Module No.

12 : Gas processing

Unit No. 3- Natural gas (NGL) recovery unit

Page 1/11

UNITS IN THIS COURSE

Page 2/11

Module No. 12 : Gas processing

Unit No. 3- Natural gas (NGL) recovery unit

Page 3/11

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Para 3.0 3.1 3.2 COURSE OBJECTIVE INTRODUCTION PROCESS DESCRIPTION 3.2.1 3.2.2 3.2.3 Feed Gas Compression and First Chilldown Vapour and Liquid Dehydration Second Chilldown, Expander/Compressor, and Demethanizer Page 3 4 5 5 7 9

Page 4/11

Module No. 12 : Gas processing

Unit No. 3- Natural gas (NGL) recovery unit

3.0

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Page 5/11

On Completion of this unit the trainee will be able to: Describe and identify the most important pieces of equipment used in an NGL recovery unit. Describe the functions of those pieces of equipment. Follow the flows through a Process Flow Diagram.

Page 6/11

Module No. 12 : Gas processing

Unit No. 3- Natural gas (NGL) recovery unit

Page 7/11

3.1

INTRODUCTION Associated gases from the GOSP's contain a range of hydrocarbons. These range from the lightest gas, methane (Cl) to heavier hydrocarbons, (C6 +). The heavy hydrocarbons can be condensed easily. The lighter hydrocarbons, propane (C3), and especially ethane (C2), need both HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW TEMPERATURE to make them condense. Recall how pressure and temperature affect the boiling points of liquids. Recall also how pressure and temperature affect the dew points of vapours. The dew point is the temperature at which a vapour (gas) turns to liquid at a given pressure. It is very costly to build equipment to contain gases under high pressure. THE COLDER WE CAN MAKE THE GAS, THE LESS PRESSURE WE NEED TO CAUSE CONDENSATION. So, the colder we can make the gas, the less costly the equipment needed to condense it. Recall your "Refrigeration" course. When a gas expands with a pressure drop it gets colder. We can drop the pressure of a gas stream and also use the drop in pressure to make it do work. This is done in a device called an "Expander/Compressor". Recall you learnt about this device in your "Compressors and Turbines" course. To obtain the required low temperatures in the NGL recovery plant liquid propane is used as the refrigerant. Expander/Compressors are used to obtain lower final temperatures. The amount of propane refrigerant used is kept low by using the cold outlet vapours from the expander and demethaniser to cool the feed gas. These warmed outlet gases are then recompressed in the compressor side of the expander/compressor. This provides the load for the expander.

Page 8/11

Module No. 12 : Gas processing

Unit No. 3- Natural gas (NGL) recovery unit

3.2

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

Page 9/11

For ease of understanding we will look at the NGL recovery process in three main stages. 3.2.1 Feed Gas Compression and 1st Chilldown Vapour and Liquid Dehydration 2nd Chilldown, Expander/Compressor and Demethaniser.

Feed Gas Compression and First Chilldown Refer to Process Flow Diagram 3-1

Figure 3-1 Feed Gas Compressor & 1 st Chilldown

Page 10/11

Module No. 12 : Gas processing

Unit No. 3- Natural gas (NGL) recovery unit

Sweet gas from the gas treating plant is the feed gas for this unit. Page 11/11

 The feed gas first passes through the feed gas compressor suction drum. This removes any amine liquid droplets carried over from the gas treating plant. The gas is then compressed in a single stage in the feed gas compressor. This compressor is driven by a gas turbine. After compression the gas is cooled in the compressor after cooler., This is a fin fan cooler. The recycle line for anti-surge protection is taken off downstream of the after cooler. This protects the compressor from overheating should anti-surge control be necessary. It recycles cool gas to the suction side of the compressor, through the suction drum. The cool hydrocarbon liquids from the condensate stripper are spiked into the line downstream of the after cooler. [Recall the condensate stripper was in the W and LP gas compression unit]. The gas is further cooled by heat energy exchange with demethaniser column bottoms product. This occurs in the demethanizer reboiler. The gas is cooled once more by heat energy exchange with liquid propane refrigerant. The condensed liquids and remaining vapours then pass into separator No. 1. The temperature in this separator is controlled at 17 C. This is done by controlling the pressure of the liquid propane refrigerant supply. [This is not shown on the PFDj The vapour passes out of the top of the separator to the vapour dehydrators. The condensed hydrocarbon liquid is pumped to the coalescer. From there it goes to the liquid dehydrators. Any free water that collects in the boot of separator No 1 is dumped into the water blowdown system.

Page 12/11

Module No. 12 : Gas processing

Unit No. 3- Natural gas (NGL) recovery unit

3.2.2

Vapour and Liquid Dehydration

Page 13/11

Fluids entering this part of the plant are at approximately 17 C. Downstream processes make the temperatures much lower. It is therefore very important to dry the fluids before they are processed in the colder sections of the plant. Drying the liquids means there is no risk of hydrates forming. Hydrates are ice -like solids made by hydrocarbons and water under certain temperatures and pressures. At the operating pressures in the NGL plant equipment, the hydrates will form at temperatures as high as 15C. [At plant start-up a chemical called methanol is injected to prevent the formation of hydrates]. Refer to Process Flow Diagram 3-2.

Figure 3-2 Vapour/Liquid Dehydration

Page 14/11

Module No. 12 : Gas processing

Unit No. 3- Natural gas (NGL) recovery unit

This PFD is simplified to make it easier to follow.

Page 15/11

The vapour and liquid dehydrators [driers] are of the molecular sieve type. These molecular sieves contain solid beds which allow hydrocarbon vapours and liquids to pass through. Water can not pass through. The water is trapped in the beds. Each dehydration unit is a dual system. There are 2 vessels for vapours and 2 vessels for liquids. While one vessel is in action drying the liquids, the second vessel is being regenerated. An automatic system controls the valves around the vessels. This automatic system also switches the vessels from drying to regeneration on a fixed time basis. Hot dry residue gas (methane) is used to regenerate the dehydrators. The process flow is as follows: The vapours from separator No 1 flow downward through the vapour dehydrator where any water is trapped in the molecular sieve bed. The dried gases are filtered in the vapour dehydrator outlet filter. This removes any fine solids picked up by the gas from the molecular sieve. The gases then flow on to the second chilldown. The flow of the hydrocarbon liquids is controlled by the level controller on separator No 1 . The hydrocarbon liquids pumped from separator No 1 first pass through a coalescer. The coalescer removes any free water in the liquid hydrocarbon stream. This prevents free water reaching the molecular sieves. This water is discharged through the water blowdown system. The hydrocarbon liquids then flow downward through the liquid dehydrator where any remaining water is trapped in the molecular sieve bed. The dried hydrocarbon liquids then flow to the demethanizer column (tower).

Page 16/11

Module No. 12 : Gas processing

Unit No. 3- Natural gas (NGL) recovery unit

3.2.3

Second Chilldown, Expander/Compressor, and Demethanizer

Page 17/11

This section of the NGL recovery plant is more complex. If we take the two flows (vapour and liquid) step by step it will be easy to understand. Refer to Process Flow Diagram 3-3.

Figure 3-3 Second Chilldown & Demethanisation In the vapour stream the dry sweet gas from the vapour dehydrator is chilled by heat energy exchange at three points. Exchanger No 1. uses cold vapours from the expander outlet K.O. drum plus cold vapours from the demethanizer overhead.

Exchanger No 2 uses cold liquids from separator No 2.

Page 18/11

Module No. 12 : Gas processing

Unit No. 3- Natural gas (NGL) recovery unit

Chiller No 1

Page 19/11

uses propane refrigerant

As the vapour stream cools some of the hydrocarbons condense. The condensed liquids flow to separator No 2 where they separate from the gas. These liquids flow from the bottom of separator No 2, through exchanger No 2 and on to the demethanizer column. The remaining vapours flow from the top of separator No 2. These vapours are further cooled at exchanger No 3. This uses the cold vapours from the expander outlet K.O. drum plus the cold vapours from the demethanizer overhead. As the temperature of the vapours fails more liquids are condensed. These liquids are removed in separator No 3. From there they flow to the demethanizer column. The vapours from separator No 3 flow to the expander inlet drum. Here, any condensed liquids are removed. These liquids join the liquids flowing from separator No 3 to the demethanizer column. The vapours are expanded in the turbo-expander with a pressure drop of approximately 400 psi. This expansion causes the turbo expander to spin. The vapours are cooled by their expansion. Liquids produced in the cooling/expansion are separated in the expander outlet knockout drum. These liquids are pumped to the top of the demethanizer column. The chilled vapours leaving the top of the expander outlet K.O. drum combine with the vapours from the demethanizer overhead and flow back through the chilldown train. They are used to cool the vapour feed coming in to exchangers No 3 and No 1. After cold recovery at exchangers No 3 and No 1 these vapours pass through the shell side of the propane sub-cooler. Here, they are used to cool the propane refrigerant. The vapours, now called "residue gas", are then compressed in the recompressor that is driven by the turbo-expander.

Page 20/11

Module No. 12 : Gas processing

Unit No. 3- Natural gas (NGL) recovery unit

The residue gas finally exits the NGL unit to be used as fuel gas at Page 21/11

approximately 300 psi. The demethanizer is a 26 tray multiple feed stripper column. It strips the methane gas from the feed liquid. The coldest feed comes from the turbo-expander outlet K.O. drum. This liquid is fed into the top tray; No 26. The next coldest feed is the liquid from separator No 3 and the expander inlet drum. This is fed into tray No 23, lower down the column. The next coldest feed is the liquid from separator No 2. This is fed into tray No 13. The warmest feed is the liquid from the liquid dehydrators. This is fed into tray No 7 near the bottom of the column.

The demethanizer has 2 reboilers: The main reboiler takes heat energy from the feed gas compressor discharge gases. Warm liquid from the bottom tray is pumped through the reboiler. 80% of the stripping vapour needed by the column is provided by this reboiler.

The trim reboiler provides the remaining 20% of the stripping vapour. This trim reboiler uses hot oil to produce heat energy. The two phase flow stream from the main reboiler returns to the demethanizer column at the bottom. It flows into a section called the "Product Surge Volume" section. The trim reboiler also takes its feed from this section of the column, and returns its two phase flow back to, this section. The two phase NGL product separates in this bottom section of the demethanizer column. The vapour phase rises up through an internal chimney pipe into the main body of the tower. This is the stripping vapour. The liquid that remains is the NGL product. The NGL product is pumped to the Gas Fractionating Plant.

Page 22/11