NGL EXTRACTION SPE - BACK TO BASICS

Ed Wichert Sogapro Engineering Ltd. September 27, 2011

DEFINITIONS
NGL - C2+ LPG - C3 and C4 LNG - C1 Condensate - plant inlet separator hydrocarbon liquid Pentanes-Plus - C5+ (stabilized condensate)

TYPICAL GAS ANALYSIS

NGL LPG C5+

CHARACTERIZATIONS
Dry Gas Lean Gas Rich Gas Wet (hydrocarbon) Gas Solution Gas Sales Gas or Residue Gas

TYPICAL GAS COMPOSITIONS, MOLE PERCENT

Component Dry Gas Rich Gas Wet Gas (reservoir comp.) Solution Gas Sales Gas

H2 He

0.02 0.00

0.01 0.00

0.00 0.00 0.23 1.08 0.00 70.10 10.10 5.28 1.40 2.15

0.01 0.00

0.01 0.00

N2
CO2 H2S C1

0.68
0.89 0.00 92.32

0.94
0.86 0.00 81.62

0.51
0.82 0.00 77.70

0.55
0.88 0.00 87.92

C2
C3 iC4 nC4

3.25
1.80 0.43 0.61

8.17
4.49 1.44 1.54

10.35
6.85 0.77 1.73

5.25
3.34 0.71 1.02

iC5
nC5 C6 C7+

0.00
0.00 0.00 0.00

0.28
0.45 0.11 0.09

1.01
0.99 2.91 4.75 100.00

0.36
0.41 0.25 0.24

0.25
0.08 0.00 0.00

Total

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

WHY EXTRACT NGL?

Meet Sales Gas Specifications (TCPL)
-10 degrees C (at 5 000 kPa)

Make Money

NGL EXTRACTION METHODS

Short Cycle Dry Desiccant Adsorption Cooling
Joule-Thomson Expansion Refrigeration
With glycol With methanol

Turbo-Expander

Lean Oil Absorption

RULES OF THUMB REGARDING EXTRACTION PROCESSES

For hydrocarbon dewpoint control only: Short cycle adsorption Joule-Thomson expansion Refrigeration to about 20 C For basic NGL recovery: Refrigeration to about 20 C Lean oil absorption at ambient temperature Turboexpander without external refrigeration For high NGL recovery, including ethane: Turboexpander Refrigeration to about -30 C Refrigerated lean oil absorption (not suited for ethane recovery). All require economic comparisons

SCHEMATIC OF SHORT CYCLE ADSORPTION PROCESS EQUIPMENT

.
Inlet Gas

Regen. Gas Flow Controller

Separator Cooler Water and Condensate

Adsorption

Cooling

Heating

Sales Gas

Heater

SCHEMATIC OF JOULE-THOMSON PROCESS EQUIPMENT

Heat Exchanger Inlet Gas Inlet Separator Sales Gas Gas to Recycle Choke

TC LT Separator

Heater Condensate to Stabilizer

Condensate/Glycol Separator Glycol Reconcentration

SCHEMATIC OF REFRIGERATION PROCESS EQUIPMENT

Sales Gas

Propane Chiller Well Production Gas/Gas Heat Exchanger Cold Separator Plant Inlet Separator To Water To Stabiliser Tank
Glycol Injection

Propane

To Fractionator

Flash Tank

Filter Glycol Regeneration

TYPICAL HEAT EXCHANGE AND PROPANE CHILLER EQUIPMENT

Prosernat/IFP Group Technologies, Wikipedia

SCHEMATIC OF IFPEXCOL PROCESS EQUIPMENT

Sales Gas

Propane Chiller Well Production

Contr

Gas/Gas Heat Exchanger Cold Separator

Propane

Plant Inlet Separator

To Water Tank To Water To Stabiliser Tank

Methanol Injection

Methanol Storage

To Fractionator

SCHEMATIC OF TURBOEXPANDER PROCESS EQUIPMENT

Sales Gas Recompressor

Expander / Compressor

Gas Pretreatment (sweetening, drying)

