GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE
This manual is one of a series for your
use in learning more about equipment that
you work with in the petroleum industry. Its
purpose is to assist in developing your knowl-
edge and skills to the point that you can per-
form your work in a more professional man-
ner.
The manual was prepared so that you
can learn its contents on your own time, with-
out the assistance of an instructor or class-
room discussion. Educators refer to learning
by self-study as Programmed Learning. It
is a method widely used in all industries as a
means of training employees to do their job
properly and teach them how to perform
higher rated jobs.
You can demonstrate your desire to be a
professional by taking a positive attitude to-
ward learning the contents of this manual and
others that are applicable to your job.
The author of this manual has years of
experience in operating petroleum equipment.
He also has the technical knowledge of how
and why petroleum equipment functions. The
text was written for use by personnel with little
or no previous experience with petroleum
equipment. Consequently, some of the mate-
rial may be familiar to you if you have experi-
ence with oilfield equipment. From such ex-
perience, you have observed the effect of
making operating changes. The manual will
help explain why the changes occurred that
you observed. It will also teach you how and
why equipment functions.
© 2003 Petroleum Learning Programs Ltd. No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form. Its use as a
reference in training courses is specifically reserved for Petroleum Learning Programs Ltd. All translation rights are
likewise reserved.
GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
In order for you to learn the contents of
the manual, you must dig out the pertinent
facts and relate them to the subject. Simply
reading the material and answering the ques-
tions is not enough. The more effort you make
to learn the material, the more you will learn
from the manual.
Teaching yourself requires self-disci-
pline and hard work. In order to prepare your-
self for the sacrifice you will have to make,
you should set goals for yourself. Your ultimate
goal is to perform your work in a more profes-
sional manner. Training is one step in reach-
ing that goal. Application of what you learn is
another. Seeking answers to questions is a
third.
Once you have established your final
goal, you must determine the means for
reaching that goal. You may decide, for ex-
ample, that you must complete a series of 10
to 15 manuals to get the basic knowledge and
skills you need. After you decide which train-
ing material is required, you should set a time
table for completing each section of the ma-
terial.
Achieving your final goal may take more
than a year, and will require hours of hard work
on your part. You will know you have achieved
your goal when you understand how and why
to operate oilfield equipment in order to ob-
tain the maximum product at the lowest cost.
Your sacrifice will have been worth-while from
the satisfaction of knowing that you can per-
form your job in a methodical professional
manner, instead of a trial-and-error approach.
 INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THIS MANUAL
This your manual. You should write your
name on the cover. Upon completion you will
find it helpful to keep it in an accessible place
for future reference.
Problems are included throughout the text.
The solutions to the problems are given at the
end of the book.
The manual is used in training programs
all over the world. In some countries, English
units of measurement such as feet, gallons,
pounds, etc, are used. In other countries,
Systems Internationale (SI) or Metric units,
such as meters, liters, kilograms, etc., are
used. In order for the manual to be of maxi-
mum use, both SI and English units are shown.
The SI unit always appears first, and the
English unit follows in brackets [ ]. Example:
the temperature is 25°C [77°F]. The English
equivalent of the SI unit will be rounded off to
the nearest whole number to simplify the text
and examples. A distance of 10 m may be
shown as 33 ft whereas the exact equivalent
is 32.81 ft.
If you are working in English units, you
may find it helpful to mark out the parts that
are in SI units and vice versa.
Some of the Figures have units of meas-
urement. In such cases, two figures are in-
cluded. The first one is in SI units, and the
second-figure will be on the next page and will
have English units. Each figure is identified
with SI or English units. Be sure you use the
figures in the units you are working in.
The following procedure is recommended
for using this manual:
1. Turn to Page 1. Read the material until
you come to the first problem or ques-
tion.
2. Work the first problem or answer the
question and enter the answer in the
proper space in ink. If the problem or
question is shown in both SI and En-
glish Units of measurement, answer
only the part in units of measurement
that you use.
3. Compare your answer with that shown
at the end of the book; be sure to use
solutions to the problems in the units
you are working in.
If your answer is correct, continue read-
ing until you come to the next problem
and work it. If not, restudy the manual
until you understand the reason for
your error. Rework the problem if
necesary. Leave your wrong answer
and note the correct one. This will keep
you from making the same mistake
later on.
4. Proceed stepwise as shown above
until you have completed the text.
The above approach will require thought,
making mistakes, and rethinking the situ-
ation. Concenrate on two things — the how
and why. Do not cheat yourself by taking
short-cuts or looking up the answers in ad-
vance. It saves time and errors but produces
no real understanding. Your future depends
on how efficiently you perform your job and
not on how rapidly you proceed through this
manual. Since this is your manual, any errors
you make are private.
A validation or test covering the entire
manual is included at the back of the book.
Answers will be sent to your supervisor or
training director at their request at no cost.
GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 ABBREVIATIONS USED UNITS OF MEASUREMENT
IN THIS MANUAL
SI UNITS OF MEASUREMENT
SI UNIT ABBREVIATIONS
Most of the SI units of measurement used in the
oilfield are traditional metric units. The exceptions we
s, min second, minute, time
are concerned with are pressure and heat units. The
h, d hours, day time
SI pressure unit is kilopascal; the heat units are joule
mm millimeter length and watt. A watt equals 1 joule per second. Coversions
cm centimeter length from traditional metric units to SI units are as follows:
m meter length
m2 square meter area METRIC SI
CONVERSION
m3 cubic meter volume UNIT UNIT
m3/d cubic meters per day volume rate Pressure bar kilopascal, kPa kPa = bar x 100
l liter volume joule, J or J = cal x 4.2
Heat calorie
g, kg gram, kilogram weight watt, W W = J ÷ time, sec.
Pa, kPa pascal, kilopascal pressure
kPa(a) kilopascal absolute pressure
MPa megapascal pressure
bar bar (1 bar = 100 kPa) pressure
STANDARD CONDITIONS
J, kJ joule, kilojoule heat, work FOR GAS
MJ megajoule (J x 106) heat, work
W,kW watt, kilowatt power Measurement units for gas volume are cubic meters
per day (m3) or thousands of cubic feet per day (Mcf/
ENGLISH UNIT ABBREVIATIONS d). The letters st or s are sometimes used with the
units to designate volume at standard temperature
s, min second, minute time and pressure: m3d (st) or Mscf/d. In this manual,
h, d hour, day time standard volumes are corrected to a temperature of
in, ft inch, foot length 15°C and a pressure of 101.325 kPa(a), or 60°F and
sq in square inch area 14.7 psia.
sq ft square foot area
cu ft cubic foot volume To simplify the text, the letters st and s are omitted.
gal gallon volume However, all gas volumes shown are at standard
bbl barrel (42 US gal) volume conditions unless specifically stated otherwise.
BPD barrels per day volume rate
lb pound weight
psi lbs per square inch pressure
psia lbs per sq in absolute pressure HEAT CAPACITY AND
Btu British thermal unit heat RELATIVE DENSITY
MBtu thousand Btu heat
MMBtu million Btu heat
Specific heat and specific gravity are traditional
W, kW watt, kilowatt electric power terms that have been used in both Metric and English
hp horsepower mechanical power units for many years. These names are being re-
cf/d cubic feet per day gas flow rate placed with the terms: heat capacity and relative
Mcf/d thousand cf/d gas flow rate density. The new names are used in this manual.
MMcf/d million cf/d gas flow rate When you see the term heat capacity (Ht Cap), it will
M thousand have the same meaning as specific heat, and relative
MM million density (Rel Dens) means specific gravity.

