INFORMATION

REFINING OF G A S - C O N D E N S A T E S IN F O R E I G N C O U N T R I E S

Yu. I. Kozorezov UDC 665.511:001.3

The discovery and exploitation of gas-condensate deposits in the Soviet Union make the rational utilization
of eondensates an important problem.

In this connection it is interesting to consider how condensates are utilized in foreign countries, in particular
in the USA and Canada, which have vast stores of condensates at their disposal.

The first gas-condensate deposits were discovered in the USA between 1930 and 1935, In 1961 the proven
reserves of condensate amounted to 952 m i l l i o n tons, i. e., 22.2% of the oil reserves [1]. The total amount of gas-
condensate liquids (condensates, volatile gasoline and liquified gases) produced in 1962 [2] equaled 81,9 m i l l i o n
m a, i. e., 20 volume % o f the total amount of crude oil produced in that year.

The largest number of gas-condensate wells are located in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. More than
90% of the total amount of gas-condensates produced in the USA comes from these states and from California,
Kansas, and Oklahoma.

A relative large amount of condensates is produced in Canada. In 1961 the proven reserves of condensates in
Canada equaled 73 m i l l i o n tons, i. e., 14.7% of total reserves of crude oil [1], and in 1963 the production of gas-
condensate liquids amounted to 4.3 m i l l i o n m a [2], i. e., 10.7% of the total production of crude oil. Gas-conden-
sates are produced mainly in the state of Alberta.

A typical composition of a stabilized condensate as produced by gasoline plants in the USA and Canada [3],
is given below

Density p~0 . . . . . . . . 0.758

ASTM distillation, ~
lowest b, p . . . . . . 40.6
10~ ........... 77
30% ........... lO7
50% ........... 127
70% ........... 164
90% ........... 238
highest b. p ...... 306

Sulfur content, wt. %. 0.1

The condensate fraction boiling at 79~ C has a relatively high octane number ( ~ 70 without TEL and ~ 88
when 0.8 m l of TEL is admixed per liter), The ligroin fraction boiling between 79 and 196 ~ C has the following
hydrocarbon composition (votume %):

paraffins . . . . . . . . . . 55
naphthenes . . . . . . . . . 38
aromatic hydrocarbons.. 7

The m a i n trend in the exploitation of condensate is refining into c o m m e r c i a l oil products such as car gasoline
and diesel fuel, which is done in oil refineries or in plants specially designed for the refining of crude gas-condensates.

In the USA, gas-condensates are refined in plants of the "El Paso Natural Gas Product' Company.

In 1957 this company started a refinery in Siniz (New Mexico) and in 1958 one in Odessa (Texas); tn these two
plants large amounts of gas-condensate liquids can be refined together with crude oil.

The plant in 8iniz produces [4] liquefied gas, car gasoline, kerosene, and boiler fuel in amounts of 1400 ma/day.

Translated from Khimiya i Tekhnologiya Topliv i Masel, No. 1, pp. 61-63, January, 1966.

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 ' ~[---z '1 2(1

2 }_1 ' I VII

1
---~___
Fig. 1. Scheme of the Oil Refinery in Siuiz (USA): 1)distillation unit;
2) catalytic reforming; 3) catalytic cracking; 4) compounding; 5) alkyla-
tion; I) condensate + crude oil; II)straight-run gasoline; III)kerosene;
IV) diesel fuel; V)reformed gasoline; VI) gasoline produced by catalytic
cracking; VII) alkylate; VIII) light gas oil; IX) isobutane from another
source; X)boiler (plant) fuel; XI)commercial gasoline; XII)commercial
butane.

~..-V/

2 I ....
l
I 7

/V
Fig. 2. Scheme of the Canadian plant (Alberta) that refines condensates:
1) distillation unit; 2) purification of straight-run gasoline from sulfur; 3)
hydropurification; 4) platforming; I) condensate; II) straight- run gasoline;
III) residue; IV) kerosene- gas oil fraction; V) gasoline of high octane number;
VI) butane.

g///~

Fig. 3. Scheme of the plant for the refining of condensate: 1)distillation

unit; 2) purification of straight-run gasoline; 3) catalytic reforming (with a
section for preliminary hydropurification); 4)compounding; I)condensate;
II) light crude oil; III) straight-run gasoline; IV) reforming gasoline; V) diesel
fuel; VI) boiler (plant) fuel; VII) commercial gasoline; VIII) butane.

The mixture of crude oil and condensate is fractionated, the straight-run gasoline (lowest b. p. equal to 93~ C)
thus produced is sent m the compounding unit, ligroin (93-204 ~ C) is exposed to platforming at 485~ C, and gas oil
is used as starting material for catalytic cracking. The plant scheme is shown in Fig. 1.
The technological scheme of the oil refinery in Odessa [5] permits the manufacture of gasoline of high octane
number and an extensive assortment of other oil products. The plant produces not only motor fuels but also benzene.
In a preliminary column the C6-C7 fraction is separated from the crude oil and gas-condensate liquids (318 mS/day);
this fraction is catalytically reformed into benzene and toluene. Toluene is later dealkylized to benzene. Pentanes
and the fraction containing Cs- and higher hydrocarbons are used as components of commercial gasolines.
In Oakville, Canada, a new plant [6] was built for refining crude Canadian oil and Condensate into an extensive
assortment of oil products, ranging from aviation gasolines to diesel fuel.

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 j]//

IvIH
Fig. 4. Scheme of the block used in the refining of condensate in the
Oil Refinery in Billings (USA); 1) c a t a l y t i c r e m o v a l of sulfur; 2) distillation
unit; 8 ) a l k y l a t i o n with HF; 4 ) c a t a l y t i c reforming; I) condensate; II)
hydrogen; III) fuel gas; IV) alkylate; V)straight-run gasoline; VI) reformed
gasoline; V I I ) i n t e r m e d i a t e distillates; VIII) Ca-C 4 hydrocarbons.