Primary Chiller Chiller Separator Demethanizer Reboiler

Inlet Gas

Inlet Separator Demethanizer Ethane-plus to Fractionation Train

SCHEMATIC OF TURBOEXPANDER PROCESS EQUIPMENT

Sales Gas

Recompressor

Separator

Expander/ - 60 C, Compressor 3000 kPa

Reflux Drum

Demethanizer C3 Refrig. Separator

Reboiler Inlet Gas - 10 C Heat Exchanger - 30 C 6200 kPa

Heat Exchanger Ethane-plus to Fractionation train

D. J. Morgan, O&GJ May 3/76 pp.230-243.

VIEW OF TURBOEXPANDER EQUIPMENT

VIEW OF TURBOEXPANDER EQUIPMENT

SCHEMATIC DRAWINGS OF DIFFERENT FRACTIONATION PROCESSES

Butane and Lighter Overhead

Ethane and Lighter Overhead

Feed from Inlet Separator

Schematic of Stabilizer Operation

Feed from Refrigeration Process

Schematic of De-ethanizer Operation

C5+

C3+ Product

Ethane and Lighter Overhead

Propane and Butane Mixture (LPG)

DE-BUTANIZER

Feed from Refrigeration or Turboexpander Process

Schematic of LPG and C5+ Recovery

C5+ Product

SCHEMATIC DRAWING OF DIFFERENT FRACTIONATION PROCESSES (contd)

Ethane and Lighter Overhead

Propane

Butane

DE-BUTANIZER

Feed from Refrigeration or Turboexpander Process

C5+ Product

SCHEMATIC DRAWING OF DIFFERENT FRACTIONATION PROCESSES (contd)

Ethane and Lighter Overhead

Propane

Butane

DE-BUTANIZER

Feed from Refrigeration or Turboexpander Process

C5+ Product

SCHEMATIC DRAWING OF FRACTIONATION PROCESS EQUIPMENT

From De-Ethanizer

Source: Part of Chart in O&GJ, June 6, 2011

Picture of fractionation tower

SCHEMATIC DRAWING OF LEAN OIL ABSORPTION PROCESS

Gas to Recycle Sales Gas

Reflux Lean Oil Lean Oil Absorber Cooler Stripper Condensate to Fractionator

Lean Oil Tank Heat Inlet Gas

Rich Oil

PHASE DIAGRAMS
Representation of dewpoint, bubblepoint and liquid fractions versus pressure and temperature for a gas composition Quickly visualize the level of liquid formation for selecting the desired operating conditions of pressure and temperature for refrigeration

TYPICAL GAS COMPOSITIONS, MOLE PERCENT

Component Dry Gas Rich Gas Wet Gas (reservoir comp.) Solution Gas Sales Gas

H2 He

0.02 0.00

0.01 0.00

0.00 0.00 0.23 1.08 0.00 70.10 10.10 5.28 1.40 2.15

0.01 0.00

0.01 0.00

N2
CO2 H2S C1

0.68
0.89 0.00 92.32

0.94
0.86 0.00 81.62

0.51
0.82 0.00 77.70

0.55
0.88 0.00 87.92

C2
C3 iC4 nC4

3.25
1.80 0.43 0.61

8.17
4.49 1.44 1.54

10.35
6.85 0.77 1.73

5.25
3.34 0.71 1.02

iC5
nC5 C6 C7+

0.00
0.00 0.00 0.00

0.28
0.45 0.11 0.09

1.01
0.99 2.91 4.75 100.00

0.36
0.41 0.25 0.24

0.25
0.08 0.00 0.00

Total

100.00

100.00

100.00

100.00

50 %

20 %

10 % 5 %

50 %

20 %

10 %

Cooling Path

WHY EXTRACT NGL?

Meet Sales Gas Specifications (TCPL)
-10 degrees C (at 5 000 kPa)

Make Money
Demonstrate NGL value with Excel Spreadsheet

WHAT ABOUT RESERVOIR CYCLING?

Reservoir pressure will drop with production Pressure will drop below dewpoint pressure at reservoir temperature, resulting in loss of heavy components Enhance recovery of NGLs by reservoir cycling

30

20

10

30

20

10

SCEMATIC OF TYPICAL RESERVOIR CYCLING SYSTEM

Gas Treating Plant
Well production and gathering system - Inlet separation - NGL recovery - Dry gas compression and injection

Gas injection wells

RESERVOIR CYCLING SCHEMES

Major reservoir cycling schemes of the past
Kaybob Units 1, 2 and 3 Carson Creek Windfall Brazeau

Requirements
Wet (hydrocarbon) gas Reservoir quality Large price difference between gas and NGLs

CONCLUSIONS
Different methods are available for extracting NGLs from natural gas All of the highlighted methods are being used in Alberta At current price difference between oil and gas it is profitable to extract NGLs Energy equivalence: 1 Bbl of oil 6 Mscf of gas (BOE) Monetary equivalence: 1 Bbl of oil 20 Mscf of gas (currently).

THE END