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................1

I. FLOW DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................2

II. APPLICATION OF GLYCOL DEHYDRATION ....................................................5

III. PROPERTIES OF NATURAL GAS .....................................................................6

A. Water Vapor Content of Gas .........................................................................6
B. Dew Point ....................................................................................................10
C. Hydrate ........................................................................................................11

IV. CONTROL OF DEHYDRATION PLANT ...........................................................13

A. Glycol Flow Rate to Contactor.....................................................................14
B. Glycol Concentration ...................................................................................18
C. Still Top Temperature Control ......................................................................20
D. Other Control Points ....................................................................................20

V. OPERATION .....................................................................................................23
A. Start-Up .......................................................................................................23
B. Routine Operation .......................................................................................23
C. Shut Down ...................................................................................................24

VI. TROUBLESHOOTING ......................................................................................26

A. Foaming ......................................................................................................26
B. Burping ........................................................................................................27
C. Corrosion .....................................................................................................27
D. High Moisture Content of Outlet Gas ..........................................................27

VALIDATION - SI UNITS ................................................................................................31

SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS - SI UNITS ........................................................................32

VALIDATION - ENGLISH UNITS ....................................................................................33

SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS - ENGLISH UNITS ...........................................................34

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 LIST OF DRAWINGS, GRAPHS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS

Glycol Dehydration Plant ........................................................................................1, 5, 19

Flow Sheet of Pipeline Dehydration Plant ........................................................................3
Water Vapor Content of Gas - SI Units .............................................................................7
Water Vapor Content of Gas - English Units ....................................................................8
Dew Point of Pipeline Quality Gas at Various Pressures ...............................................10
Hydrate Formation Conditions .......................................................................................12
Glycol Circulation Rate for Different Number of Contactor Trays
and Various Inlet Gas Temperatures .........................................................................13
Treated Gas Dew Point at Various Temperatures
and Glycol Concentrations - Si Units ........................................................................16
Treated Gas Dew Point at Various Temperatures
and Glycol Concentrations - English Units ...............................................................17
Effect of Stripping Gas on Glycol Concentration ............................................................19
Start-up Procedure .........................................................................................................22
Shut Down Procedure ....................................................................................................24
Operating Problems .......................................................................................................28

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 INTRODUCTION 1

Dehydration is the word used to de- common glycol used. Diethylene glycol
scribe a process for removing moisture (DEG) is used in some older plants but is
from gas or liquid. This manual describes less efficient than TEG for dehydration.
the most common process for dehydrating A glycol dehydration unit consists of
natural gas from wells or refinery gas. equipment discussed in other manuals —
Water vapor occurs in gas in the form contactors, heat exchangers, pumps, strip-
of vapor or steam, just as air has humidity. pers (reconcentrators) and filters. Refer to
Most gas produced from gas or oil wells is these manuals for equipment details. This
saturated with water vapor: its relative hu- manual is more concerned about the en-
midity is 100%. If the gas is cooled, some tire system and how it operates.
water will condense. This can cause cor- Water vapor is removed from gas by a
rosion in a pipeline, and result in flame-out process called absorption. The Glycol ab-
in a burner. sorbs the water vapor from the gas. This is
The water vapor specification for com- only one example of many absorption pro-
3
mercial gas is 112 mg per m [7 lb per mil- cesses. An open container of liquid in your
lion cubic feet]. This is about 10% of the refrigerator will absorb odors by this ab-
water vapor in most natural gas. In other sorption process.
words, the dehydra-
tion plant must re-
move about 90% of
the water vapor from
STRIPPER
the gas.
The water vapor
content of gas is of-
ten expressed as its DRY
OUTLET
dew point. The dew GAS
point is a tempera-
ture at which water WET GAS
INLET
will condense from
gas as it is cooled. FILTER
G ly c o l i s t h e LIQUID
INLET GAS
TO
name of the liquid SCRUBBER
DISPOSAL
FLASH
used to remove the TANK
wa t e r va p o r. LIQUID
HYDROCARBON
Triethylene glycol
(TEG) is the most GLYCOL DEHYDRATION PLANT

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
2 I. FLOW DESCRIPTION
A simplified flow sheet of a typical
glycol dehydration plant is shown in be-
low. Flow is as follows:
The wet inlet gas stream flows into
the bottom of the Contactor and passes
up the vessel. As it flows up the tower, it
contacts the downflowing glycol solution
on each tray. Some water vapor is ab-
sorbed by the glycol on each tray. Gas
leaving the top tray has most of the wa-
ter vapor removed. It flows to a pipeline
or other destination.
Glycol which accumulates in the
bottom of the Contactor contains the
water vapor it absorbed from the gas. It
is called rich glycol. It flows to a Strip-
per or still, where the solution is heated
by the Reboiler and the water vapor that
DRY OUTLET GAS
WET
INLET
GAS RICH GLYCOL
LEAN GLYCOL
CONTACTOR
SIMPLIFIED FLOW SHEET OF GLYCOL DEHYDRATION PLANT
GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
was absorbed in the Contactor is boiled
out and flows out the top. The solution
leaving the Stripper is called lean glycol.
It collects in the Surge Tank and is
pumped back to the Contactor.
An actual glycol plant contains con-
siderably more equipment than that
shown in the simple diagram below. The
flow sheet on the opposite page shows
equipment in a typical glycol dehydration
plant. The flow description is as follows:
Wet gas enters the Inlet Scrubber,
where water and liquid hydrocarbon fall
to the bottom and are withdrawn with a
level controller. Gas flows out the top and
enters the bottom of the Contactor. It
flows up the tower, bubbling through
downflowing glycol on each tray as it
WATER
VAPOR
STRIPPER
REBOILER
SURGE
TANK
PUMP
 GLYCOL DEHYDRATION PLANT 3

passes up. Most of the water vapor in the
gas is absorbed in the glycol, so gas leav-
ing the Contactor is relatively dry. It flows
through a heat exchanger to cool the lean
glycol stream and leaves the plant.
Lean glycol enters the top tray of the
Contactor, and flows across the tray and
falls to the tray below. It continues flow-
ing across and downward until it reaches
the bottom of the tower where it is with-
drawn with a level control system and
flows to a Reflux Coil in the top of the
Stripper and then enters the Flash Tank
to remove gas and liquid hydrocarbon
that may be contained in it. The Flash
Tank usually operates at a pressure
slightly above that of the fuel system, so
that the gas can be used for fuel in the
operating facility. The Flash Tank usually
has two level control systems: one to re-
move liquid hydrocarbon, and the other
to control flow rate of glycol leaving the
vessel. Hydrocarbons flow to a drain or
other disposal.

DRY
OUTLET
GAS

RICH GLYCOL
GLYCOL-GAS STEAM
EXCHANGER
FUEL
GAS LC
REFLUX COIL
LC
FLOW LEAN-RICH STRIPPER
IND. FLASH GLYCOL TEMP.
TANK EXCHANGER CONTR.

H/C

LC
ELEMENT CHARCOAL REBOILER
FILTER FILTER

WET
INLET CONTACTOR
GAS SURGE FUEL
LEAN GLYCOL TANK GAS
LC
GLYCOL
INLET PUMP
SCRUBBER

TO
LIQUID
DISPOSAL

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
4 FLOW AND EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION

Glycol from the Flash Tank flows
through Filters to remove impurities from
the stream. It then enters the Lean Gly-
col-to-Rich Glycol Exchanger, where
the rich stream is heated by the hot lean
stream leaving the Stripper Reboiler. The
rich stream enters the Stripper, where
the moisture it absorbed in the Contactor
is boiled from it, and flows out the top.
The glycol flows down the Stripper and
enters the Reboiler, which is often a gas
fired heater. Lean glycol from the Reboiler
flows through the Lean-to-Rich Glycol
Exchanger, where the hot lean solution
is partially cooled by the rich solution, and
enters the Surge Tank. Solution out of
the Surge Tank enters the Pump, which
raises its pressure slightly above that of
the Contactor. The lean solution passes
through a flow indicator, and flows through
the Glycol-to-Gas Exchanger, where it is
cooled with outlet gas, and enters the top
tray of the Contactor.
The above flow is for units that remove
about 90% of the water vapor from the gas
so that it will meet pipeline specification.
Some plants remove up to 99.5% of
the water vapor from inlet gas. They require
a higher glycol concentration, which is ob-
tained with stripping gas. Flow for these
units is almost identical to that previously
described. The principal difference is that
stripping gas is introduced in the Reboiler.
Flow in the high TEG concentration plants
are covered in Manual P-4, Stripper in De-
hydration Plant.

