Natural Gas Processing

Gas Quality from reservoir to market

Dr. Stathis Skouras, Gas Processing and LNG
RDI Centre Trondheim, Statoil, Norway

Schedule
Tuesday 09.12.2014: 09:45 12:30

Lecture: Natural Gas Processing

Thursday 11.12.2014: 11:45 14:30
Lecture: Distillation of azeotropic mixtures
Tuesday 16.12.2014: 09:45 11:30
PC-lab / HYSYS exercises
o Dew Point Control Unit (DPCU)
o Extractive Distillation (Acetone-methanol with water as entrainer)

Outline
Introduction
Statoil
Natural Gas
Gas Value Chain
Gas Quality

Natural Gas Processing

Water dew point processes

Acid and sour gas removal

H2S and mercury removal (trace components)
Hydrocarbon dew point processes
Examples of real process plants

Statoils natural gas business

A major gas player the second largest supplier to Europe

Supplying gas to UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain
Developing international gas value chains in the US and the Caspian region
Holds a 20% share in the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project. TAP will start in
Greece, cross Albania and the Adriatic Sea and come ashore in southern Italy

What is natural gas?

Components
Mainly methane, ethane, propane and
butanes
Small amounts of pentane (C5) and heavier
components (C6+)
Acid/sour gases such as CO2 and H2S
Inerts such as nitrogen (N2)
Trace components such as mercury (Hg)
and sulphur compounds (S)

Water (vapour)

1 Sm3 = 1 m3 @ 15C and 1 atm

1 kmol = 23.64 Sm3
1 Sm3 770 gr and gives 11 kWh of heat
Price 0.30 /Sm3 (EU) and 0.15 /Sm3 (US)

Natural gas compositions (typical values)

Natural Gas Terminology

Rich Gas: Rich in heavy components.
Further processing required
Sales gas (dry gas): Ready for sale to
the market
Liquified Natural Gas (LNG): -162C @
1 bar
Natural Gas Liquids (NGL): Ethane and
heavier HC (C2+)

Naphtha: Rest of the NGL (C5+)

Condensate: Heavier liquids from
integrated gas/oil production (C6+)

Natural gas transport

Pipeline gas

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

Pressure: 250 - 50 bar

Pressure: atmospheric

Temperature: ambient temperature

Temperature: -162C (at boiling point)

Norwegian Gas
Transport Network
Complex system
8 000km of pipelines
1.

Production fields
(offshore Norway)

2.

Transportation pipelines

10

Rich gas
Sales gas
Oil/Condensate

3.

Gas processing plants

(onshore Norway)

4.

Receiving terminals
(continental Europe)

Upstream

Subsea and wells

Gas Value Chain

Upstream
Offshore processes

Subsurface
(reservoir,
drilling and well, flow
assurance)
Topsite facilities
(prepare for transport)

Midstream
Onshore processes

Downstream

Gas Processing
(extracting high added value products)

Receiving terminals

Storage, Metering and Distribution

11

Gas Quality
Scientific field dealing with the compositions,
the physical properties and the
specifications of natural gas

Why gas quality?

Ensure unproblematic transport of gas

Ensure unproblematic processing of gas

Prevent corrosion and erosion of equipment
Prevent ice and gas hydrates
Prevent condensation of hydrocarbon liquids
Ensure safe use of gas

12

Gas quality specs along the value chain (1/2)

Specifications for rich gas transport
Offshore processes

13

Specification

Max operating pressure (barg)

210

Min operating pressure (barg)

112

Max operating temperature (C)

60

Min operating temperature (C)

-10

Max cricondenbar pressure (barg)

105

Max cricondentherm temperature (C)

40

Max water dew point (C at 69barg)

-18

Max carbon dioxide (mole%)

Max hydrogen sulphide and COS (ppmv)

Max O2 (ppmv)

Max daily average methanol content (ppmv)

2.5

Max peak methanol content (ppmv)

20

Max daily average glycol content (litres/MSm3)

Rich gas

Designation and unit

Onshore processes

Gas quality specs along the value chain (2/2)

Specifications for sales (dry) gas transport
Specification

Hydrocarbon dew point (C at 50 barg)

-10

Water dew point (C at 69 barg)

-18

Maximum carbon dioxide (mole%)

2.50

Maximum oxygen (ppmv)

Maximum hydrogen sulphide incl. COS (mg/Nm3)

Maximum mercaptans (mg/Nm3)

6.0

Maximum sulphur (mg/Nm3)

30

Gross Calorific Value (MJ/Sm3)

