Operating costs cut 60% with amine switch. [Methyldiethanolamine and diethanolamine]
At the Waveland, Miss., facility of United Gas Pipe Line Co., a methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) unit was supplemented by a smaller diethanolamine (DEA) unit. With the units running in parallel, product gas specifications could be met. Each unit was treating about one-half the 30 MMscfd flow of sour gas. Natural gas, purchased from nearby producers, comes into the plant containing 40-60 ppm H/sub 2/S and 4.8% CO/sub 2/. Although the absorber of the MDEA unit was adequate to handle the gas flow and remove the H/sub 2/S to specification, the reboiler capacity was not sufficient to meet a 2% CO/sub 2/ specification. MDEA concentration was limited to less than 40% by potential corrosion problems. The DEA unit was more expensive to operate, requiring sweet processed gas as boiler fuel, and consumed twice as much electricity as the MDEA unit. The combined outlet gas from the two units met volume requirements and specifications. But the system presented operational problems. Repeated foaming occurred with the MDEA unit. Daily losses of solvent were as much as 250 gal. By closely monitoring the system, United Gas was able to reduce foaming significantly by minimizing contamination with liquid hydrocarbons which had been entering with the feed gas during line surges. Extra labor was required. Several approaches were investigated involving equipment modifications and new materials. As a result of the study, United Gas concluded that the system could be optimized and all incoming gas treated in one unit by switching solvent. Conventional MDEA was replaced by a specially formulated MDEA based solvent with low foaming tendency (Union Carbide Corp.'s Ucarsol HS Solvent 101). It could be used at a 50% concentration in aqueous solution without apparent corrosion.
- OSTI ID:
- 6994332
- Journal Information:
- Oil Gas J.; (United States), Vol. 82:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
AMINES
SOLVENT PROPERTIES
CARBON DIOXIDE
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
NATURAL GAS
DESULFURIZATION
NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS
OPERATING COST
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
BOILER FUELS
BOILERS
CONTAMINATION
CORROSION
FOAMS
GAS FLOW
HYDROCARBONS
LABOR
MONITORING
OPTIMIZATION
POWER DEMAND
QUANTITY RATIO
SPECIFICATIONS
SULFUR CONTENT
VOLUME
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLLOIDS
COST
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
EXTRACTION
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MIXTURES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENTS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
030300* - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
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