Problem 1
List the order of equipment that rich glycol flows through.
_________ a. Contactor
_________ b. Stripper
_________ c. Flash Tank
_________ d. Filter
_________ e. Reboiler
_________ f. Reflux Coil
_________ g. Rich Glycol to Lean Glycol Exchanger

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 III. APPLICATION OF GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
The most common use of glycol plants
is to remove water vapor from gas that
flows into pipelines for consumption in
homes and industries. Most natural gas
produced from a well is saturated with
water vapor. That is, if the gas stream is
cooled, water will condense. Water vapor
must be removed from the gas before it
enters a pipeline for three reasons:
1. It will cause corrosion in the line.
2. It can cause hydrate to form that will
restrict or block the flow of gas in the
line.
3. It can cause flame out and possible ex-
plosion in gas burners.
The amount of water vapor that must
be removed from the gas depends prima-
GAS-LIQUID SEPARATION
AND GAS DEHYDRATION
WITH GLYCOL
SEPARATION AND GAS DEHYDRATION
5
rily on the lowest temperature to which the
gas will be exposed in the pipeline or a pro-
cessing plant. In the United States, the
water vapor content of most pipeline gas
is reduced so that no condensation will
occur if the gas cools to -1°C [30°F]. In
colder climates, the water vapor content
must be lowered so that no condensation
will occur at lower temperatures.
Some refrigerated type gasoline plants
require that the water vapor content be re-
duced enough to allow the gas to be refrig-
erated to -40°C [-40°F] without ice formation.
Other applications for glycol dehydra-
tion plants are:
1. To remove moisture from compressed
air which is used for operating power
GAS FLOW
MEASUREMENT
GLYCOL REGENERATION
GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
6 PROPERTIES OF NATURAL GAS

tools or spray painting booths in large
industrial plants.
2. Remove moisture from gas prior to its
liquefication in LNG plant.
3. Remove water vapor from refinery
gases or gases fed to petrochemical
plants.
III. PROPERTIES OF
NATURAL GAS
A. Water Vapor Content of Gas
Gas contains water vapor just as air
has humidity. Water vapor content of gas
is expressed as mg water vapor per m3 of
gas or kg/million m3 [lb/MMcf].
Almost all gas and oil reservoirs are
underlaid with water. Thus, gas produced
will be saturated with water vapor. In other
words, its relative humidity is 100%. If the
produced gas is cooled, some water will
condense.
The water vapor content will depend
upon the temperature and pressure of the
gas; as the pressure goes up, the water
vapor content goes down; but as the tem-
perature goes up, the water vapor content
also goes up.
The graphs on the following pages in-
dicate the maximum water vapor content
of gas at various temperatures and pres-
sure. They are used to determine water
vapor content of gas from gas or oil wells.

Examples
SI UNITS ENGLISH UNITS
1. Gas Temperature 45°C 110°F
Gas Pressure 7 500 kPa 1 000 psi
Water Vapor Content of Gas 1 220 mg/m3 77 lb/MMcf

2. Gas Temperature 34°C 90°F

Gas Pressure 7 500 kPa 1 000 psi
Water Vapor Content of Gas 725 gm/m3 45 lb/MMcf

Note that cooling the gas 11°C [20°F] reduces the water vapor content from 1 220 to
725 mg/m3 [from 77 to 45 lb/MMcf] which is a 40% reduction. Thus, the temperature of gas
entering a dehydration plant should be as low as possible in order to lower the amount of
water vapor the dehydrator must remove. The minimum temperature to which gas should
be cooled is above that at which hydrate will form.

Problem 2
a. What is the water vapor content of gas at 38°C and 5500 kPa [100°F and 800 psi]?
____________

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 WATER VAPOR CONTENT OF GAS — SI UNITS 7
6000 6000
5000 5000

4000 4000

3000 3000

0
2000 2000

20

0
40

0
75
0

00
1500

10
1500

15
0

00
WATER VAPOR CONTENT, mg/m3 or kg/million m3

30

30

0
50

0
00

12 00
50
1000 1000

0
10

80
00
00
20
800

00
800

00
40

0
700 700

00
60
)

0
a(g

00
10
600 600
kP

14
500
E,

500
UR
SS

400 400
RE
SP

300 300
GA

200 200

150 150

100 100

80 80
70 70
60 60
50 50

40 40

30 30

20 20

15 15

10 10
-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 40 60 80 100
GAS TEMPERATURE °C
Figure 1A
WATER VAPOR CONTENT OF GAS - SI UNITS

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
8 WATER VAPOR CONTENT OF GAS — ENGLISH UNITS
500 500

400 400

300 300

200 200

25
150 150

10

0
10

0
20
50
WATER VAPOR CONTENT, lbs per million cubic feet

100 100

0
40
0

0
15

60
80 80

00
g
psi

10
0
70 70

30

00
E,

0
50
UR

20
60 60

0
80
SS

00
50 50
RE

15
SP

40 40
GA

30 30

20 20

15 15

10 10

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1.5 1.5

1 1
-40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 180
GAS TEMPERATURE, °F
Figure 1B
WATER CONTENT OF GAS - ENGLISH UNITS

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 MOISTURE CONTENT OF GAS 9

The moisture content graphs are used which must be removed from gas in a de-
for determining the amount of moisture hydration plant.

Examples
1. Gas flowing at a rate of 3 million m3/d [100 MMcf/d] enters a dehydration plant at
38°C and 7500 kPa [100°F and 1000 psi]. Dry gas from the plant enters a refrigera-
tion process plant where its temperature will be lowered to -18°C [0°F]. The dew
point of the dry gas must be -23°C [-10°F]. Determine how much water must be
removed from the gas each day.
SI UNITS ENGLISH UNITS
Inlet gas temperature 38° 100°F
Inlet gas pressure 7500 kPa 1000 psi
Outlet gas dew point -23° -10°F
Water Content inlet gas 900 kg/million m3 60 lbs/MMcf
(Figures 1A and B)
Water content outlet gas (at D.P. temp) 19 kg/million m3 1.4 lbs/MMcf
Water removed in dehydration plant 881 kg/million m3 58.6 lbs/MMcf
Gas flow rate 3 million m3/d 100 MMcf/d
Total water removed/day 881 x 3 = 2623 kg/d 58.6 x 100 = 5860 lbs/d

2. A dehydration plant is designed to remove moisture from 1.4 million m3/d [50 MMcf/d]
at a pressure of 5000 kPa and temperature of 35°C [pressure of 750 psi and tempera-
ture of 95°F]. The outlet gas moisture content is 112 kg/million m3 [7 lb/MMcf]. How
much water is removed daily?
SI UNITS ENGLISH UNITS
Inlet gas temperature 35° 95°F
Inlet gas pressure 5000 kPa 750 psi
Inlet gas water content 1130 kg/million m3 67 lbs/MMcf
(Fig 1A and B)
Outlet gas water content -112 kg/million m3 -7 lbs/MMcf
Water removed in plant 988 kg/million m3 60 lbs/MMcf
Gas flow rate 1.4 million m3 50 MMcf
Water removed per day 1.4 x 988 = 1383 kg/d 50 x 60 = 3000 lbs/d

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
10 DEW POINT

B. Dew Point starts to form is the dew point.

Since the purpose of the glycol plant is
to remove moisture from the gas stream, the
performance of the plant is measured by de-
termining the quantity of moisture in the out-
let gas from the Contactor. The moisture con-
tent is often determined with a device that
measures the dew point of the gas.
The dew point is the temperature at
which water will condense from gas as it is
cooled. The relative humidity of gas at its dew
point temperature is 100%. In other words, if
gas containing water vapor is cooled to the
point that some of the moisture turns to liq-
uid, the temperature at which liquid first
The quantity of water vapor contained
in gas at its dew point will depend upon the
gas pressure. Figures on pages 7 & 8 indi-
cate the amount of moisture that gas can
contain at various temperatures and pres-
sures. When gas is at its dew point, its water
content will be that shown on the curves at
the gas pressure and dew point temperature.
Example:
The dew point of treated gas from a de-
hydrator is -7°C [ 20°F[. Pressure is 6 000
kPa [800 psi]. Determine the water vapor
content of the gas at its dew point.

Table 1
DEW POINT OF PIPELINE QUALITY GAS AT VARIOUS PRESSURES
SI UNITS ENGLISH UNITS
Gas Pressure DewPoint Gas Pressure Dew Point
kPa @ 112 mg/m3 PSI @ 7 lbs/MMcf
3000 -8.5°C 500 19°F
3500 -7.2°C 550 21°F
4000 -5.9°C 600 22°F
4500 -4.7°C 650 24°F
5000 -3.6°C 700 25°F
5500 -2.5°C 750 27°F
6000 -1.5°C 800 28°F
6500 -0.6°C 850 29°F
7000 0.0°C 900 30°F
7500 0.8°C 950 31°F
8000 1.5°C 1000 32°F
8500 2.1°C 1050 33°F
9000 2.8°C 1100 34°F
1150 35°F
1200 35°F
1250 36°F

Example: Gas from a dehydrator enters a pipeline at 7000 kPa [1000 psi]. The dew point
of treated gas must not exceed 0°C [32°F].