38.1 43.7

Gross Calorific Value (MJ/Nm3)

40.2 46.0

Gross Calorific Value (kWh/Nm3)

11.17 12.78

Wobbe Index (MJ/Sm3)

48.3 52.8

Wobbe Index (MJ/Nm3)

51.0 55.7

Wobbe Index (kWh/Nm3)

14

14.17 15.47

Sales (dry) gas

Designation and unit

Onshore processes

Receiving terminals

Natural Gas Processing

Water dew point

Water occurs naturally in the reservoir
Free water phase is removed in 3-phase separators

Water (vapour) is naturally dissolved in the natural gas

Water must be removed from the gas to avoid:
Free water in gas pipelines (corrosion)
Ice/hydrate formation (plugging of equipment and pipes)

Water removal processes:

Condensation (cooling and separation)
Absorption by glycol processes (moderate dew-pointing)
Adsorption on solids (severe dew-pointing)

16

Water dew point

Offshore processes

Onshore processes

Transport
specification:

Process
specification:

-18C at 69 barg

0.1 to 1 ppmv

(20-30 ppm)

Process needed:
Glycol absorption
process

17

Process needed:
Adsorption on
solids

Water removal offshore - Glycol absorption (physical)

Counter-current mixing of tri-ethylene glycol (TEG) and natural gas
Water
vapour

Meets pipeline water dew point specifications (-18C at 69 barg)

Dry natural gas

P=70 bar
T=30C

P=1bar
T=200C

Flash drum

Lean TEG

Glycol
Regenerator

Filters
Glycol
Contactor

Surge drum

Wet natural
gas

Pump
HT HX

LT HX
Cooler
Rich TEG

Glycol/condensate
separator
Filter

18

Water removal onshore - Adsorption on solids

Adsorption in to a solid material
Used in deep gas processing at low temperatures
Removal of smaller amounts of water
Extreme dryness, down to 0.1 ppm water
Porous structures with high internal surface area (200 800 m2/g)
Strong affinity for water, 5 25 % by weight
Solids like
Molecular sieve (3A or 4A type) (Zeolite)
Activated alumina (Al2O3)
Silica gel (SiO2)

Activated carbon
Regenerative processes

19

Water removal by adsorption

Source: UOP

Acid/sour gas removal (CO2 and H2S)

Most natural gas contains acid gas
CO2 (acid)
H2S and other sulfur compounds (sour)

Why remove acid gas:

Corrosion induced by acid gas (+ free water)
Freezing of acid gas in process equipment
Sales specifications
Toxicity and reactivity (H2S)

Typical specification for sweetened gas:

CO2 in pipeline gas: <2 - 2.5 mol%

CO2 in LNG: <50 ppmv CO2 (very low because of very low process temperatures)
H2S: a few ppmv

21

Acid gas removal (CO2 and H2S) by

absorption (physico-chemical) in amines

22

H2S (traces) removal on metal oxide

Acid gas content <1%
Chemical reaction
MeO + H2S MeS + H2O
<0.1ppmv H2S in product gas
Non-regenerative

Upstream precautions:

Downstream effects:

No liquids (free water / condensate)

Water

Minimise glycols, amines and particles

Dust particles

23

Mercury in natural gas

Mercury is the only metal to be liquid at room T&P (20C, 1atm)
Mercury occurs naturally in oil & gas reservoirs
Mercury concentration vary from one field to another, and also
through one fields lifetime
Mercury compounds are highly toxic
Mercury must be removed prior to gas processing to avoid severe
corrosion of aluminium equipment
Mercury removal process:
Adsorption on solids

24

Mercury removal by adsorption on solids

Main methods

Sulfur impregnated activated carbon

Hg + S HgS

Reaction between Hg and a metal sulfide

(typically alumina) forming HgS (Chemisorption)

Hg + MSx MS(X-1) + HgS

Molecular sieve technology

Amalgamation with silver

<10 ng/Sm3 Hg in product gas (NGL/LNG spec)

Can not be regenerated

Typical intervals for adsorption beds: 6 years

25

Hydrocarbon dew point - Phase envelope of

natural gas
Dense phase

Cricondenbar

Liquid

Critical point

Cricondenbar

Cricondentherm

Cricondentherm

Vapor + liquid
Gas

26

The phase envelope is ONLY

a function of COMPOSITION

Effect of composition on phase envelopes

Effect of heavy ends (C7+)
Manipulate phase envelope by
removing NGL or heavy ends (C7+)

Source: A. M. Elsharkawy / Fluid Phase Equilibria 193 (2002) 147-165

27

Practical importance of phase envelopes

Rich gas pipeline (ab)
Gas transport in pipelines

a
b

Sales gas pipeline (ab):

-

28

Cricondenbar specification
Transport in high pressures
No liquid formation above
cricondenbar (dense phase)
Manipulate phase envelope
by removing NGL to reach a
cricondenbar spec.

