Hybrid Purification of Natural Gas, LPG

Recovery and Condensate Stabilization

Affiliated with Pakistan Petroleum Limited – PPL

Supervisor : Abdul Waheed Bhutto

Group Leader : Ehtisham Zia (D – 12 – CH - 130)

Group Members : Waqar Ahmed (D – 12 – CH - 112)

Saad Zafar (D – 12 – CH - 118)
Affan – Ur – Rehman (D – 12 – CH - 126)
Syed Naeem Hussain (D – 12 – CH - 132)
M. Bilal Khan (D – 12 – CH - 175)
2 Hybrid Purification of Natural Gas, LPG Recovery and Condensate Stabilization

Block Flow Diagram

Literature
survey.
Project Idea
Development
Current
progress.

Decision.

Planning
Improvise
objectives.
Scheduling.

Feasibility.
Process
Selection Study
Process
reliability.

Plant feed,
conditions &
composition.
Design

Plant Layout.

Project PFD’s.
Process
Simulation
P&ID’s.

Calculations

Health & Safety HAZOP.

Feed and
Product
Summary Sheet
Equipment &
Design
Summary
Report
Development Overview.
and Compilation

Finalizing Case
Review.
Study

Final Report
Correction.
Submission
3 Hybrid Purification of Natural Gas, LPG Recovery and Condensate Stabilization

Summary

The Above Project is related to Oil & Gas Sector. The Main Focus of Project is on Developing a System for
the Processing of Natural Gas that is extracted from the well and then prepared as Sales Gas. Natural gas
to be transported by the pipeline must meet the Specifications. These Specifications can be classified as;

 Flow Rate and Temperature

 Delivery Pressure
 Allowable Water Content
 HCDP (Hydrocarbon Dew Point)
 Heating Values
 Allowable Concentrations of Contaminants (H2S CO2 etc…)

The project can be well understood by splitting it into Sections:

Gas Purification Using Hybrid System

Gas Purification refers to the Processing of gas to remove Acid Gases like H2S and CO2 to produce a
clean environmental friendly fuel meeting the Sale Gas specifications. The Acid gases are undesirable for
different reasons i-e highly corrosive in nature; can damage transportations lines, causes acid rain and
Global Warming, reduced heating values etc. This Purification Process yields a final Product as Sweet
Gas with CO2 Concentration about 0.2 % per 100 MMSCF gas and H2S about 0.25 grains (4.125 ppm) per
100 MMSCF of gas fed.

There are several methods of Sweetening but we have selected two methods.

1) Amine Sweetening
2) Gas Permeations using Membranes

Now the term “HYBRID” means to develop a system that will use both the methods collectively. The
Hybrid Purification System uses a series of Membrane Separation Units along with an Amine Sweetening
Unit.

LPG Recovery

The LPG mainly comprises of C3/C4, Propane and Butane in liquefied form. Although these high
molecular components give high heating value in gas but these gases turns into liquid during
transportation in pipelines which is undesired. The Economical Factor is another reason behind
collecting LPG separately because Recovering LPG and selling it separately is more profitable and
compensate with a good profit earning for the decrease in cost of sales gas cause by the lower heating
value due to its extraction. We will use Cryogenic refrigeration for this by Using J-T valves and Turbo
expanders.
4 Hybrid Purification of Natural Gas, LPG Recovery and Condensate Stabilization

Condensate Stabilizations

The process of increasing the amount of intermediates (C3 to C5) and heavy (C6+) components in the
condensate is called "Condensate Stabilization."

Condensate is lighter than crude oil, but heavier than natural gas liquids. The issue with condensate in
its natural form is that the lighter hydrocarbons can make it dangerous to store and transport.

Stabilization refers to the boiling off of light hydrocarbons from the condensate that would otherwise
increase the vapor pressure when conditions are fluctuating. The boiled-off light fractions can be
reintroduced into the upstream process, further minimizing the waste stream.

Condensate Stabilization is used to meet the required specifications for the safe transportation of
condensate, and can also be used in downstream processes. The presence of lighter hydrocarbons in the
condensate causes it to be more volatile. Condensate stability is specified in True Vapor Pressure or Reid
Vapor Pressure (TVP or RVP).