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 HYDRATE 11

On Figure 1A or B, find the dew point
temperature on the lower scale. Move up-
ward to the intersection of the pressure. At
that point, move horizontally to the right or
left and read the water vapor content of 75
mg/m3 [5.2 lbs/MMcf].
C. Hydrate
Hydrate is mixture of water and gas
that freezes above 0°C [32°F]. It forms
when non-dehydrated gas is cooled to the
temperature at which hydrate forms, and
water is present. Hydrate can restrict or
completely block flow. The conditions at
which hydrate forms is shown on the next
page.
The most common occurrence of hy-
drate is in production gathering lines and
aerial coolers. During winter weather, the
gas temperature in this equipment may be
reduced to the hydrate formation point by
ambient cooling. If some water vapor con-
denses from the gas, hydrate will form, and
restrict flow.
The significance of hydrate formation
in dehydration plants is that the tempera-
ture of gas entering the dehydrator should
be safely above the hydrate formation point.
Quite frequently, gas is compressed and
cooled prior to dehydration.
In cold weather operation, the gas
cooler should be operated so that the out-
let gas temperature is 10 to 15°C [15-25°F]
above the hydrate formation point.

Example:
Gas produced from oilwells on an offshore platform is compressed in 3 stages to
8 500 kPa [1 200 psi]. Discharge gas flows through an aerial cooler and scrubber prior
to entering the dehydrator. Determine the temperature that hydrate forms and the mini-
mum temperature of gas out of the aerial cooler.
SI UNITS ENGLISH UNITS
Gas pressure 8 500 kPa 1 200 psi
Hydrate formation temperature @ gas pres. 18°C 65°F
Degrees Safety Factor 12°C 20°F
Minimum temperature of gas out of cooler 30°C 85°F

Problem 3

How much moisture will be removed a day in a dehydration plant that process 1 million m3/d of
gas at 38°C and 5500 kPa [40 MMcf/d at 100°F and 800 psi] if the outlet gas meets pipeline
quality?__________________________________________

Problem 4

What is the dew point of pipeline specification gas at 3500 kPa [500
psi]?_____________

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
12 HYDRATE FORMATION CONDITIONS
ENGLISH UNITS
1600

SI UNITS
14000
Example:
At gas pressure of 5000 kPa,
hydrates will form when 1400
temperature falls to 14°C.

12000

1200

10000

1000

8000
800

6000
600

4000
400

2000 Example:
200 At gas pressure of 800 psi,
hydrates will form when
temperature falls to 60°F.

0 0
0 10 20 40 50 60 70
GAS TEMPERATURE, °C GAS TEMPERATURE, °F
Figure 2
HYDRATE FORMATION CONDITIONS

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 GLYCOL FLOW RATE TO CONTACTOR 13

IV. CONTROL OF ating the plant is at a minimum.

DEHYDRATION PLANT
As long as the gas leaving the dehy-
dration plant has a dew point below the
design point, the plant is performing satis-
factorily, regardless of what the operating
conditions may be. However, satisfactory
operation is not necessarily ideal opera-
tion. Ideal operation occurs when the mois-
ture content of the outlet gas is slightly
below specification, and the cost of oper-
The main operating expenses are
those of fuel gas to the reboiler and strip-
ping gas. Consequently, these flows should
be held as low as possible to keep the op-
erating cost down. The reboiler fuel rate (or
rate of other source of heat) is almost to-
tally dependent upon the glycol flow rate.
The table below is used to determine
the glycol flow rate in plants that do not use
stripping fluid or coldfinger.

Table 2
GLYCOL UNIT CIRCULATION RATE
Number of Inlet Gas TEG Circulation
Trays in Contactor Temperature Liters TEG Gal TEG
°C °F Per kg Water Vapor Per lb Water Vapor
4 27 80 40 5
4 32 90 48 6
4 38 100 64 8
6 27 80 20 2.5
6 32 90 24 3
6 38 100 40 5
6 43 110 48 6
8 27 80 16 2
8 32 90 16 2
8 38 100 24 3
8 43 110 40 5
12 27 80 16 2
12 32 90 16 2
12 38 100 24 3
12 43 110 32 4

Example:
The Contactor in a dehydration plant has 6 trays. If the inlet gas temperature is 32°C
[90°F], the glycol circulation rate is 24 liter/kg of water vapor [3 gal per pound of water
vapor] removed from the gas.

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
14 GLYCOL CONCENTRATION
If the glycol rate is increased 10%, the
heat to the reboiler will increase 10%. The
stripping gas rate is dependent upon the
concentration of glycol necessary to re-
move the desired quantity of water from the
gas. Each will be discussed in detail, as
they are the main control functions in a gly-
col dehydration plant.
If the quality required is 112 mg/m3
[7 lbs/MMcf], treated gas should be as
close to the specification as can be con-
sistently maintained. There is no premium
for drying gas below the specified point. In
fact, frying more than necessary results in
a waste of operating expenses.
The first item in controlling a dehydra-
tion plant is that of cooling the inlet gas to
the lowest temperature that is safely above
the hydrate formation temperature. After
this, there are only two operating control
points:
1. Glycol Flow Rate
2. Glycol Concentration
We have two combinations of the
above:
1. Operate with a high flow rate and low
concentration.
2. Operate with a high concentration and
low flow rate.
GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
The proper control point is the combi-
nation that dries gas to the specified level
at the lowest operating cost. Procedures for
determining glycol flow and concentration
follow.
Glycol dehydration plants can be clas-
sified in 2 ways:
1. Those removing enough water vapor to
meet pipeline quality specifications,
which is usually about 90% of the wa-
ter vapor in the inlet gas. These are
called low TEG concentration plants.
2. Those removing more than 90% of the
water vapor. These plants usually re-
move 95 - 99% of the water vapor in
the gas. Dew points of treated gas are
often below -30°C [-20°F]. They are
called high TEG concentration plants.
Procedures follow for control of each
type.
A. Control of Pipeline Quality Plants
As previously mentioned, there are 2
control points:
1. Glycol Flow Rate. This is determined
from Table 2 on page 13.
2. Glycol Concentration. Concentration
is controlled with Stripper Reboiler tem-
perature using figures 3 and 4 on pages
16 and 17.
 GLYCOL CONCENTRATION 15

Example
A glycol dehydration plant removes 2700 kg/day [6000 lb/day] of water vapor from a
stream of gas to produce a dew point of 0°C [32°F]. The contactor has 6 trays, and the inlet
gas temperature is 38°C [100°F]. Determine the glycol flow rate, concentration, and Reboiler
temperature.

SI UNITS ENGLISH UNITS

Water Vapor Removed from Gas 2700 kg/d 6000 lb/d

Unit Glycol Flow Rate at 38°C [100°F] 40 l/kg of water 5 gal/lb of water
and 6 Contactor Trays (Table 2, P-13)

Daily Glycol Flow Rate 2700 x40 6000 x 5

=108 000 l = 30 000 gal

108 000 30 000

Flow Rate Per Minute 24 x 60 24 x 60

= 75.0 l/min = 20.8 gpm

Treated Gas Dew Point 0°C 32°F

Inlet Gas Temperature 38°C 100°F

Glycol Concentration 98.5% 98.5%

(Figure 3 A & B, P-16 & 17)

Glycol Reboiler Temperature (Figure 4 A & B) 198°C 389°F

Problem 5
Refer to problem 3 on page 11. Contactor has 6 trays.
a. Glycol flow rate ________/min.
b. Glycol concentration _________ %.
c. Reboiler temperature __________°.

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
16 GLYCOL CONCENTRATION & REBOILER TEMPERATURE
NECESSARY TO
TREAT GAS TO REQUIRED DEW POINT
SI UNITS
100.0 -35
-40 -30
-35 -25
99.75 -30 -20
-15 210 210
-25
99.5
-20 -10
LEAN GLYCOL CONCENTRATION, WT%

99.25 -5 204
-15
99.0 -0 200
-10 200
98.75
5

REBOILER TEMPERATURE, °C
98.5 °C
T,
-5 IN
PO
98.25 W 190
DE 190
S
GA
D
98.0 TE
EA
0

TR
97.75

EL

S
ER
LEV
180 180

ET
97.5
5

SEA

0M
97.25

120
97.0

S
ER

S
ER
ET
170 170
96.75

ET
0M

0M
60
96.5

96.25 180
160 160
96.0
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 97.0 98.0 99.0

INLET GAS TEMPERATURE, °C TEG CONCENTRATION,

Figure 3 A WT%
Figure 4 A

Example:
At inlet gas temperature of 35°C and treated gas dew point of 0°C, glycol concentra-
tion must be 98.25%.
If the unit is located at sea level, the reboiler temperature required to produce a con-
centration of 98.25% is 190°C.