//
F . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ix---
Fig. 5. Scheme of the block for the production of aromatic hydrocarbons in
the p e t r o c h e m i c a l plant combination of the "Soci~t~ National de Pfitrole d'
d'Aquitania" (France): 1)distillation unit; 2)removal of sulfur by hydrogena-
tion; 8 ) c a t a l y t i c reforming; 4)unit for the extraction of aromatic hydro-
carbons; 5 ) d e a l k y l a t i o n unit; I) condensate; II)C 5 fraction; III)residue; IV)ben-
zene; V) heavy aromatic compounds; VI) aromatic hydrocarbons; VII) refined
paraffins; VIII) a r o m a t i c gasoline component; IX) gasoline vapor; X) hydrogen.

In Canada the "Canadian Oil" Company, Bowden (Alberta), separately refines condensates. The plant has an
output of 800 m s of condensate per day, and consists of the following units: a distillation unit for the removal of
sulfur from straight-run benzine ("merox" process), a hydropurification unit ("unifining" type) and a platforming unit.
The plant can refine a mixture of condensate and crude oil. The plant scheme is shown in Fig. 2.

Straight-run gasoline, ligroin, a kerosene-gas oil fraction, and heavy residue, which is used as a piant fuel,
are produced from the condensate in the main 2 0 - m e t e r column of the distillation unit.

The straight-run gasoline passes through a butane column, where n-butane and light gases are distilled off, and
enters the "merox" unit for purification from sulfur. Ligroin passes through the hydropurification unit, and, then,
enters the platforming unit (520 ~ C, 88.5 atm pressure) which turns out h i g h - o c t a n e gasoline.

Paper [3] reported on plans of building a plant in which 740 m a of crude gas-condensate, or 682 m a of con-
densate and 184 m a of crude light oil a day will be refined for the USA and Canada. The product will consists of
60 % gasoline with an octane number equal to 92.7, 40% gasoline with an octane number equal to 99.8 (research
method), and diesel fuel boiling in the range from 169 to 329 ~ C (ASTM) and having a cetane number of 50.

The plant scheme is shown in Fig. 8. 16 m s of gas, 888 m s of gasoline, 158 m s of diesel fuel, and 8 m s of
boiler fuel (b. p. above 320 ~ C) a day. will be produced from 740 m s of gas-condensate and 11.2 m a of butane.

It is shown by the authors that at the existing price levels in the USA and Canada the c a p i t a l invested in the
plant refining gas-condensate liquids wiII be c o m p l e t e l y earned back in three to five years.

Combined refining of crude gas-condensate and oil is done by the Continental Oil Company (USA) in a single
plant [8]. In its oil refinery in Billings (Montana) this company erected four new u n i t s - f o r the removal of sulfur by
hydrogenation, fractionation, c a t a l y t i c reforming, and alkylation with hydrogen f l u o r i d e - f o r m i n g blocks in which

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3180 m3/day of gas-condensate liquids are refined, which means that the initial plant capacity is more than
doubled. The plant scheme is shown in Fig. 4.

Although the ways in which the condensates are refined in the various plants show some special features and
differences, the general scheme is mainly identical, and consists in removal of sulfur from the condensate or the
fractions, fractionation into light gasoline, ligroin, and diesel fuel, catalytic reforming of the ligroin fraction, and
mixing (compounding) of the reformed and straight-run gasolines. The main products are gasoline and diesel fuel.
Because the condensates from some wells have a high content of aromatic hydrocarbons and naphthenes which
are easily converted into aromatic hydrocarbons by reforming, raw gas-condensates may find extensive utilization
in petrochemical plants.
The procedure indicated for the utilization of gas-condensate is now practiced in the petrochemical plant
combination of the "Socigte National de P~trole d'Aquitania" in France [9]. The plant combination refines con-
densate from the Lacq field together with natural gas.
The condensate has a high content of aromatic hydrocarbons: 2.3% benzene, 0.9% ethylbenzene, 20.1%
toluene, 25.8% xylenes and 7.7% C 9 and higher hydrocarbons.
The plant scheme is shown in Fig. 8. The ligroin fraction is separated from the condensate, sulfur is removed,
and the ligroin fraction is reformed catalytically at low pressure and space velocity to produce the maximum field
of aromatic hydrocarbons. Part of the reformed gasoline is used as a component of commercial gasoline, and
aromatic hydrocarbons are extracted from the rest. The refined paraffins are used as a gasoline components, and
the concentrated aromatic hydrocarbons are fractionated into benzene, toluene, xylenes and heavy aromatic hydro-
carbons. The toluene and xylene fractions are dealkylized with hydrogen into benzene. The total output of benzene
amounts to 70,000 tons/day.

LITERATURE CITED
1. The Institute of Petroleum Review, 16, No. 188, August (1962), p. 289.
2. Oil a. Gas J., 62, No. 9a (1964).
3. Oil a. Oas J., 60, No. gl (1962), pp. 90, 91, 94.
4. G.L. Farrar, Oil. a. Gas J., 60, No. 26 (1962), pp. 188-189.
8. G.L. Farrar, Oil a. Gas J. 60, No. 25 (1962), pp. 108-107.
6. Oil Canada, 18, No. 27 (1963), p. 64.
7. Chem. Eng., 68, No. 21 (1961), p. 160.
8. Oil a. Gas J., 62, No. 11 (1964), p. 159.
9. O.L. Farrar, Oil a. Gas. J., 61, No. 49 (1963), pp. 66-71.

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