Why Glycol Dehydration is so Important

When it comes to gas companies, they are constantly looking for new ways to process natural gas and natural gas liquids. In recent years, glycol dehydration has become a process that many natural gas companies choose to use when servicing gas plants. So what exactly is glycol dehydration and why has it become such a popular process for natural gas companies?

Glycol dehydration is a liquid system used to remove water from natural gas and natural gas liquids. The water that is removed during glycol dehydration is the result of the natural gas being produced in a reservoir. For gas companies, it is important to remove the water because the water can freeze in piping or form hydrates with hydrocarbons.

For gas companies, glycol dehydration is important because it is the most common and economical means of water removal. Without proper dehydration processes, liquid water could drop out of the natural gas streams when lower pressure is experienced. When this occurs acid gas is often present which leads to corrosion, a chemical reaction that destroys the gas.

When the glycol dehydration process begins, triethylene glycol (TEG) or diethylene glycol (DEG) is used to remove the water from the stream of gas. Glycol dehydration units are represented by a contactor, flash tank, regenerator and heat exchangers. The glycol, TEG or DEG, enters the top of the contactor and absorbs the reservoir water. Meanwhile, at the top of the contactor a dry gas exits, this dry gas is then used for cooling the incoming glycol.

The next step taken occurs when the stream flows to the flash tank where hydrocarbons, as mentioned previously, are used as fuel. Now, the glycol flows to the stripper where it boils off the water and returns the contractor.

Because glycol dehydration is a complex system that involves knowledgeable staff, it is important to turn to a reliable and knowledgeable natural gas company, and that is exactly what Blue Sky Midstream is.