Gas processing developments. Why not use methanol for hydrate control

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1983 · Hydrocarbon Process.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5874635

Nielsen, R B; Bucklin, R W

Hydrate formation in turboexpander plants can be avoided more economically by using methanol than by using solid bed dehydration. Although the first turboexpander plant used methanol, most expander installations now have used solid bed dehydration. The reasons are obscure, since methanol often grants greater ease of operation as well as lower capital and operating costs, especially when the water in the feed gas is low or when recompression is required. Natural gas generally contains water before processing. High pressure, low temperature, or both favor the combination of water with light gases to form hydrates. Free water always must be present for hydrates to form. Hydrates cause problems by plugging pipelines, valves, and other process equipment. Therefore, proper equipment design requires accurate prediction of the limiting conditions at which hydrates are formed anytime a gas stream containing hydrate formers and free water is cooled below 80 F. (16 refs.)

• OSTI ID: 5874635
• Journal Information: Hydrocarbon Process.; (United States), Vol. 62:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
GAS HYDRATES
CONTROL
NATURAL GAS
PROCESSING
DEHYDRATION
METHANOL
NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
WATER
ALCOHOLS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HYDRATES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
030300* - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing