NATURAL GAS

CHE252
INDUSTRIAL PROCESS

What is natural gas?

- A mixture of HC compounds & small quantities of
various non HC (eg. N2 & CO2) existing in the
gaseous phase or in solution with oil in natural
underground reservoirs at reservoir conditions
- Natural gas is so called because it occurs
naturally
- Formed from sediments rich in organic matter
which in the past have been treated to high T & P
- Found undergrd structures similar to crude oil
- May or may not be associated wt accumulation
of oil
- Virtually all oil accumulation have nat. gas
associated wt them but many gas accumulation
exist independently of oil accumulation

Composition and Terminology

- NG consists of varying proportions of HC of paraffin
series wt CH4 predominating
- Dry gas little or no pentane & heavier fractions (C 5+)
present
- Wet gas significant amt of C5+ present
- Other component : CO2, N2, H2S, He,Ar, Hg, H2O, solid
particles etc present
- Condensate/natural gasoline - C5+ fractions liquid phase
at atmos. T & P
- NGL ethane, propane and butanes
- LNG natural gas mainly methane liquefied by cooling
to minus 161.5oC at atm. Pressure
- LPG mixture in either liq or gas phase of propane n
butane

Exploration
Oil & gas accumulate undergrd if the following
geological conditions are met:
- presence of reservoir rock containing
interconnected pores eg. Sands and sandstones
or limestones
- presence of cap rock eg. Clays, anydrite, salt or
shales
- presence of a trap ie. Geometrical configuration
of rocks and seal that prevents lateral escape

Exploration methods
1. Gravimetric
- Measuring slight variations in force of
gravity at surface influenced in
magnitude & direction by distribution of
rock of diff density underlying the area
- Gravity surveys carried out by air n
particularly useful for locating salt
structures

2. Magnetic
- Measuring variations in intensity of
earths magnetic field
- Method give indication of presence n
thickness of sedimentary formation since
sedimentary rocks are non magnetic
while igneous & metamorphic rocks are
magnetic

3.
-

Seismic
Most important & expensive
Works on principle of low frequency sound waves
generated from sources on or just below the land or
water surface being reflected & refracted as they pass
thru rock layers & measuring time taken for sound
waves to travel back to surface
Returning sound waves pick by geophones on land
surface or hydrophones in water converted to electric
signals & stored on magnetic tape for digital computer
processing
Despite all the latest tech. available, only way to
confirm whether structure contain oil or gas is to drill a
well
In addition, drilling provides more information on
further exploration and future field development plan

Drilling
- Techniques same whether on land or sea
- Penetration of subsurface achieved by a
steel, tungsten carbide or diamond bit
attached to screw-jointed pipes, rotated at
surface

Objective of gas processing

- To remove any impurities present
- To extract valuable component of natural
gas (C3H8 n C4H10)
- To ensure customers specification for
quality gas are met

 Schematic LNG plant: main components

Gas receiving & metering

- Feed gas regulated at satisfactory P for
later removal of HC which otherwise
cause problems in downstream processes
- For high P gas - P let down station
installed
- For low P gas compressors used
- Metering gas quantity supplied to plant
necessary if gas supplier(s) is owner of
the plant which is often the case

Acid Gas Removal (Sulfinol Unit)

- CO2, H2S & other sulphur compounds are
removed to acceptable levels to avoid freezing
out in liquefaction unit
- CO2 : 50 ppm by volume
- Sulphur compounds < 3 ppm
- Involved a solvent which absorbs the impurities
& releases them in a regenerator
- If sufficient H2S present, a sulphur recovery unit
installed to convert sulphur compounds into
elemental sulphur, a saleable prodt

Mercury Removal
- Allowable limit: 0.1 g/Nm3
- Reason: to prevent corrosion of pipework and
equipment made of aluminium or alloys
- Achieved by passing feed gas thru sulphur
impregnated carbon, whereby Hg reacts
(chemisorption) wt sulphur to form stable
mercuric sulphide or adsorption onto
macroporous alumina
- Adsorbents not regenerable, disposal of spent
chemical which contain certain %tage Hg has to
be controlled for safety and environmental
reasons

Dehydration

- Treated sweet gas leaving acid gas removal unit is

saturated wt water since solvents are aqueous solution
- Bef. Cooling below 0oC, gas must be dried to avoid icing
up in downstream process
- Done in 2 stages
- 1st: water condensed n separated from gas stream by
cooling
- 2nd: balance water vapour removed by adsorption on
molecular sieves
- Acceptable limit: < 1 ppm
- Usu. 3 driers required:
1st drier in service
2nd drier being regenerated by heated stream of dry gas
3rd on standby

Heavy Hydrocarbon separation

- Design of units depends on:
a. quantities of CH4 n other heavier HC present
in NG
b. the need to extract heavy HC that can freeze
out in liquefaction unit
c. the need to meet LNG specs as agreed by
customers
- Achieved usg cryogenic scrubbing involved
cooling NG against boiling C3 down to abt -30oC
- liq. mixture goes to fractionation unit
- Stripped NG to liquefaction for further cooling

Fractionation
- Involved a series of DCs: de-methanizer, deethanizer, de-propanizer, de-butanizer
- Each stripping out one component from its top
end
- Bottom stream of each column fed to the next so
that fr last column flows pentanes & heavier HCs
known as gasoline or NGL
- Streams of C2, C3 and C4 from tops of columns
are either reinjected into liquefaction unit

Liquefaction
- 3 main processes:
a. pure refrigerant cascade process
b. mixed refrigerant process
c. combination of both ie. the pre-cooled
mixed refrigerant process
- Operates similar to refrigerator at home

Storage & loading facilities

- NG is stored in liquefied form above
ground or in-ground tanks