Environmental Impacts of Hybrid Gas Purification

Acid Gas Constituents

Hydrogen sulfide is both highly toxic and acidic enough to precipitate corrosion. Natural gases
containing hydrogen sulfide are subjected to processing to reduce H2S concentrations. Carbon dioxide,
like hydrogen sulfide, forms acidic solutions in the presence of water and is also referred to as an acid
gas. However, it is not toxic, and processing requirements to reduce CO2 levels are less severe than
those for H2S.

Standard Specifications of Gas Product Gas Specifications

Characteristic Specification Units Characteristic Specification Units

Water content 64 – 112 mg/m3 Water content 6 lb/MMCFD
Hydrogen Sulfide 5.7 mg/m3 Hydrogen Sulfide 2.5 grains/100SCF
Gross heating value 35.4 MJ/m3 Gross Heating value 950 BTU/SCF
○
Hydrocarbon Dew Point 264.9 K Hydrocarbon Dew Point 30 F
Mercaptan content 4.6 mg/m3 Total Sulfur 3.5 Grains/100SCF
Total Sulfur 23 – 114 mg/m3 Carbon Dioxide 2.5 mol%
Carbon Dioxide 1–3 mol%
Oxygen 0 – 0.4 mol%

The product gas specifications are under the standard conditions so the product gas has:

1. Less acid gas emissions

2. High GCV
5 Hybrid Purification of Natural Gas, LPG Recovery and Condensate Stabilization

3. The extent of the corrosion of materials used in transmission systems is acceptable.

Health Safety

PPEs

It is recommended to every personnel that they must ensure the proper use of PPEs. Organizations
should have a strict code of conduct to make sure the safety of personnel.

Chemical Hazards:

Amine and other chemicals are hazardous therefore they should be handled properly in a safe
environment.

Mechanical Hazards:

Pumps, valve, orifice, compressors & all the reciprocating machinery may cause a serious damage to
personnel if malfunctioned.

Fire & Explosion:

LPG, NGL, Natural Gas are flammable so much attention is required toward their safe processing &
transportation.

Energy Conservation Personal Protective Equipments

Environmental

Health Safety

High Product Quality Chemical Hazards

Safety

Less Corrosion Mechanical Hazards

Safe Transportaion Instrumentation & Control
Fire & Explosion

Profit to the National Economy

Natural gas represents a very important, and growing, part of the global energy system. Over the past
half century, natural gas has gained market share on an almost continuous basis, growing from some
15.6% of global energy consumption in 1965 to around 30% today.

Most experts agree that the ability to cost-effectively sweetening of natural gas is a game changer for
the world’s energy future. This resource base represents new opportunities for domestic and global
economic growth, as well as changing fuel choice options in multiple sectors. However, conflicting
studies, unavailable data, an evolving regulatory landscape, and public concern could hamper the
potential for economic benefits and environmental improvements from natural gas.

 Our analysis suggests that the lower concentration of H2S and CO2 in gas boilers could provide a
cost-effective option for compliance with new hazardous air pollutant reductions and create
6 Hybrid Purification of Natural Gas, LPG Recovery and Condensate Stabilization

significant CO2 reduction opportunities at modest cost, with a potential to increase natural gas
demand.
 The supply of gas has limits, but for at least the next few decades, gas can generate far more
electricity than all the renewable energy technologies combined. Therefore, sweetening can led to
more cleaner energy generation as it pollutes more than renewable energy but less than oil or coal.
 Natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) are a principal feedstock in the chemicals industry and a
growing source of hydrogen production for petroleum refining. Our analysis of selected cases
indicates that a robust domestic market for natural gas and NGLs will improve the competitiveness
of manufacturing industries dependent on these inputs and would derive the national economy
towards a better state.
 Natural gas has significant advantages in the Residential and Commercial sectors due in part to its
cleanliness and life cycle energy efficiency.
 The ample domestic supply of natural gas has stimulated interest in its use in transportation. There
are multiple drivers: the oil-natural gas price spread on an energy basis generally favors natural gas,
and today that spread is at historically high levels; an opportunity to lessen oil dependence in favor
of a domestically supplied fuel, including natural gas-derived liquid fuels with modest changes in
vehicle and/or infrastructure requirements and reduced CO2 emissions in direct use of natural gas.

This could reduce the environmental pollution as well as this would shoulder the national economy in
getting away from the fuel and energy crisis as it is a more and reliable source.