Natural Gas Engineering

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Dehydration of Natural Gas

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O Dr Pankaj Tiwari
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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Water content of untreated natural gases is normally in the magnitude of a
few hundred pounds of water per million standard cubic foot of gas (lbm/MMscf);

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while gas pipelines normally require water content to be in the range of 6-8
lbm/MMscf and even lower for pipelines in deep water

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 All natural gas downstream from the separators still contains water vapor to some degree

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Presence of water in NG
 Solid hydrate

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 Slug flow

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 Erosion
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 Increase the total volume and decrees the heating value
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Selection of dehydration process and design
 Water content: Selection of the type dehydration process and design process
 Presence of acid gases influences the water content measurement IIT Guwahati
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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
The Water Content of Acid Gas and Sour Gas from 100° To 220°F and Pressures to 10,000 Psia : Caroll JJ 2002
Pure Components

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Data from Olds et al. (1942) for the water Water content Carbon Dioxide at 122°F and
Water content Hydrogen Sulfide at 120°F, 167°F (data points: squares – Weibe and Gaddy,
content of Methane (solid lines smoothing
160°F and 220°F points and smoothing circles-Coan and King and traingles – Gilespie et
of Olds et al., broken lines simple model)
from Selleck et al., (1952) al. Curves from AQUAllibrium)

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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Water Content
 Solubility of water in natural gas increases with temperature and decreases with pressure.
McKetta and Wehe (1958)

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Water content readings from the chart by McKetta and Wehe (1958)
(lbm H2O/MMcf @60°F, 14.7 psia)

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Linear interpolation

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Water content of natural gases (Duplicated with data in the chart of

McKetta and Wehe (1958)
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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Water content determination
McKetta and Wehe (1958)
 Salt's presence in the liquid water reduces the water content of the gas.

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 Water content correction for sour natural gas

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 10000 psia
 30 to 350°F
 ϓg = 0.6 to 1.8
 H2S = 55%
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Wichert and Wichert(2003)
 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Water content determination
1. At given pressure and temperature determine the water vapor content of sweet gas from the chart

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 Water content at 14.7 psi and 60F from the chart, assuming 0.6 gravity gas

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The gravity correction factor
𝑙𝑏𝑠. 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝛾𝑔

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𝐶𝐺 =
𝑙𝑏𝑠. 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦, 0.6

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The salinity correction factor
𝑙𝑏𝑠. 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑓 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑕𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑕 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑒

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𝐶𝑠 =
𝑙𝑏𝑠. 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑓 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑕𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑕 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
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The water content for the sweet gas
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𝑊𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡 = 𝑊 × 𝐶𝐺 × 𝐶𝑆

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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Water content determination

2. Mole % of H2S equivalent concentration

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mole% of H2 S equivalent = mole % of H2 S + 0.7 × (mole % of CO2 )

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3. Ratio of water in sour gas to water in sweet gas

 Locate the point that represent the mole of H2S equivalent and the given temperature

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 From this point, move to the upper chart to the given pressure, and move to the left to get the ratio

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4. Determine the saturated water content of the sour gas (Wsour) at the given pressure and temperature
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by multiplying the value of water vapor content of sweet gas and
the ratio of water in sour gas to water in sweet gas

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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Water content determination
 The water content of natural gas can also be calculated by the dew point,

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 dew point is the temperature at which the natural gas is saturated with water vapor at a given pressure.

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 At the dew point, natural gas is in equilibrium with liquid water; any decrease in temperature or increase in

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pressure will cause the water vapor to begin condensing.

 The difference between the dew point temperature of a water-saturated gas stream and the same stream after it has

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been dehydrated is called dew-point depression.

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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Dehydration Systems
Dehydration in the first two methods does not result in sufficiently low water
contents to permit injection into a pipeline. Further dehydration by absorption or
 Dehydration systems

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adsorption is often required.
 direct cooling

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 compression followed by cooling

 absorption

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 adsorption

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Dehydration by cooling

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 The ability of natural gas to contain water vapor decreases as the temperature is lowered at constant pressure.
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 During the cooling process, the excess water in the vapor state becomes liquid and is removed from the system.
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 Cool the gas to a temperature below the dew point

 Cooling is used in conjunction with other dehydration processes.

 Gas compressors can be used as dehydrators.

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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Absorption and Adsorption dehydrate practically all the natural gas moved through transmission lines.

Absorption is a process in which water vapor is removed from natural gas by bubbling the gas counter-currently through

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certain (hygroscopic) liquids that have a special attraction or affinity for water. Water vapor in the gas bubbles is entrained in
the liquid and carried away by the liquid.

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Adsorption is a process in which gas flows through a bed of granular solids that have an affinity for water. The water is

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retained on the surface of the particles of the solid material.

 The vessel that allows either the absorption or adsorption process to take place is called the contactor or sorber.

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 The liquid or solid that has affinity for water and is used in the contactor is called the desiccant.

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 Two major types of dehydration equipment : liquid desiccant dehydrator and the solid desiccant dehydrator.
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Solid adsorbent dehydrators are typically more effective than liquid (glycol) dehydrator

Dehydration by absorption with glycol is usually economically more attractive than dehydration by solid
desiccant when both processes are capable of meeting the required dew point.
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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Dehydration by adsorption
The usable life of a solid desiccant ranges
Flow diagram of a typical desiccant dehydration plant [Guenther 1979] from one to four years.

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Silica- 8% (weight)
Alumina: 6%

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Molecular sieve: 15%

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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Dehydration by Adsorption
• The advantages of solid-desiccant dehydration include:

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• lower dew point, essentially dry gas (water content less than 1.0 Ib/MMcf) can be produced

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• higher contact temperatures can be tolerated, depends on adsorbent choosen
• higher tolerance to sudden load changes, especially on startup
• high adaptability for recovery of certain liquid hydrocarbons in addition to dehydration

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 Issues

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 Solid desiccants become less effective as they age and require replacement
 Dehydrating tower must be regenerated and cooled for operation before another tower approaches exhaustion.
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 Hydrogen sulfide can also damage the desiccant and reduce its capacity.
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 Sudden pressure surges may upset the desiccant bed and channel the gas stream resulting in poor dehydration

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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Dehydration by Absorption Water vapor is removed from the gas by intimate contact with a hygroscopic liquid desiccant
in absorption dehydration. The contact is usually achieved in packed or trayed towers.

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Glycols have been widely used
as effective liquid desiccants

Ethylene glycol (EG)

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Diethylene glycol (DEG)
Triethylene glycol (TEG)

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Tetraethylene glycol (T4EG)
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Flow diagram of a typical glycol dehydrator (Sivalls 1977) 13
 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Dehydration by Absorption
• Normally a single type of pure glycol is used in a dehydrator, but sometimes a glycol blend is economically

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attractive. TEG has gained nearly universal acceptance as the most cost effective of the glycols due to its superior dew point
depression, operating cost, and operation reliability.

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• Dew point depression of 400F to 1400F can be achieved at a gas pressure ranging from 25 psig to 2500 psig and gas

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temperature between 400F and 1600F.

• The dew point depression depends on the equilibrium dew point temperature for a given TEG concentration and

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contact temperature.

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• Very hot gas streams are often cooled prior to dehydration to prevent vaporization of TEG.
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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Dehydration by Absorption
 Glycol dehydrators have several advantages including:
 low initial-equipment cost

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 low-pressure drop across absorption towers

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 makeup requirements may be added readily
 recharging of towers presents no problems

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 the plant may be used satisfactorily in the presence of materials that would cause fouling of some solid adsorbents.

 Glycol dehydrators also present several operating problems including:

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 Suspended matter, such as dirt, scale, and iron oxide, may contaminate glycol solutions.

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 Overheating of solution may produce both low and high boiling decomposition products.
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 When both oxygen and hydrogen sulfide are present, corrosion may become a problem
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 Highly mineralized water with inlet gas may, over long periods, crystallize and fill the reboiler with solid salts.

 To start a plant, all absorber trays must be filled with glycol before good contact of gas and liquid can be expected

Sudden surges should be avoided in starting and shutting down a plant. Otherwise, large carry-over losses of solution may occur.
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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Glycol Dehydrator Design
Dehydrators with TEG in trays or packed-column contactors can be sized from standard models by using

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the following information:
gas flow rate

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specific gravity of gas
operating pressure

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maximum working pressure of contact
gas inlet temperature
outlet gas water content required

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 One of the following two design criteria can be employed:
 Glycol to water ratio (GWR). A value of 2 to 6 gal TEG/lbm H2O removed is adequate for most glycol dehydration
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requirements. Very often 2.5 to 4 gal TEG/lbm H2O is used for field dehydrators.
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 Lean TEG concentration from reconcentrator. Most glycol reconcentrators can output 99.0 to 99.9% lean TEG. A value of
99.5% lean TEG is utilized in most designs.

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 Dehydration of Natural Gas
Glycol Dehydrator Design
Inlet Scrubber Glycol- Gas Contractor Water Rate
height of 7 1/2 ft. height of 7 1/2 ft.

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The minimum required diameter of the contactor can (𝐶𝑤𝑖 −𝐶𝑤𝑜 )𝑞
𝑊𝑟 =

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be determined based on the gas capacity of the 24
contactor for standard gas of 0.7 specific gravity
at standard temperature 1000F.

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𝑞
𝑞𝑠 =
𝐶𝑡 𝐶𝑔

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Required glycol circulation rate

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(𝐺𝑊𝑅)𝐶𝑤𝑖 𝑞
Gas capacity of vertical inlet scrubbers based on 0.7 specific
O 𝑞𝐺 =
gravity at 100°F (Sivalls 1977) 24
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