TRAINING REPORT

ON

NATURAL GAS QUALITY ENHANCEMENT

IN LIGHT OF
OIL AND NATURAL GAS CORPORATION
GAS PROCESSING PLANT
HAZIRA, SURAT(GUJRAT)

DURATION: 24/05/2018-25/06/2018

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Ms. Vishakha Singh Rajkishan Gupta
DGM (Production) B. Tech ( 2nd Year )
ONGC Corporate Office Chemical Engineering
New Delhi. RGIPT, Jais, Amethi.
Field Operations and Inlet Receiving:
Field Operations comprises following steps:
1.Wellhead operations:
The operations done to basically control the flow of the gas.

2. Piping:
Many wells are tied to a platform, and then from those multiple
platforms, the gas is tied together into large pipelines that go to the
gas plant for further processing.

3. Compression Stations:
The compression stations also called booster stations which are there
to pump the gas to make it move into the gas plant. In addition to this
these stations usually have inlet suction separators (scrubbers) to
remove condensed liquids. Some stations even have dehydration
facilities to reduce corrosion and mitigate hydrate formation. The
booster horsepower ranges from 10 to 1000.

Fig.2 A Booster station

Fig. 3 Schematic of common operations at a compression station on a
gathering
System.

4.Pigging
Pigging is the process of forcing a solid object through a pipeline. The
process involves inserting the pig, via a pig launcher, into the pipelines
and removing it by use of a pig receiver. Pigging is used to perform any
of the following functions:
1. Provide a barrier between liquid products that use the same pipeline
2. Check wall thickness and find damaged sections of lines
3. Remove debris such as dirt and wax from lines
4. Provide a known volume for calibrating flow meters
5. Coat inner pipe walls with inhibitors
6. Remove condensed hydrocarbon liquids and water in two phase
pipelines

INLET RECEIVING:
Gas and liquids that enter the gas plant pass emergency shutdown
valves, which
isolate the plant from incoming streams and pig receivers, and then go
to inlet
receiving, where condensed phases drop out.
The very first liquid-gas separations occurs in slug-catcher.

Slug Catcher:
A slug catcher is gas liquid separator cum liquid reservoir separator,
where separation typically occurs between the heavy liquid
hydrocarbons and the gaseous lighter ends i.e. the gas or vapor is
separated from the liquids. The slug catcher has been sized so as to
allow the separation of the maximum condensate flow from natural
gas.
Slug catchers are critical because downstream gas processing units
rely on a continuous gas stream free of liquids, even when surges of
liquid enter the plant problems occur. A slug catcher is a gas−liquid
separator sized to hold the biggest slug a plant will experience.
 Depending upon slug catcher design, inlet receiving handles just slugs
or combines slug catching with liquid storage.

Separator principles:
Separators also called scrubbers, knock out pots, inlet receivers.
Effective
phase separators protect downstream equipment designed to process
a single
phase. It is the critical first step in most processes in gas plants and
typically is
a simple vessel with internal components to enhance separation.

Gas-liquid separators:
Separator vessel orientation can be vertical or horizontal. Vertical
separators are
most commonly used when the liquid-to-gas ratio is low or gas flow
rates are
low. They are preferred offshore because they occupy less platform
area. However,
gas flow is upwards and opposes the flow of liquid droplets. Therefore,
vertical separators can be bigger and, thus, more costly than horizontal
separators. Hazira has horizontal separators.
Vapor-liquid separator is one of the most common types of process
equipment in natural gas processing plants. A vapor-liquid separator is
a vessel into which a liquid and vapor mixture is fed and wherein the
liquid is separated by gravity, falls to the bottom of the vessel, and is
withdrawn. The vapor travels upward at a design velocity which
minimizes the entrainment of any liquid droplets in the vapor as it exits
the top of the vessel. A vapor-liquid separator might consist simply of
an empty vessel, which causes the fluid velocities in the entering pipe
to be reduced by enlarging the cross-sectional area of flow. Usually,
however the separator includes internal parts, to promote separation of
the process, such as:

1.Primary separation section (entrance): for separating

the bulk of the liquid from the gas. It is desirable to remove the liquid
slugs and large droplets of liquid quickly from the gas stream, and to
remove gas from the liquid.

2.Secondary separation section: for removing smaller

particles of liquid by gravity settling depends to a large extent on the
decreased gas velocity and reducing the turbulence of gas.

3. Liquid separation section (or the liquid

accumulation section): for removing gas bubbles which may be
occluded with the liquid, and for sufficient storage of the liquid to handle
the slugs of liquid anticipated in routine operation.

4. Mist extractor or eliminator section (mist pad): for

removing from the gas entrained drops of liquid, which did not separate in
the secondary separation section. Mist extractor might be used to
decrease the amount of entrained liquid in the gas and to reduce
diameter of the vessel. Thickness of mist eliminator is typically 6 inch.

5. Vortex breaker (in the bottom of the vessel):

prevents potential pump suction problems if a pump is used to remove
collected liquids. Provide vortex breakers on outlet nozzles that are piped
to a pump and where flow continuity at minimum liquid level is critical.
Hydrocarbon liquid outlets should project 4 to 6 inches above the drum
bottom if water is likely to be present and the water will interfere with
downstream processing.
Slug Catcher at Hazira Plant:
Slug catcher is made of 48 fingers [ 24 fingers each] having diameter of
48” for each finger. It is split into two 24 pipe sectors fully self sufficient
for 50% running in the event of maintenance of one of them.
Slug catcher length 490 metres
Area of separation 5% slope
Area of storage 0.5% slope
Length of storage area 459 metres

With this two different sloping greater efficiency of separation is ensured.

This geometrical configuration has helped as follows:
1. To keep the height of slug catcher within the limit.
2. To reduce storage area.
3. Uniform sharing of gas in different fingers.
4. Progressive decrease in the flow speed facilitating separation of
liquid from gas.
There are 3 risers at beginning, centre and end of the section.
 1. PRIMARY RISER: Close to the inlet side of the slug catcher, allows
separated gas to come out during normal flow.
2. SECONDARY RISER: Positioned approximately in the centre, diverts
small quantities of gas coming with liquid. Also, it acts as escape
route for gas left in this area during arrival of condensate during
pigging.
3. EQUALISING HEADER: Positioned at the end of the storage area, to
prevent liquid agitation and entrainment produced by current flow of
gas and liquid towards primary header.
If we look at the ratio of total length of slug catcher to the length used for
storage we see that only 10% of the total length is utilised for the primary
separation or simple two phase separation rest 90% of length is used for
secondary or gravity separation and storage.

Primary Separation: Primary separation is accomplished by

utilizing the difference in momentum between gas and liquid. Larger
liquid droplets fail to make the sharp turn and impinge on the inlet wall.
This action coalesces finer droplets so that they drop out quickly.
Although inlet geometries vary, most separators use this approach to
knock out a major portion of the incoming liquid.

Gravity Settling: Gravity settling requires low gas velocities with

minimal turbulence to permit droplet fallout.

Gravity Separation or secondary separation:

The main separators are gravity type. This type tends to use gravity as
the dominant
force. Gravity settling requires low gas velocities with minimal turbulence
to permit
droplet fallout. Gravity separations also depend essentially on the density
differences of the gas, solid, or liquids present in the mixture. The particle
(droplet) size of the dispersed phase and the properties of the continuous
phase are also factors with the separation motivated
by the acceleration of gravity. Liquid droplet dropout when gravitational
pull is greater than the drag force of the flowing fluids around the droplet.
These forces can be described mathematically using the terminal or
finite-settling velocity calculation,
Where,
VT = terminal velocity, ft/s
Dp = droplet diameter, ft
g = gravitional constant, 32,17 ft/s2
ρL = liquid density, lb/ft3
ρV = vapor density, lb/ft3
C’ = drag coefficient, dimensionless
The drag coefficient (C’) is a dimensionless quantity that is used to
quantify the drag or
resistance of an object in a fluid. It is always associated with a particular
surface area.
For the purpose of this equation, particle shape (droplet) is considered to
be a solid,
rigid sphere. This value also depends on the Reynolds number of the
flowing fluid.

Where,
Re = reynold number, dimensionless
μ = viscosity, cP
Iteration is needed to solve this problem since the terminal velocity (VT)
is involved in
both equations. Thus, the simplified equation is presented to avoid trial
and error
solution.

Values of the drag coefficient as a function of the product of drag

coefficient (C′) times
the Reynolds number squared are presented in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Drag coefficient for rigid spheres

Depending on Reynolds numbers, terminal velocity could be determined
by several
laws:
1. Stokes’ Law
Stokes’ Law is commonly applied at low Reynolds number (<2).