Cricondentherm spec
Transport at intermediate/low
pressures
No liquid formation above
cricondentherm (gas phase)
Manipulate phase envelope by
removing NGL to reach a
cricondentherm spec.

Manipulation of phase envelopes along the Value ChainHC dew point control

Source: A.O. Fredheim, E. Solbraa, Compendium Industrial Processes, TEP4185 NTNU

29

NGL recovery processes / HC dew point control

Expander process

Joule-Thompson valve

S2

S2

S1

PRODUCT-FLAS

GAS

S1

GAS

EX1

VALVE
PRODUCT-FLAS

FEED-FL ASH

S3

S3

FEED-FL ASH

FEED

FEED
LIQUID

LIQUID

JT-valve (isenthalpic)
Expander process (isentropic) creates shaft work achieves lower temperatures (deeper NGL extraction)
Expander combined with a compressor (energy recovery)

30

NGL recovery processes / HC dew point control

Pre-cooling and expansion

Heat integration between feed and

product (gas/gas HX)

Precooling with sea

water or extra cooling
(refrigeration cycle)
S2

S2

S1

S1

S4

E1
S5

EX1

S5

S4

EX1

E1

E2

S3

GAS

S7

GAS

FEED-FL ASH

S3

PRODUCT-FLAS

PRODUCT-FLAS

FEED-FL ASH

FEED

FEED

LIQUID

31

LIQUID

Deeper NGL extraction

More robust scheme

NGL fractionation
NGL fractionation in series of distillation columns
Make high added value products (C2, C3, C4, C5+)

Propane

C2+ from
NGL recovery

4
1

3
2

Feed

C2
Sea
water
5

6
7
Steam
8

C3
5

De-etanizer

Sea
water

Sea
water

iC4

Steam
De-propanizer

Steam

nC4

Steam

C5+
De-butanizer

32

Butane
splitter

Real Process Plants

Snhvit

Offshore processing: sgard B

Melkya

Norne
sgard Heidrun
Kristin
Haltenpipe

TS
Ormen Lange
Statfjord

Tjeldbergodden

Nyhamna

Troll
Frigg

Kollsnes

Vesterled
Sleipner

Krst

St Fergus
Europipe II

Ekofisk

Europipe I
Langeled

Zeepipe I

Norpipe
Franpipe

Easington
Emden
Zeebrugge
Dunkerque

34

sgard B Process

CO2/H2S
removal

Water dew point

HC dew point

RICH GAS
EXPORT

FEED (3-phase)
Inlet separation

Oil stabilization

STABILISED
OIL

35

Snhvit

Example onshore processing:

Krst plant

Melkya

Norne
sgard Heidrun
Kristin
Haltenpipe
TS
Ormen Lange
Tjeldbergodden
Statfjord
Nyhamna
Troll
Frigg

Kollsnes

Vesterled
Sleipner

Krst

St Fergus

Ekofisk

Europipe II

Europipe I
Langeled
Zeepipe I Norpipe
Franpipe
Easington
Emden
Zeebrugge
Dunkerque

36

Krst plant: Feed pretreatment

H2S
removal
Mercury
removal

Water dew point

Krst plant: HC dew point control unit (DPCU)

COOLING
Gas/Gas HX

NGL RECOVERY
JTvalves

LT separator

De-C1
column

Turbo-expander

Expansion/compression

38

C2+ to NGL
fractionation

Future Oil & Gas Production

The Statoil Subsea Factory

Sea water injection

template with pumping
Produced water
injection template

Oil storage

Oil export

Oil pump
Gas export
Power distribution
and control

Gas compression

Gas, oil, produced

water separation
Manifold
Produced water
injection pump

Production
template
Production
template

ROV
intervention

39

Thank you

Presenters name: Dr. Stathis Skouras

Presenters title: Principal Researcher, RDI Centre Trondheim, Statoil, Norway
efss@statoil.com, tel: +47 97 69 59 62

www.statoil.com

40

General block diagram for an off-shore

process

WELL STREAM
CONDENSATE/
WATER
SEPARATING
STABILIZING

RICH GAS
SOUR
GASES

DRYING COMPRESSION

MEG
MEG WATER
TREATING
DESTILLATION

CONDENSATE

41

H2S and
CO2

WATER