Hydrates

Hydrate problems in production. Natural-gas hydrates are ice-like solids that form
when free water and natural gas combine at high pressure and low temperature. This
can occur in gas and gas/condensate wells, as well as in oil wells. Hydrates are formed
at temperatures well above the freezing point of water.

Chloride
The chloride ions in natural gas and condensate are a function of water content and
their concentration mainly depends on the separation efficiency. Variability in natural gas
and condensate compositions seasonally is not an uncommon occurrence.

Mercaptan
In its native state, natural gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless. Mercaptan, the
harmless chemical that is added to natural gas, contains sulfur, which makes it smell.
Many people describe the odor of mercaptan as similar to rotten eggs.

DRIP SYSTEM
For low-pressure gathering systems with small amounts of liquid present, the processor
commonly uses a drip system. This system involves burying a vessel, frequently a
larger-diameter pipe, below low points in the gathering line. Liquids drain from the
gathering line into the vessel. The vessel is emptied periodically and the liquid is trucked
to the gas plant for processing

HYDROCARBON RECOVERY
This step usually involves cryogenic separation to recover the ethane and heavier
hydrocarbons.
(Ethane and heavier hydrocarbons are recovered by cryogenic separations.)
(Concept: LTCS Separators are used to reduce heavier hydrocarbons and lowering the
heating values in case of fuel gas treatment at the start of the plant.)
Condensate Stabilization
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.
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.
Full Article

Condensate Stabilizer Units Explained

http://www.operoenergy.com/condensate-stabilizer-units-explained/
Condensate stabilization units are an important tool in making condensate from natural
gas streams easier to manage. Designs vary, but the goals of implementing a
stabilization unit are usually the same: increase recovery of hydrocarbons, remove
corrosive components, and create transport-ready product. Carbon dioxide and
hydrogen sulfide corrode transport infrastructure, and lighter hydrocarbons like methane
in the condensate are more dangerous to handle. Removing these while optimizing
recovery of constituents like methane and propane means safer product and more
profitable operations.
Raw natural gas liquids (NGLs) are introduced into the stabilization unit at a high
pressure through a shutdown valve and preheated to a specific temperature.
Afterwards, the pressure of the liquid feed is dropped via a control valve, creating both a
liquid and gas phase. At this point water can be flashed out and removed from the
stream, while any light gasses that escape can be flashed off or recovered. The
remaining hydrocarbon liquids are then heated through a bottom exchanger before
entering into a contactor or stabilizer tower. Tower designs can vary from tray to packed
column, but the idea is generally the same: a reboiler heats the hydrocarbon liquid,
causing two separate phases again. Lighter hydrocarbons with lower boiling points rise
up the tower as a gas, while the heavier hydrocarbons contact the trays or packing in
the column, collect, and stream down to the bottom of the tower as a liquid. Using either
flash drum liquids or another technique, the NGLs are cooled and routed to a pipeline or
storage facility. The vapor that rose through the tower may be flashed off in a
downstream flare (if permitted by regulations) or routed to an NGL recovery skid
designed to compress and store the lighter hydrocarbons for later processing or use.
Modern designs of condensate stabilizer units have several advantages. They are
increasingly designed to be of a pretested, skid-mounted, modular design for rapid
installation and start-up. These modular units can be ordered based on specific needs,
from low BPD well-site recovery to high BPD midstream NGL processing. Hot or heat
medium oil systems help reduce emissions, while compression cycles can be optimized
with digital control systems. Additional equipment can be added or modified for special-
case scenarios as well.