2. Intermediate Law
This law is applied for Reynolds number between 2 and 500.
3. Newton’s Law
Newton’s Law is applicable for a Reynolds number range of approximately
500-
200,000. Use value of 0.44 for drag coefficient (C’), thus the terminal
velocity is

For the Newton’s Law region, the upper limit to the Reynolds number is
200,000 and
KCR = 18.13.
Gas Sweetening/Treating Unit:
Gas treating involves reduction of the “acid gases” carbon dioxide (CO2)
and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), along with other sulfur species, to sufficiently
low levels to meet contractual specifications or permit additional
processing in the plant without corrosion and plugging problems.
Before going into the concept of GSU following questions comes in mind
for sure which needs to be answered:
1. Why are the acid gases a problem?
Answer: Hydrogen sulfide is highly toxic, and in the presence of water it
forms a weak,
corrosive acid. The threshold limit value (TLV) for prolonged exposure is
10 ppmv
and at concentrations greater than 1,000 ppmv, death occurs in minutes.
When H2S concentrations are well above the ppmv level, other sulfur
species can be present. These compounds include carbon disulfide (CS2),
mercaptans (RSH), and sulfides (RSR), in addition to elemental sulfur. If
CO2 is present as well, the gas may contain trace amounts of carbonyl
sulfide (COS). The major source of COS typically is formation during
regeneration of molecular-sieve beds. Carbon dioxide is nonflammable
and, consequently, large quantities are undesirable in a fuel. Like H2S, it
forms a weak, corrosive acid in the presence of water. Thus, the acid
gases present in the natural gas are required to be removed.
2. What are the acid gas concentrations in natural ga
Answer: A subquality gas is that contains CO2 ≥ 2%, N2 ≥ 4%, or H2S ≥
4 ppmv.
3. How much purification is needed?
Answer: The inlet conditions at a gas processing plant are generally
temperatures near ambient and pressures in the range of 300 to 1,000
psi (20 to 70 bar), so the partial pressures of the entering acid gases can
be quite high. If the gas is to be purified to a level suitable for
transportation in a pipeline and used as a residential or industrial fuel,
then the H2S concentration must be reduced to 0.25 gr/100 scf (6
mg/m3) and the CO2 concentration must be reduced to a maximum of 3
to 4 mol%.
4. What is done with the acid gases after separation from the
natural gas?
Answer: For CO2, if the quantities are large, it is sometimes used as an
injection
fluid in EOR (enhanced oil recovery) projects. Several gas plants exist to
support CO2 flooding projects; the natural gas and NGL are valuable
byproducts. If this option is unavailable, then the gas can be vented,
provided it satisfies environmental regulations for impurities. Moritis
(2001) gives a general discussion of the state of EOR in the United States.
Although the United
States has not ratified the Kyoto Treaty, which limits CO2 emissions to the
atmosphere, caps may be placed on these emissions because of the
preponderance of scientific data that shows CO2 is a significant
contributor to global warming.
In the case of H2S, four disposal options are available:
1. Incineration and venting, if environmental regulations regarding
sulfur dioxide emissions can be satisfied.
2. Reaction with H2S scavengers, such as iron sponge.
3. Conversion to elemental sulfur by use of the Claus or similar process.
4. Disposal by injection into a suitable underground formation.
5. What processes are available for acid gas removal?
Answer: Four scenarios are possible for acid gas removal from natural
gas:
1. CO2 removal from a gas that contains no H2S
2. H2S removal from a gas that contains no CO2
3. Simultaneous removal of both CO2 and H2S
4. Selective removal of H2S from a gas that contains both CO2 and H2S
Because the concentrations of CO2 and H2S in the raw gas to be
processed and the allowable acid gas levels in the final product vary
substantially, no single process is markedly superior in all circumstances,
and, consequently, many processes are presently in use.
Below chart suggests what process to select for various percentage of
CO2 and H2S present in the sour natural gas an to make it meet product
specifications.
HAZIRA GAS SWEETENING UNIT:
This is India’s first GSU based on the state of the art MDEA process for
selective removal of H2S from sour gas. Gas is treated with aqueous
solution of MDEA in 7 identical and independent trains each of 5
MMNM3/D capacity. Methyl diethanol amine(MDEA). A tertiary amine,
reacts with H2S selectively.
Amines are bases, and the important reaction in gas processing is the
ability of the amine to form salts with the weak acids formed by H2S and
CO2 in an aqueous solution. When a gas stream that contains the H2S,
CO2, or both, is contacted by a primary or secondary amine solution, the
acid gases react to form a soluble acid−base complex, a salt, in the
treating solution. The reaction between the amine and both H2S and CO2
is highly exothermic. Regardless of the structure of the amine, H2S reacts
rapidly with the primary, secondary, or tertiary amine via a direct proton
transfer reaction, as shown in Equation 5.1, to form the amine
hydrosulfide:

The reaction is shown for a tertiary amine but applies to primary and
secondary amines as well. The reaction between the amine and the CO2
is more complex because CO2 reacts via two different mechanisms.
First reaction mechanism:
When dissolved in water, CO2 hydrolyzes to form carbonic acid, which, in
turn, slowly dissociates to bicarbonate.The bicarbonate then undertakes
an acid−base reaction with the amine to yield the overall reaction shown
by Equation 5.2:

Second CO2 reaction mechanism:

A second CO2 reaction mechanism, shown by Equation 5.3, requires the
presence of a labile (reactive) hydrogen in the molecular structure of the
amine.
Sour gas from slug catcher enters the GSU and is heated in a steam
heater to prevent hydrate formation downstream of pressure let down
valve, as a result of drop in pressure 64.5 Kg/cm2. Sour gas is then mixed
with the sour condensate gas from the Condensate Fractionation Unit and
passes through a knock out drum and flows to the Absorber at a pressure
of 62.5Kg/cm2.
ABSORPTION SECTION:
Raw natural gas from slug catcher is mixed with a sour condensate from
the condensate fractionation unit. This sour condensate off gas enters the
MDEA unit B.L. at 65.0Kg/cm2 pressure and a temperature of 45 0 C.
The raw gas mixture passes via a flow control valve to the knock out
drum, where liquid carry overs (water, hydrocarbons) are requested. Upon
leaving separator, raw gas then enters the amine absorber where it
comes into counter contact with the aqueous solution of MDEA. The
absorber column contains 14 valve trays. The lean MDEA solution enters
the column upper section at 45 0 C. Different liquid feed nozzles on the
column (at 1,3,5,7,9) give the flexibility of allowing the correct number of
trays to be selected to obtain the required results. The required inlet point
will depend upon the feed gas quality and operating conditions.
The treated gas leaves the top of the absorber containing less than 4
ppmv H2S at a temperature of 40 0 C by heat exchanger with cooling
water in the cooler before entering the treated gas knock out drum. In
this drum the liquid phase resulting because of cooling (condensed water,
amine carry over) is separated from the Rich Amine Flash Drum. The
treated gas leaves from the top of 31V302 (refer below figure) and is
piped to the Dehydration Units.
Fig. 10 Gas Sweeting Unit, Hazira Gas processing Plant.
GAS DEHYDRATION UNIT:
Introduction:
The very idea of storing natural gas is to straighten demand and become less dependent on
supply. Natural Gas is stored in summer periods when the needs are lower and withdrawn
in the winter periods. For large volumes of gas to store the underground gas storages (UGS)
are the most advantageous. Types of UGS are:
1) Aquifer
2) Depleted oil/gas field
3) Salt cavern reservoir
Every type of UGS has different physical characteristics. Allowable gas pressure within the
UGS is usually around 20 MPa. The pressure within increases as the gas is being injected and
decreases during withdrawing. Output pressure depends on further pipeline distribution,
usually should exceed 7 MPa. Temperature of gas ranges from 20–35°C. Disadvantage of
UGS is that during the storage the gas is saturated by water vapours. In case of depleted oil
field UGS additionally vapours of higher hydrocarbons are contaminating stored gas. The
distribution specification set the allowable water concentration in Natural Gas by specifying
the dew point temperature (Tdew) of NG. Tdew is -7°C for NG at 4 MPa, this value is
equivalent to roughly 5 gH2O/m3 NG at 4 MPa. Water content which NG at saturation can
contain is dependent on the temperature and pressure within the UGS. Good presentment
is in the GPSA Data Book 12th Edition, Chapter 20 as Figure No. 20 [3]. The average value of
H2O in NG is five times higher than requested. Therefore, dehydration step of Natural Gas
from UGS is essential before its distribution.
Various Dehydration Methods:
In this report I have gone through the main 3 types of dehydration
methods, we will go through each of the methods one by one and then we
will see which method is the most optimum. The 3 different methods are:
1. Absorption method
2. Adsorption method
3. Throttling effect method
Absorption Method:
In this method water gets absorbed by Tri-Ethyl Glycol (TEG). Absorption is
done in glycol contactor, that contactor be a tray column or a packet bed, by counter
current flow of wet gas (20-35°C) and TEG. TEG as gets enriched by H2O comes down and
flows out in the bottom of contactor, then runs through flash and heat exchanger and then
into reboiler. In the reboiler the water gets vaporised and is stripped out off the system. The
temperature should be ofcoursemore than 1000 C (to make water vaporise) but less than
208°C as above that TEG gets decomposed. Lean (regenerated) TEG is then recycled back
through heat exchanger (it loses temperature and cools) and additional cooling unit back
into the system from the top of contactor column.

Fig. Absorption Dehydration Scheme.