Natural gas treatment: recent developments in desulphurization process
The discovery and utilization of sour gas requires removal of the sulfur compounds, for environmental reasons, to a rather low level. Removal of CO/sub 2/ is less important; a level of one to 2% is tolerated if the gas is sufficiently dry to prevent corrosion. Since the acidities of H/sub 2/S and CO/sub 2/ are similar, total removal is simpler and less expensive than selective desulfurization. Mercaptans require special treatment since they have no acid properties. The method using diethanolamine (DEA) is discussed in detail: it has been successful in over 30 plants, but improvements are still possible. Construction details depend on the quality of the feed gas, on corrosion and on working conditions. Several variations of the process are in use. The main problem still remaining is how to deal with the content of gas in methyl, ethyl and propyl mercaptan. Selective desulfurization has been tried with a new methyl-diethanolamine process. However, nonselective desulfurization is becoming more attractive if the CO/sub 2/ can be recovered, since there is demand for it in some secondary recovery processes.
- OSTI ID:
- 6228937
- Journal Information:
- Pet. Inf.; (United States), Vol. 1519
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
NATURAL GAS
DESULFURIZATION
CARBON DIOXIDE
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
RECOVERY
REMOVAL
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
THIOLS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
030300* - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing