoichiometric compounds called clathrates. They
form when a host material, water for hydrates through hydrogen bonding, forms a
caged structure that contains guest molecules, such as methane. Both host and guest
must be present for the solid to form, but not all of the cages will be occupied.

 Hydrate plugs can occur in pipelines within minutes without

prior warning (not like scale deposits or wax and asphaltenes,
which take months or years to plug pipelines).
Cannot be predicted by pressure drop build up or so as in case
of other deposits

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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Natural Gas Hydrates (2)

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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Natural Gas Hydrates (3)
At a given pressure, pure C1 forms
hydrates at the lowest temperature.
 Adding C2 through C4, H2S, or CO2
raises the formation temperature
significantly.
 Adding N2 will lower the hydrate
formation temperature of the mixture.
Heavier compounds, C5+, are too
large to fit into the cages formed by
natural gas and have an insignificant
effect on the formation temperature
and as a diluent their concentration is
so low to have an effect. A natural gas mixture of about 98.5% C1, 1.3 mol% C2
and 0.2 mol% C3 results in hydrate formation
pressure at a given temperature drops by 30%
compared with pure C1
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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Natural Gas Hydrates Prediction (1)
The easiest way for calculation of the conditions for hydrate formation (although not accurate
for the sour gas) is what is called “The Gas Gravity Correlation”

 
t o F  16.5  6.83/  SpGr  13.8 ln[ P  psia ]
2
 
2
t  o C   6.44  3.79/  SpGr   7.68 ln[ P  bara ]
     

The specific gravity (SpGr) is defined as the ratio of the mass of a given volume of a
gas to that of an equal volume of air; both volumes are measured at 14.7 psia and
60°F (1.01 bar and 15.6°C). For an ideal gas, the specific gravity is molar mass
(molecular weight) of the gas divided by the molar mass of air (28.96).

From Fundementals of NG Processing book, pages 46, include

equations for calc how much glycolor methanol is imjected to
prevent hydrates formation
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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Natural Gas Hydrates Prediction (2)
Example: Estimate the hydrate formation temperature at 325 psia for the gas with the
following composition

Component Volume Fraction

CO2 0.002
N2 0.094
C1 0.784
C2 0.060
C3 0.036
iC4 0.005
nC4 0.019

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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Natural Gas Hydrates Prediction (3)
-For ideal gas, volume fraction = mole fraction
- Mwtmix = ∑yi Mwti = 20.04
- SpGr =Mwt-Gas/Mwt-air = 20.04/28.96 = 0.692
- By substitution in the correlation at P = 325 psia, t(oF)= 49.05 oF
(Experimentally reported value for 0.7-gravity gas is 50 oF)

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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Natural Gas Hydrates Prediction (4)
-The presence of H2S has
significant impact on
the hydrate formation
temperature.
- The presence of CO2
has a minor effect on the
hydrate formation
temperature.
- The hydrate formation
temperature for sour gas
can obtained from Baille
& Wichert Chart on the
right (can be used for
sweet or sour gas
mixtures)

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Dr. Tamer Samir ©

Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Basic Concepts of Natural Gas Processing
Natural Gas Hydrates Prediction (5)
Example: Estimate the hydrate formation temperature at 600 psia for the gas with the
following composition
Component Mol %
CO2 6.66
H2S 4.18
N2 0.3
C1 84.27
C2 3.13
C3 0.67
iC4 0.2
nC4 0.19
C5+ 0.4

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Natural Gas Processing and Liquefaction

Phase Separation
Natural Gas Hydrates Prediction (6)
-Mwtmix = ∑yi Mwti = 19.457
- SpGr=Mwt-Gas/Mwt-air=19.457/28.96 = 0.672

Solution Steps:
-Enter left side of the chart at 600 psia and
proceed to the H2S = 4.18 mol%
-Proceed down vertically to the SpGR = 0.672
-Follow the diagonal guide line to the
temperature at the bottom of the graph (T =
63.5°F).
-Apply the C3 correction using the insert at the
upper left. Enter the left hand side at the %H2S
and proceed to the %C3 line (0.67%). Proceed
down vertically to the system pressure and read
the correction on the left hand scale (–2.7°F)
Note: The C3 temperature correction is
negative when on the left hand side of the
graph and positive on the right hand side.
THydrate = 63.5 - 2.7 = 60.8°F Dr. Tamer Samir © 119