Boosting Production with Innovative Sour Gas Treatment Solutions

Highly sour gases require specialized treatment for carbon dioxide removal and H2S removal. Amine plants and processes have been relied upon for many years for the efficient removal of acid gases from both natural and associated gas streams. Such processes are quite versatile and can be utilized for treating a variety of different types of sour gas, regardless of the CO2 or H2S content. Even the most stringent specifications can be met effectively with amine plant solutions, including those implemented in gas liquefaction plants. Due to the variety of amines currently available on the market, it is possible to improve upon various process flow regimens to suit practically any type of gas sweetening application. Those solutions are now being called upon for the treatment of newer and less accessible reservoirs.

As a result of the sheer range of gas processing systems currently available to meet specifications, owners and operators must ensure they select the right technologies that will ensure they are able to meet economic and technological targets. Given the size of the investment in gas processing plants , it is therefore imperative to conduct a comprehensive selection study in order to identify the most efficient and cost-effective treatment package. In a typical gas processing plant, once field production arrives at the processing plant, it is processed in a slug catcher. The slug catcher is responsible for capturing the liquid and diverting it into downstream equipment at a rate that will allow it to be handled properly.

Factors involved in the choice of amine plants to be used in the treating process may depend upon whether the unit is treating petroleum refinery by-product gases, which typically contain lower levels of CO2 and H2S, raw natural gas, or gases that are known to contain a high level of CO2. In situations in which gases that contain a higher percentage of CO2 are being treated, corrosion inhibitors are frequently applied in order to help protect the carbon steel of the unit.

Advanced chemical processes have made it possible to treat gas streams to an even higher degree of efficiency. Alternatives to the use of amines often include membrane technology. Since no reagents are consumed in this process, membranes have rapidly become a preferred technology.

Gas is expected to remain the preferred energy source of the world for decades to come. In light of increasing energy demands, it is imperative for producers to continue utilizing new methods for the development of reservoirs. Today, this often results in the development of fields higher levels of acid gas content. Estimates indicate that approximately 40 percent of the natural or associated gas reserves in the world that have yet to be produced are sour. In most instances, such sour gas content includes the presence of both CO2 and H2S.

Innovative sour gas treatment solutions will continue to lead the way in terms of assisting producers with the ability to tap into production fields that were previously believed to be unfeasible and turn those reservoirs into productive, profitable production fields.