Natural Gas Treatment

1 General Introduction

Course for PDVSA Engineers

Caracas 21 25 th July 2008
 What will be presented
1. General introduction: what is NG, NG market data, NG key properties, overall
treatment steps
2. Natural Gas Dehydration
3. Natural Gas Sweetening
4. Sulfur Recovery
5. NGL Recovery
6. NG Liquefaction
7. GTL
 What is Natural Gas
At wellhead outlet, basically a blend of various components:
The main component: methane 70 99.9 %
Important (% range) HC: ethane, propane, N/iso-butane, N/iso-pentane
Minor heavier HC (< 1 % - ppm range): C6+ paraffinic and aromatics (BTX,)
No olefins
Important acid gases: CO2, H2S, from ppm range up to 70 % +
Impurities (ppm range): water (saturation), organic sulfur species COS, RSH,
Trace contaminant (ppb range): Hg
Inert components: N2 (up to several % mol), He (trace levels)
Usually available at 20 60 C, 10 100 bara
After treatment the sales NG consist mainly in methane + lighter HC gases with
the inerts
 Examples of NG Compositions
(% vol main components)
Lean Dry Gas Associated Gas Sour Gas
35 C 60 bara 47 C 21 bara 60 C 100 bara
C1 92.81 81.36 80.36
C2 5.08 6.42 0.98
C3 1.22 3.00 0.36
Iso-C4 0.08 0.75 0.09
N-C4 0.11 1.18 0.18
Iso-C5 0.01 0.33 0.08
N-C5 0.01 0.32 0.08
C6+ 0.01 0.60 0.44
CO2 0.56 4.72 5.99
H2S - 0.59 5.87
N2 0.09 0.24 5.28
H2O 0.02 0.49 0.29
Examples of NG Heavy HC and impurities content
(ppm vol)
Aromatics Other heavy HC Organic S
Benzene 295 C8 509 COS 62
Toluene 134 C9 294 C1-SH 256
Xylenes 106 C10 220 C2-SH 28
C9 aro 55 C11 83 IsoC3-SH 8
C10 aro 20 C12 7 N C3-SH 2
C 11 aro 15 C4-SH 2
Undefined 35
S
 Terminology
NG = Natural Gas
NGLs = Natural Gas Liquids (Propane, Butane, Condensates C5+)
LNG = Liquefied Natural Gas
GTL = Gas To Liquids (processes for conversion of methane into heavier liquid
hydrocarbons or other liquids such as methanol,.)
GSU = Gas Sweetening Unit / AGRU = Acid Gas Removal Unit
GDU = Gas Dehydration Unit
SRU = Sulfur Recovery Unit
MRU = Mercury/Mercaptans Removal Unit
TCM = Tera (1012) Cubic Meter / TC F = Tera Cubic Foot (always at standard
conditions 15 C, P atm)
MMSCF D = Million Standard Cubic Foot per Day
 The NG Chain:
from wellhead to end users
Transport Pipeline End users

Flared NG

HP
Residential /
HP
Commercial
Sales
Sales NG
NG
Industry
Distribution
Distribution
LP
LP Electricity
Pipe Grid
Grid

Petrochemistry
Production Treatment
Plant LNG Carrier Transport
(NG vehicles)

Regasification
LNG Plant
Gas reinjection Terminal

Liquids
Naphta Transport
NGLs C3 C4 C5 + ( oil fuels)
Kerosene, Gasoil
GTL
Conversion

Source CEDIGAZ
 Proven NG Reserves on 1.1.2007

57,17
6,29
8,02 31,2 %
3,4 %
4,4 % 73,03
40,4 %
14,49
7,9 %
15,15
7,64
North Field/South Pars,
8,9 %
3,8 % 21 % of world reserves
TCM
% world total

Total proven worldwide

NG reserves : 181,8 Tm3 = 6420 TCF
Source: CEDIGAZ
Additional potential reserves # figures
 Worldwide Proven NG Reserves:
Multiplied by 3 since 1975
Tm3
181.8 Tm3 (1.1.2007)

200
180 Asia-Ocania
+ 4 Tm3/an
160 Middle east
140 Middle East

120
100
Africa
80
60
FSU
40
Europe O. & C.
20 South America
0 North America
1975 1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005

Source: Cedigaz
 Offshore Proven NG Reserves

Asie-Ocanie Am. Lat. CEI

Am. du Nord
6% 3% 6%
1% Afrique
4%
Europe
8%

Moyen-Orient
72%

Total offshore : 53,5 Tm3 North Field(Qatar)/South Pars (Iran)

29 % of total proven reserves
Source: CEDIGAZ
 American Proven Reserves
Country TCF (source Oil & Gas Journal 18/12/2006)
USA 192
Venezuela 151 Venezuela reserves ranks 8th worldwide
Canada 56
Trinadad & Tobago 26
Bolivia 24
Argentina 19
Mexico 16
Brazil 12
Others 20
TOTAL 516
 Proven Reserves vs Consumption

Proven reserves on1.1.2007 : Total world consumption in 2006 :

183 Tm3 Ratio 2,88 Tm3
= 63.5 years

10% 15% 13%

9%
50% 21%

31% 51%

OPEP FSU OECD Other Countries

Source : CEDIGAZ
 Year 2006 Marketed NG Production
on Atmospheric Storage Volumen
Projected flat Land Surface = 916 500 km2

3.14 meters
Venezuela
 Main Producing Areas (Gm3/year)

FSU: 784
27,2%
Europe : 305
Am. North : 753 10,6 %
26,2 %

Middle East: 338

Afriqca : 187 11,8 %
6,5 %

Asie-Ocania : 368
12,8 %
Am. Sud : 143
5,0 %

Total worlwide marketed production in

2006 : 2,88 Tm3
Source: Cedigaz
 Main Gas Producing Countries in 2007
Russie
Etats-Unis
Canada
Iran
Norvge
Algrie
Arabie Saoudite
Royaume-Uni
Pays-Bas
Chine
Turkmenistan
Malaisie
Ouzbekistan
Qatar
Indonsie
Gm3
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

USA + Russia : # 40 % of total

The 15 first producers represent 75 % of total
Source: Cedigaz
Production Outlook by Area (Gm3/year)

4000

3500

3000

2500
Others
Middle East
2000
Russia
OECD
1500

1000

500

0
2005 2010 low 2010 high 2020 low 2020 high
 Offshore Production Outlook
Gm3

1400
33 %

1200
29 %
1000
25 %
800

600

19,4 %
400

200

0
1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2010 2020

% of total marketed NG

Source: Cedigaz
 NG Consumption Trends by Areas
Gm3

3000

2500

2000
Afrique

1500 Asie/Ocanie

Moyen-Orient
1000
Amrique latine

Europe
500
Amrique du
Nord
0 CEI
1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006
Source: Cedigaz