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 GLYCOL CONCENTRATION & REBOILER TEMPERATURE 17
NECESSARY TO TREAT GAS TO REQUIRED DEW POINT
ENGLISH UNITS
410 410

100.0
-30
-40 -20 MAX TEMP
-30 -10 400 400
99.75 0
-20
10
99.5 -10
20
99.25 0
LEAN GLYCOL CONCENTRATION, WT%

390 390
30
99.0

REBOILER TEMPERATURE, °F
40
10
98.75
°F
T, 380 380
OIN
98.5 20 P
W
DE
S
98.25 GA
ED
EAT
98.0 TR
30

370 370

EVEL
97.75

SEA L
40

97.5

FT 000 FT
360 360
97.25

2
97.0
4000

96.75
FT
350 350
6000

96.5

96.25

96.0
340 340
70 80 90 100 110 120 130 97.0 98.0 99.0

INLET GAS TEMPERATURE, °F TEG CONCENTRATION,

Figure 3B WT%
Figure 4B

Example
At inlet gas temperature of 95°F and treated gas dew point of 30°F, glycol concentra-
tion must be 98.4%. The reboiler temperature required to produce 98.4% at sea level is
383°F.

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
18 GLYCOL CONCENTRATION
B. Control of Low Dew Point Plants
If the lean glycol concentration has to
be higher than 98.6% in order for treated
gas water vapor content to meet specifica-
tion, some means other than raising
Reboiler temperature must be used.
Methods of increasing TEG concen-
tration are summarized below. Each is de-
scribed in Manual P-4, Stripper in Dehy-
dration Plant.
Use of stripping gas is the most com-
mon way of producing high TEG concen-
tration. The graphs on the opposite page
indicate the TEG concentrations at various
stripping gas rates with a Reboiler tempera-
ture of 204°D [400°F].
When one of the high concentration
methods is used, the Stripper Reboiler tem-
perature should be held at its maximum —
204°C [400°F] — and the glycol flow rate
should be held constant at 40 liters of TEG
per kg [5 gal of TEG per pound] of water
removed. The only variable left is that of
the flow of stripping gas or liquid. The flow
LEAN GLYCOL
CONCENTRATION
Up to 98.6%
98.7 - 99.3%
Over 99.4%
Problem 6
Inlet gas temperature to a dehydrator at sea level is 32°C [90°F]. Reboiler tempera-
ture is 200°C [393°F]. (a) Glycol concentration is ________ %. (b) Treated gas dew point is
_________°.
GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
is changed until you find the point that just
meets treated gas quality.
The Coldfinger process is controlled by
changing glycol flow until you find the point
that just meets quality specification. If the
Coldfinger also has stripping gas, set the gly-
col flow at 40 liters per Kg [5 gal per pound]
of water removed, and vary stripping gas flow
to meet treated gas quality.
During winter months, inlet gas tem-
perature will be lower, and the water vapor
content of inlet gas will be less. Thus, the
plant will not have to remove as much wa-
ter. The glycol flow should be lowered in
proportion to the reduction in water re-
moved.
The graphs and tables in this chapter
are 90 - 95% accurate. There is a consid-
erable difference in glycol treating proper-
ties available in text books, literature, and
from chemical suppliers. The information in
this manual is an average of that obtained
from reliable sources, and that of actual
operating experience of the author.
METHOD OF PRODUCING
TEG CONCENTRATION
Reboiler Temperature
Single Stage Gas Stripping
Two Stage Stripping
Coldfinger
Stripping Liquid
 EFFECT OF STRIPPING GAS 19
ON GLYCOL CONCENTRATION
SI UNITS
100
IPPER
AGE STR
TWO ST
LEAN TEG CONCENTRATION

99.5
AGE STRIPPER
SINGLE ST

99.0

98.5 EXAMPLE: With a stripping gas flow of 40 liters

of gas per liter of TEG, Glycol Concentration is
99.3% with one stripping stage, or 99.73 with 2
stripping stages.
98.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

STRIPPING GAS, LITERS PER LITER OF TEG

Figure 5 A

ENGLISH UNITS
100
IPPER
AGE STR
TWO ST
LEAN TEG CONCENTRATION

99.5
AGE STRIPPER
SINGLE ST

99.0

98.5 EXAMPLE: With a stripping gas flow of 4 cubic

feet per gallon of TEG, lean glycol concentration
is 99.25% with one stripping stage, or 99.65%
with 2 stripping stages.

98.0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

STRIPPING GAS, CUBIC FEET PER GALLON OF TEG

Figure 5 B

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
20 DEHYDRATOR CONTROL
C. Still Top Temperature Control
The temperature at the top of the Still
is controlled at 102 - 104°C [215 - 220°F]
by regulating the flow of rich glycol through
the reflux coil. This is accomplished by ad-
justing the valve in the by-pass line between
the rich glycol inlet and outlet lines. Refer
to Manual P-4.
D. Other Control Points
Although the control of glycol flow and
concentration are the ‘cash register’ con-
trol points, other operating controls are
equally important for stabilizing the opera-
tion of the plant. Here are other control
points which are usually included in dehy-
dration plants:
1. Level control on the Contactor and
Flash Tank. The controllers should be
adjusted to hold a uniform flow rate of
liquid out of the vessels, and not cause
an erratic flow of liquid. It is more im-
portant to hold a constant flow of liquid
and let the level in the vessel vary a
few cm [inches] up or down than to hold
a constant level in the vessel and let
the liquid flow fluctuate. Constant flow
is obtained by setting the Proportional
Band on the level controller above 50%.
GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
2. Flash tank pressure controller. The
instrument should be adjusted to hold
the pressure within 14 kPa [2 psi] of the
design point. It is not necessary that the
pressure be held exactly at the design
point.
3. Surge tank level is maintained by add-
ing fresh glycol from a drum or storage
tank. Rich glycol coils should always
have a level above the coil. Others
should be held above the !/2 full point. If
it gets too low, the glycol pump may
vapor lock from lack of sufficient level
of glycol.
4. The temperature of lean glycol enter-
ing the contactor should be 5 to 10°C
[10 to 20°F] above the inlet gas tem-
perature to prevent the possibility of
cooling the gas and condensing some
hydrocarbon which may cause foaming
in the Contactor.
5. Pressure drop across the filters. Fil-
ter elements should be replaced when
the pressure drop approaches 140 kPa
[20 psi] or that specified by the filter
manufacturer. Charcoal should be re-
placed when the shake test shows that
it is not effective.
 GLYCOL FLOW RATE, CONCENTRATION 21
& STRIPPING GAS FLOW
Example
Determine glycol flow rate, concentration, and stripping gas flow for the following de-
hydrator having 8 trays in the contactor:
SI UNITS ENGLISH UNITS
Inlet Gas Temperature 43°C 110°F
Inlet Gas Pressure 5500 kPa 800 psi
Inlet Gas Flow 1 million m3/d 35 MMcf/d
Treated Gas Water Vapor Spec 112 kg/million m3 7 lb/MMcf
1. Determine weight of water vapor to remove from Gas
Water Vapor in Inlet Gas, 1500 kg/million m3 95 lb/MMcf
(pages 7 & 8)
Water Vapor in Outlet Gas 112 kg/million m3 7 lb/MMcf
Water Vapor to Remove 1388 kg/million m3 88 lb/MMcf
Gas Flow Per Day 1 million m3/d 35 MMcf/d
Total Water Removed Per Day 1388 x 1 = 1388 kg/d 35 x 88 = 3080 lb/d
2. Treated Gas Dew Point (page 10) - 2.5°C 28°F
3. Glycol Concentration @ Inlet Temp 99.0% 99.0%
& Dew Point Spec (pages 16 & 17)
4. Stripping gas must be used to 40 L/kg water 5 gal/lb water
produce a concentration of 99.0%.
Glycol flow when stripping gas is used.

