Research targets lower gas-processing operating costs
- Gas Research Inst., Chicago, IL (United States)
Increasing natural-gas demand and declining gas quality at the wellhead require the gas-processing industry to look to new technologies to stay competitive. The Gas Research Institute (GRI), Chicago, is managing a research, development, design, and deployment program that could save industry $230 million/year in operating and capital costs from NGL extraction and recovery, dehydration, acid-gas removal/sulfur recovery, and nitrogen rejection. Three technologies are addressed here. (1) Multivariable control (MVC) technology for predictive process control and optimization is installed or in design at 14 facilities, treating a combined total of more than 30 billion normal cu m/year (bcmy; 1.1 trillion standard cu ft/year, tcfy). Simple paybacks are typically less than 6 months. (2) A new acid-gas-removal process based on N-formyl morpholine (NFM) is being field tested that offers 40--50% savings in operating costs and 15--30% savings in capital costs relative to a commercially available physical solvent. (3) The GRI-MemCalc computer program for membrane separations and the GRI-Scavenger CalcBase computer program for scavenging technologies are screening tools that engineers can use to determine the best practice for treating their gas.
- OSTI ID:
- 556879
- Journal Information:
- Oil and Gas Journal, Vol. 95, Issue 52; Other Information: PBD: 29 Dec 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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