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g a s

P r o c e S s I n

Gas Processing

propane, butane, and heavier components from a gas stream.


They may be fractionated and sold as "pure" components, or they
may be combined and sold as a natural gas liquids mix, or NGL.

PME 324 I Natural Gas Engg. Lab.

The term "gas processing" is used to refer to the removing of ethane,

Gas Processing

that are to be recovered from the gas into an NGL stream. It may then
be desirable to fractionate the NGL stream into various liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) components of ethane, propane, iso-butane, or
normal-butane.

PME 324 I Natural Gas Engg. Lab.

The first step in a gas processing plant is to separate the components

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certain criteria as shown in Table 9-1.

PME 324 I Natural Gas Engg. Lab.

The LPG products are defined by their vapor pressure and must meet

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PME 324 I Natural Gas Engg. Lab.

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properties in Table 9-2. NGL is made up principally of pentanes and


heavier hydrocarbons although it may contain some butanes and very
small amounts of propane. It cannot contain heavy components that
boil at more than 375F.

PME 324 I Natural Gas Engg. Lab.

The unfractionated natural gas liquids product (NGL) is defined by the

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PME 324 I Natural Gas Engg. Lab.

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economical to extract and sell the liquid products even though this
lowers the heating value of gas.

The value of the increased volume of liquids sales may be significantly


higher than the loss in gas sales revenue because of a decrease in

heating value of the gas.

PME 324 I Natural Gas Engg. Lab.

In most instances gas processing plants are installed because it is more

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be divided into 24 possible grades on the basis of Reid vapor pressure


and percentage evaporated at 140F. Each grade shall have a range in
vapor pressure of four pounds, and a range in the percentage
evaporated at 140F of 15%. The maximum Reid vapor pressure of the
various grades shall be 14,18, 22, 26, 30, and 34 pounds respectively.

The minimum percentage evaporated at 140F shall be 25, 40, 55, and
70 respectively. Each grade shall be designated by its maximum vapor
pressure and its minimum percentage evaporated at 140F, as shown in
the following:

PME 324 I Natural Gas Engg. Lab.

In addition to the above general specifications, natural gasoline shall

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PME 324 I Natural Gas Engg. Lab.

Reference

Surface Production Operations Vol. 2 : Design of GasHandling Systems and Facilities


by

KEN ARNOLD
MAURICE STEWART

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