1388 x 40 3080 x 5
Total Glycol Flow Per Min 24 x 60 = 24 x 60 =
= 38.56 l/m 10.69 gpm

5. Stripping Gas Flow to meet 99.0 10 liters/l of glycol 1.4 cu ft/gal of glycol
concentration (page 19)
Stripping Gas Flow Per Day with 10 x 38.56 x 60 x 24 1.4 x 10.69 x 24 x 60
Single Stage Stripping = 555 264 l/d = 21 560 cf/d
or 555.264 m3/d 21.56 Mcf/d

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
22 GLYCOL CONCENTRATION

Problem 7
A glycol unit with 8 trays in the Contactor has the following conditions:
Inlet Gas: 2 million m3/d @ 5000 kPa & 30°C [70 MMcf/d, 600 psi, 90°F]
Treated Gas specification: -30°C [-20°F] Dew Point.
a. Treated gas water content ________
b. Weight of water vapor to remove per day ________ °
c. Glycol concentration required ________ %
d. Glycol flow per minute ________
e. Glycol Reboiler temperature required at sea level ________ °
f. Stripping requirements: _____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________ .

DRY
OUTLET
GAS

RICH GLYCOL
GLYCOL-GAS STEAM
EXCHANGER
FUEL
GAS LC
REFLUX COIL 5
LC Start
heat to
FLOW LEAN-RICH STRIPPER Reboiler
IND. FLASH GLYCOL TEMP.
TANK EXCHANGER CONTR.

4 H/C
Put
6 LC in
Start Service
Gas LC
Flow 3 ELEMENT CHARCOAL REBOILER
1
Put FILTER FILTER
LC in Fill
Service Surge
Tank &
WET Reboiler
INLET CONTACTOR
GAS SURGE FUEL
LEAN GLYCOL TANK GAS
LC
GLYCOL
INLET Start
SCRUBBER
PUMP 2 Pump

TO
LIQUID
DISPOSAL

START-UP PROCEDURE

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 V. OPERATION
A. Start Up
Prior to initial start up of a new plant,
the vessels and lines should be thoroughly
washed out with water to remove debris
and corrosion products that accumulated
during construction. After the system has
been cleaned, start-up is accomplished in
three phases:
1. Establish glycol circulation throughout
the plant.
2. Apply heat to the Reboiler and bring it
up to operating temperature.
3. Open the wet gas stream to the Contactor
and begin dehydrating the gas.
In order to circulate glycol, it will be
necessary to pressurize the Contactor and
Flash Tank. Pressuring can be done with
wet or dry gas. The Contactor pressure
should be about 1000 kPa [150 psi] and
the Flash Tank pressure about 300 kPa [45
psi]. When the vessels have been pres-
sured, start up procedure is:
1. Fill the Reboiler and Surge Tank with
fresh glycol solution.
2. Start the glycol pump and pump glycol
into the Contactor.
3. When liquid appears at the bottom of
the Contactor, put the bottom level con-
troller in service so the glycol will flow
to the Flash Tank.
4. Put the Flash Tank level controller in ser-
vice when liquid appears in the bottom
so that liquid will flow to the Stripper.
5. Apply heat to the stripper reboiler and
slowly bring its temperature up to the
23
normal operating range.
6. When the flow of glycol through the sys-
tem has stabilized and the Reboiler
temperature has reached its normal op-
erating point, slowly open inlet gas to
the Contactor.
7. Begin flow of stripping fluid if applicable.
B. Routine Operation
Routine operating checks include the
following:
1. Check levels in each vessel and reset
level controllers as necessary.
2. Check the pressure drop across the Fil-
ter and replace the elements as required.
3. Perform shake test on charcoal filter
and replace as indicated (see Manual
P-4).
4. Check the temperature of lean glycol
out of the glycol exchangers to see that
the proper heat transfer rate is occur-
ring in the exchangers.
5. Check the flow of glycol to the Contactor
and of stripping gas to the Reboiler.
6. Check the pressure of the Flash Tank
to see that it is at its proper point.
7. If water or air is used to cool the glycol
prior to its entry into the Contactor,
check the glycol temperature to see that
it is about 3° to 8°C [5° to 15°F] above
the inlet gas temperature. Adjust the
flow of air or water through the cooler
as required.
8. Check the temperature in the Still
Reboiler and reset the temperature con-
troller if necessary.
GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
24 SHUT DOWN PROCEDURE

9. Check the level in the Surge Tank and
add glycol as necessary.
10. Check the dew point or moisture con-
tent of outlet gas to see that it is slightly
below specification. Increase glycol
concentration if moisture content is high
and vice versa. On units with stripping
gas, check to see that the Reboiler tem-
perature is at its maximum, and in-
crease stripping gas to raise glycol con-
centration, and vice versa.
11. Check the inlet gas flow rate, and if it
has changed, change the glycol flow
rate (and stripping gas) by the propor-
tional change in gas flow.
DRY
OUTLET
GAS
12. Check the inlet gas temperature. If it has
changed, calculate the daily water re-
moval and glycol flow rate and concen-
tration required at the new temperature,
and adjust flow and concentration as
necessary.
C. Shut Down
The glycol plant is shut down as follows:
1. Block in the flow of gas to the Contactor.
2. Block in the source of heat to the
reboiler.
3. Stop flow of stripping fluid.
4. Shut down the glycol pump to stop the
glycol flow.

RICH GLYCOL
GLYCOL-GAS STEAM
EXCHANGER
FUEL
GAS LC
REFLUX COIL 2
LC Stop
Heat
FLOW LEAN-RICH STRIPPER
IND. FLASH GLYCOL TEMP.
TANK EXCHANGER CONTR.

H/C
1
Stop
Gas LC
ELEMENT CHARCOAL REBOILER
FILTER FILTER

WET
INLET CONTACTOR
GAS SURGE FUEL
LEAN GLYCOL TANK GAS
LC
GLYCOL
INLET Stop
SCRUBBER
PUMP 3 Pump

TO
LIQUID
DISPOSAL
SHUT DOWN PROCEDURE

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 TROUBLESHOOTING 25

Problem 8
You are checking your dehydration plant in the month of October and notice the fol-
lowing changes have occurred in the past 24 hours:

1. The inlet gas temperature is 10°C [18°F] lower.

2. The reboiler temperature is 5°C [9°F] lower.
3. The stripping gas flow is the same.
4. The glycol flow is the same.
5. The level in the Surge Tank is low.
6. Pressure drop across the filter is 140 kPa [20 psi].
7. Treated gas dew point is 6°C [10°F] below specification.

What irregularities are indicated and what should you do?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

VI. TROUBLESHOOTING A. Foaming

The operating problems most fre- Glycol is a fairly viscous liquid, and will
quently encountered in a glycol plant are: foam readily if a small quantity of liquid hy-
1. Foaming drocarbon or dirt is in the solution. Foam-
2. Burping ing usually occurs in the Contactor. It is
3. Corrosion characterized by an abnormally high gly-
4. High water vapor content of col loss, which results in a reduction in level
outlet gas. in the glycol Surge Tank.
Each of the items are discussed in If a dirty solution is the cause of foam-
detail in the Contactor and stripper Manu- ing, it can be confirmed by taking a sample
als. The most important factors are dis- of lean glycol out of the Surge Tank and
cussed below. visually observing it. If the sample has a

