Evaluation of process costs for small-scale carbon dioxide removal from natural gas. Topical report, September 1989-December 1989

Technical Report · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:6281242

Changela, M K; Reading, G J; Echterhoff, L W

The report establishes the cost of producing pipeline quality gas on a small scale from high carbon dioxide subquality natural gas. Two processing technologies are evaluated: conventional diethanolamine (DEA) absorption and membrane separation. Comparison of the established costs shows both capital and operating cost advantages for small-scale membrane applications. Membranes offer higher cost savings at low feed flow rates and high carbon dioxide feed contents. Membranes are produced in modules, thus they do not exhibit economies of scale. This works to their advantage for removing carbon dioxide on a small scale. Processing costs for amine systems are more sensitive to economies of scale, and thus decrease more rapidly than for membranes at higher feed flow rates. The report shows that membranes have a definite market niche within the natural gas processing arena. For economic reasons, membranes will likely become the technology of choice for small-scale systems that treat high carbon dioxide content natural gas streams. However, amines will continue to service large-scale systems and applications where deep carbon dioxide removal is required. A related report (GRI Report No. GRI-91/0093 entitled, 'Technical Evaluation of Hybrid Membrane/DEA Modeling') shows that hybrid systems, the integration of membranes and amines, also offer the potential to lower processing costs.

• Research Organization: Pullman Kellogg, Houston, TX (United States)
• OSTI ID: 6281242
• Report Number(s): PB-91-243113/XAB; CNN: GRI-5088-221-1753
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030300* -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
030600 -- Natural Gas-- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
AMINATION
AMINES
CAPITALIZED COST
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COST
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
EVALUATION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MEMBRANES
NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS
OPERATING COST
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
REMOVAL
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SIZE
TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION