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Why Process?
Reboiler
The amine at the bottom of the stripper tower is heated to
105oC –140oC (depending on the type of amine being used).
This causes the acid gas/amine reaction to reverse and the
acid gas vaporizes with steam from the amine solution.
The acid gas/steam vapour re-enters the stripper and contacts
new rich amine on its way out the top. Amine carried with the
acid gas/steam vapour tends to reunite with the rich liquid
amine thereby removing it from the vapour flow.
Condenser
After leaving the top of the stripper tower, the acid gas/steam vapour is cooled
to remove heat and condense out the water from the flow.
The water is separated in a reflux drum and returned to the stripper tower as a
liquid.
The acid gas vapour is sent downstream to a Sulphur Recovery Unit (SRU).
If the plant has a gas sulphur inlet rate of less than 1 tonne/day (this is a very
small pollutant amount), the acid gas may be incinerated.
Burning the H2S creates SO2 which is a monitored.
DEHYDRATION
Purpose of dehydration:
The term dehydration means removal of water vapor.
All natural gas downstream from the separators still contains water vapor to
some degree. Water vapor is probably the most common undesirable impurity
found in untreated natural gas.
The main reason for removing water vapor from natural gas is that water vapor
becomes liquid water under low temperature and/or high-pressure conditions
(causing the formation Hydrates).
Water content can affect
long distance transmission of natural gas due to the following facts:
o Liquid water and natural gas can form hydrates that may plug the pipeline
and other equipment.
o Natural gas containing CO2, H2S is corrosive when liquid water is present.
o Liquid water in a natural gas pipeline potentially causes slugging flow
conditions resulting in lower flow efficiency of the pipeline.
o Water content decreases the heating value of natural gas being transported.
Gas dehydration is a fundamental step in gas treatment and is included in
nearly all gas processing units in order to prevent the formation of hydrates in
high pressure natural gases during gas transmission or during cryogenic gas
processing (such as LPG / NGL recovery or in LNGs). Dehydration is also
applied to prevent corrosion from condensed water in sour gas streams.
Based on most common applications, the typical water dew points are the
following:
For natural gas transportation, depending on geographic areas, in the range 0
°C to -20 °C, but can be lower for long subsea pipelines
For Condensate / LPG recovery in the range -20 °C to -50 °C
For NGL recovery and for LNGs, a residual water content lower than 0.1 ppmv,
corresponding to a water dew point lower than -80 °C, is required.
Methods of Dehydration:
Absorption dehydration.
Adsorption dehydration.
Dehydration by cooling
Absorption Dehydration:
For more stringent dew point values, which is the most common case, dehydration
with glycols (MEG, DEG and mostly TEG) in the range of -10 o C to -40 o C is applied
Water levels in natural gas can be reduced to the 10 ppm.
The procedure of absorption is passing another fluid which has high affinity for
water towards the non dehydrated natural gas so it absorbs water then
regenerated in a separated circuit ,while the natural gas is dehydrated
towards 10 ppm.
Properties of absorbent:
A high affinity for water and a low affinity for hydrocarbons
A low volatility at the absorption temperature to reduce vaporization losses.
A low viscosity for ease of pumping and good contact between the gas and
liquid phases.
A good thermal stability to prevent decomposition during regeneration.
A low potential for corrosion.
1. Regenerative adsorbents
2. Non-regenerative adsorbents
REMOVAL OF MERCURY (contd.)
Non-regenerative metal sulphides can successfully remove mercury from raw gas,
upstream of the amine unit and the dehydration vessels. Utilizing larger MRU
vessels, this approach protects the brazed aluminum heat exchanger and ensures
significantly less mercury contamination in and around the process plant. This
option has become increasingly popular, since
1. It minimizes the total mercury present before there is any opportunity for
mercury to migrate to various locations within a gas processing plant and
2. Avoids the risk of subsequent partitioning into processed natural gas and
condensate streams.
3. It also avoids subsequent adsorption onto any pipeline asset or piece of
equipment downstream.