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
26 TROUBLESHOOTING
haze or milky appearance, it contains for-
eign material. The color of the solution is
not necessarily an indication that it is dirty,
so long as it is clear. New filter elements
should be installed if the solution appears
dirty.
Liquid hydrocarbon can enter the
Contactor with the inlet gas stream, or it
can form in the Contactor if the tempera-
ture of lean glycol entering the Contactor
is below the inlet gas temperature. The
most likely source is from the inlet gas
stream. The inlet gas separator should be
checked to see that the liquid level control
system is dumping liquids which accumu-
late in the vessel. Liquid hydrocarbons can
often be detected by catching a sample of
rich glycol and observing the top of it for
an oil film.
In some dehydration plants, foaming
is a problem even though the glycol solu-
tion appears clean, and there is no appar-
ent entry of liquid hydrocarbon into the
Contactor with the inlet gas stream. In these
situations, a foam inhibitor is often added
to the glycol stream to prevent foaming.
The symptoms of foaming are:
1. Rapid loss of level in the surge tank.
2. Loss of level in the Contactor. In severe
cases of foaming, the sight glass on the
bottom of the Contactor will be filled with
foam.
3. Treated gas moisture content will in-
crease.
GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
4. If the treated gas enters a separator, the
level in it will rise.
Corrective action is as follows:
1. Begin injection of foam inhibitor as soon
as it is suspected.
2. Perform shake test on glycol in and out
of the charcoal filter. Replace charcoal
if necessary.
3. Obtain a sample of lean glycol and ob-
serve it for a hazy appearance, which
indicates solid particles. Change filter
elements.
4. Check temperature of glycol entering
the Contactor to be sure it is at least
6°C [10°F] above inlet gas temperature.
5. Check level control loop on inlet sepa-
rator for proper operation. Failure of the
dump valve to open may result in liquid
carryover in the outlet gas line.
6. If the flash tank has hydrocarbon col-
lection facilities, check them to be sure
the hydrocarbon is withdrawn as it ac-
c u m u l a t e s.
B. Burping
Burping or puking is usually a problem
in the Stripper. It is usually caused from a
slug of liquid hydrocarbons entering the
Stripper. The hydrocarbons will flow down
the Stripper as a liquid, and when they
reach the Reboiler, they will vaporize almost
instantaneously. The vapors flow up the
Stripper with sufficient velocity to carry out
most of the liquid in the tower. The level in
 OPERATING PROBLEMS
the Surge Tank will drop. Liquid hydrocar-
bons should be removed from the rich gly-
col in the Flash Tank.
C. Corrosion
When the inlet gas contains hydrogen
sulfide, H2S, or carbon dioxide, CO2, the
glycol solution will absorb some of these
gases and become corrosive. Scale or
other corrosion products will form, which
will contaminate the system. Frequent fil-
ter element change-out is required to keep
the glycol clean.
When the corrosive gases — H2S and
CO2 — are absorbed in glycol, the liquid
becomes acidic. It is confirmed by mea-
suring the pH of the solution. A pH of 7 is
neutral. Below 7 is acidic, and above 7 is
alkaline.
A pH of 6 to 8 is usually not corrosive.
Corrosion will occur if the pH falls below 6.
Corrosion from an acidic solution is ar-
rested by adding amine to the Reboiler or
Surge Tank to neutralize the acidity. The
frequency and quantity of amine is deter-
mined from pH measurements of the gly-
col solution.
The quantity of amine which must be
added to prevent corrosion will depend
upon the concentration of H2S and CO2 in
the inlet gas, and the operating tempera-
ture and pressure of the Contactor. A typi-
cal glycol plant requires weekly addition of
one liter of amine for each 1000 liters of
glycol contained in the system. [One gal-
lon for 1000 gallons in the system].
27
D. High Moisture Content of Outlet
Gas
High moisture content is almost al-
ways due to a low glycol flow rate or a low
concentration. Failure of the glycol pump
is a frequent cause of low flow. Low con-
centration results from low temperature in
the Stripper Reboiler or low stripping fluid
rate.
The procedure for correcting the prob-
lem is:
1. Check to see that inlet gas tempera-
ture has not risen. Correct if it has.
2. Check Reboiler temperature, to see
that it is at its maximum — usually
193°C [380°F] for pipeline plants or
204°C [400°F] for high TEG concentra-
tion plants.
3. On units with no stripping fluid, raise
glycol flow until treated gas water va-
por content is slightly below specifica-
tion.
4. On units with stripping fluid, set glycol
rate at 40 liters of TEG/kg water re-
moved [5 gal TEG/lb of water removed].
Adjust stripping fluid flow until treated
gas quality is slightly better than speci-
fication.
After performing each of these steps,
check the moisture content of the outlet
gas, and if it is high, proceed to the next
step.
If the final step does not correct the situ-
ation, the problem is probably one of the fol-
lowing:
GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
28 OPERATING PROBLEMS

DRY
OUTLET
GAS

RICH GLYCOL
GLYCOL-GAS STEAM
EXCHANGER
FUEL
GAS LC
REFLUX COIL
LC
FLOW LEAN-RICH STRIPPER
IND. FLASH GLYCOL TEMP.
TANK EXCHANGER CONTR.

H/C

LC
ELEMENT CHARCOAL REBOILER
FILTER FILTER

WET
INLET CONTACTOR
GAS SURGE FUEL
LEAN GLYCOL TANK GAS
LC
GLYCOL
INLET PUMP
SCRUBBER

TO
LIQUID
DISPOSAL
OPERATING PROBLEMS IN
GLYCOL PLANT

1. Accumulation of dirt or corrosion prod-
ucts on trays in Contactor which re-
duces the efficiency of the trays. A vi-
sual inspection is required to confirm
this condition. Trays are cleaned by
scraping material from the trays, or by
circulating an inhibited acid to dissolve
them.
2. Packing in the Stripper has broken or
carried out the top of the tower. It is nec-
essary to dump the packing to confirm
this condition.
3. Leak in the Lean-Rich Glycol Ex-
changer. The rich solution is the higher
pressure fluid, so it will leak into the lean
solution. A small leak is difficult to de-
tect from temperature observations. It
is confirmed by measuring the concen-
tration of lean glycol entering and leav-
ing the Exchanger. The concentration
of the outlet stream will be lower if a
leak has occurred.
4. Glycol has deteriorated from old age or
overheating in the Reboiler. An analy-
sis of the lean glycol is required to con-
firm this condition. Glycol must be

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 OPERATING PROBLEMS 29

dumped from the unit and refilled with fresh [220°F], it can cause pump problems due to
solution.The glycol will usually have a thermal expansion at the higher temperature.
dark color. The temperature of lean glycol enter-
ing the pump will depend upon the amount
Another problem that often occurs in
of heat removed from the stream in the
dehydration plants is that of frequent pump
Lean Glycol-to-Rich Glycol Exchanger. This
failures, particularly fluid drive types. These
exchanger should be closely observed for
pumps have a number of small passage-
reduction in heat transfer, and cleaned if it
ways that can be restricted if the lean gly-
becomes fouled.
col or drive fluid contains solid particles.
If the Lean-to-Rich Glycol Exchanger
Strainers should be located in each fluid
is a coil in the Surge Tank, the level of lean
inlet line, and they should be blown out fre-
glycol in the tank must be kept above the
quently.
coil to get the maximum heat transfer in it.
The temperature of lean glycol enter-
This may require frequent additions of gly-
ing the pump is usually about 95°C [200°F].
If the temperature rises above 105°C col to the system.

Problem 9

Match each item in the right column with the appropriate item in the column on the
left:

__________ 1. Stripping gas flow rate a. High TEG flow rate.

__________ 2. Foaming b. Liquid hydrocarbons in Stripper.
__________ 3. High gas dew point c. Controls lean glycol concentration.
__________ 4. Burping d. Low glycol concentration.

Problem 10
The sequence of actions to correct a high dew point of treated gas in low con-
centration plant is:
__________ a. Raise glycol flow rate
__________ b. Raise Reboiler temperature to 200°C [390°F]
__________ c. Lower inlet gas temperature

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
30 NOTES

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 VALIDATION - SI UNITS 31
GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
3rd Edition Trainee ___________________
DRY
OUTLET
GAS
DEW POINT SPEC = 1.5°C
RICH GLYCOL
GLYCOL-GAS STEAM
EXCHANGER
FUEL
GAS LC
REFLUX COIL
LC
FLOW LEAN-RICH STRIPPER
IND. FLASH GLYCOL TEMP.
TANK EXCHANGER CONTR.

8000 H/C
38°
WET kPa
INLET
GAS
LC
ELEMENT CHARCOAL REBOILER
3 FILTER FILTER
2 000 000 m /d

SURGE FUEL
LEAN GLYCOL TANK GAS

GLYCOL
PUMP

Answer the following for the dehydration unit shown above:

1. a. Inlet water content ______________ kg/million m3.
b. Water to remove from gas __________ kg/day.
c. Glycol Circulation rate ____________________ liters/min.
d. Glycol concentration required __________________ wt %.
e. Reconcentrator Reboiler temperature _________°C.
f. Is stripping fluid needed in the reconcentrator? ___________
2. The level in the Surge Tank has fallen 50% in the past 24 hours. The probable cause is
____________. What should you do? _____________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ .
3. How do you know when the charcoal filter is performing satisfactorily, and what do you
do when it is not? _____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ .
4. A sample of lean glycol has a milky appearance.
What does this indicate? _______________________________________________
What should you do? __________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ .
5. Treated gas dew point is consistently below -5°. What should you do? ____________
__________________________________________________________________ .
6. During cool weather, inlet gas temperature is 30°C. How will this affect operations?
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ .

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
32 SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS - SI UNITS
1. 1 a 2. Water vapor content at 6000 kPa, 38°C (pg 7) = 1100 Kg/106 m3
6 b
3 c 3. Water vapor inlet gas = 1100 Kg/106 m3
4 d Water vapor outlet gas 112 Kg/106 m3
7 e Water vapor removed 988 Kg/106 m3
2 f Water vapor removal/day 988 x 1.1 = 1086.8 Kg/day
4. Dew Point of pipeline quality gas @ 3500 kPa (pg 10) = -7.2°C
5. a. TEG unit flow w/6 trays, 38° inlet gas (pg 13) 40 L/Kg water
Daily TEG flow = 40 x 1086.8 = 43 472 L/d
43472
TEG flow per min = 1440 = 30.19 l/m
b. Dew Point of pipeline gas @ 6000 kPa (pg 10) = -1.5°C
TEG Concentration @ 28°C gas temp and -1.5°C Dew Point (pg 16) = 98.55%
c. Reboiler Temp for 98.55% TEG (pg 16) = 199°C
6. a. TEG Concentration @ 200°C (pg 16) = 98.6%
b. Dew Point @ 32°C gas temp and 98.6% (pg 16 = -6°C
7. a. Inlet gas water vapor content @ 5000 kPa, 30°C (pg 7) = 770 Kg/106 m3
Outlet gas water vapor content @ 5000 kPa, -30° D.P. 15 Kg/106 m3
Water vapor to remove 755 Kg/106 m3
b. Water vapor to remove per day with 2 x 106 m3/d of gas = 755 x 2 = 1510 kg/d
c. TEG concentration @ 30° temp and -30° Dew Point (pg 16) = 99.8%
d. Unit TEG flow in high concentration plant = 40 L/kg water
1510
Flow per minute = 1440 x 40 = 41.9 L/m

e. Reboiler Temp in high concentration plant = 204°C

f. Stripping gas (pg 19) for 99.8% TEG = 38 L gas/L of TEG with 2 stages of stripping.
38 x 41.9 x 1440
Daily flow = = 2292.8 m3/d
1000
8. 1. At lower inlet temperature, TEG flow and stripping gas flows can be lowered in
steps until treated gas dew point is slightly below specification.
2. Raise Reboiler temperature to 204°C.
3. Lower stripping gas flow as TEG flow is lowered.
4. Low surge tank level indicates foaming. Start foam inhibitor. Perform shake test on
charcoal filter. Change charcoal if test indicates the need to.
5. Filter pressure drop is approaching maximum. Change elements. Check TEG pH
for low reading. Add amine if pH is below 6.5.
9. c 1 10. a. 3
b 2 b. 2
d 3 c. 1
a 4

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 VALIDATION - ENGLISH UNITS 33
GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
3rd Edition Trainee ___________________
DRY
OUTLET
GAS
DEW POINT SPEC = 32°F
RICH GLYCOL
GLYCOL-GAS STEAM
EXCHANGER
FUEL
GAS LC
REFLUX COIL
LC
FLOW LEAN-RICH STRIPPER
IND. FLASH GLYCOL TEMP.
TANK EXCHANGER CONTR.

1000 H/C
100°
WET psi
INLET
GAS
LC
ELEMENT CHARCOAL REBOILER
70 MM
2 000 000cf/d
m3/d
FILTER FILTER

SURGE FUEL
LEAN GLYCOL TANK GAS

GLYCOL
PUMP
Answer the following for the dehydration unit shown above:
1. a. Inlet water content ______________ lb/MMcf.
b. Water to remove from gas __________ lb/d.
c. Glycol Circulation rate ____________________ gpm.
d. Glycol concentration required __________________ wt %.
e. Reconcentrator Reboiler temperature _________°F.
f. Is stripping fluid needed in the reconcentrator? ___________
2. The level in the Surge Tank has fallen 50% in the past 24 hours. The probable cause is
____________. What should you do? _____________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ .
3. How do you know when the charcoal filter is performing satisfactorily, and what do you
do when it is not? _____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ .
4. A sample of lean glycol has a milky appearance.
What does this indicate? _______________________________________________
What should you do? __________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ .
5. Treated gas dew point is consistently below 20°F. What should you do?___________
__________________________________________________________________ .
6. During cool weather, inlet gas temperature is 85°F. How will this affect operations?
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ .

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 34 SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS - ENGLISH UNITS

1. 1 a 2. Water vapor content at 800 psi & 100°F = (pg 8) = 73 lb/MMcf

6 b
3 c 3. Water removed = 73 - 7 = 66 lb/MMcf
4 d Water removed per day = (66 x 40 MMcf/d) = 2640 lb/day
7 e
2 f
4. Dew Point @ 500 psi (pg 10) = 19°F
5. a. TEG unit flow w/6 trays @ 100° (pg 13) = 5 gal/lb water
TEG flow per min = 524 x 2640 = 9.17 gpm
x 60
b. Dew Point of pipeline gas @ 800 psi (pg 10) = 28°F
TEG Concentration @ 100° gas temp & 28° D.P. (pg 17) = 98.65
c. Reboiler Temp for 98.55% TEG (pg 17) = 396°F
6. a. TEG Concentration @ 393°F Reboiler temp (pg 17) = 98.6
b. Treated gas D.P. @ 98.6% TEG at 90° gas temp (pg 17) = 22°F
7. a. Inlet gas water vapor content @ 600 psi, 90°F (pg 8) 65 lb/MMcf
Outlet gas water vapor content @ -20° Dew Point 1.1 lb/MMcf
Diff 63.9 lb/Mmcf
b. Water removed per day 63.9 x 70 = 4473 lb/day
c. TEG concentration at 90° & -20° D.P. (pg 17) = 99.8% Stripping Fluid must be used
d. Unit TEG flow in high concentration plant………………………5 gal/lb water
5 x 4473
TEG flow per minute = 24 x 60 = 15.53 gpm
e. Reboiler Temp in high concentration plant = 400°F.
f. Use 2 stage stripping gas. Flow rate (pg 19) for 99.8% glycol ……5.6 cu ft/gal TEG
5.6 x 15.53 x 24 x 60
Daily stripping gas = 125.24 Mcf/d
1000
8. 1. At lower inlet temperature, TEG flow and stripping gas flows can be lowered in
steps until treated gas dew point is slightly below specification.
2. Raise Reboiler temperature to 400°F.
3. Lower stripping gas flow as TEG flow is lowered.
4. Low surge tank level indicates foaming. Start foam inhibitor. Perform shake test on
charcoal filter. Change charcoal if test indicates the need to.
5. Filter pressure drop is approaching maximum. Change elements. Check TEG pH
for low reading. Add amine if pH is below 6.5.
9. c 1 10. a. 3
b 2 b. 2
d 3 c. 1
a 4

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION
 PLP TRAINING MANUALS
NUMBER TITLE

F-1 Basic Units of Measurement

F-2 Measurement of Energy
F-3 Hydrocarbons
F-4 Fluid Flow

E-1A Centrifugal Compressors Part 1

E-1B Centrifugal Compressors Part 2
E-2 Piston Type Compressors
E-3 Centrifugal Pumps
E-4 Reciprocating Pumps
E-5 Gas Engines
E-6 Fractionators
E-7 Heat Exchangers
E-8 Indirect Fired Heaters
E-9 Pneumatic Process Instruments
E-10 LACT Units
E-11 Lean Oil Absorbers
E-12 Separators

P-1 Cryogenic Gas Plants

P-2 Glycol Dehydration Process
P-3 Contactor in Dehydration Plant
P-4 Stripper in Dehydration Plant
P-5 Molecular Sieve Dehydration Process
P-6 Adsorber in Dehydration
P-7 Crude Oil Emulsion Treating
P-8 Hydrate Inhibition
P-9 Mechanical Refrigeration
P-10 Amine Sweetening Process
P-11 Contactor in Sweetening Process
P-12 Stripper in Sweetening Process
P-13 Stabiblizing Crude Oil & Condensate

M-1 Flow Measurement

M-2 The Gas/Oil Well
M-3 Oilfield Safety

305 WELLS FARGO DR., SUITE 4 • HOUSTON, TEXAS 77090 • (281) 444-7632 • FAX: (281) 586-9876
E-MAIL: PetroLearning@aol.com

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION