2186671:
ADV. NATURAL GAS ENGINEERING
NGL Fractionation
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kreangkrai Maneeintr
Department of Mining and Petroleum
Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University
OVERVIEW
The Gas Chain
NGL Extraction
NGL Recovery
VDO Clip 12.1-12.3 Crude Oil Distillation Process
NGL FRACTIONATION
The Gas Chain
The oil and natural gas supply chains can be
complicated and sometimes obscure systems to many
who rely on their products and services. The supply
chain models for both oil and natural gas are created to
communicate, in the simplest terms, how the industry
works from the identification of resources to the end
users such as petrochemical industries, power plants,
household.
NGL FRACTIONATION
The Gas Chain
NGL FRACTIONATION
The Gas Chain
NGL EXTRACTION
NGL Extraction
Condensate (heavy components) may or may not be
recovered prior to pipeline transport. If the hydrocarbon
dew point temperature value of the transported gas is
lower at any pressure value than the lowest expected
temperature in the pipeline, then no processing to
remove NGL is required.
For short distances (up to about 100 km) gas may be
transported in hydrocarbon two-phase flow but often a
large slug catcher must be installed at the pipeline
arrival. Pressure loss estimation requires the use of
specific computation programs.
NGL EXTRACTION
NGL Extraction
For long distances gas may be transported in two-phase
flow but in such case it is recommended to control the
amount of hydrocarbon liquid contained in the gas to
limit the importance of the pressure loss and the size of
the larger slugs.
NGL EXTRACTION
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery
Processing a gas stream is done to achieve one or more
objectives: transportation, meet gas sales
specifications, maximize liquid recovery.
NGL recovery can be done by:
[Link] mechanical refrigeration
[Link]-Thomson valve (J-T valve)
[Link]-expander
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery: Mechanical refrigeration
Mechanical refrigeration system can be
designed to achieve cold separator temperature
in the range of + 5ºC to -35ºC.
CAPEX and OPEX of this system increases as
cold separator temperature value considered is
lowered. The cold separator temperature value
obtained with this system is independent of the
pressure and composition of the gas.
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery: Mechanical refrigeration
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery: Mechanical refrigeration
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery: Joule-Thomson Valve
Joule-Thomson expansion system is the
simplest system which can be designed and
operated: no rotating equipment is used. It
allows to obtain easily a transportation gas
specification with a broad range of gas flow.
This system is well adapted when wellhead
pressure value remains high for a long time
(100 to 150 bars).
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery: Joule-Thomson Valve
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery: Joule-Thomson Valve
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery: Turbo-expander
A turboexpander, also referred to as a turbo-expander
or an expansion turbine, is a centrifugal or axial flow
turbine through which a high pressure gas is
expanded to produce work that is often used to
drive a compressor.
Because work is extracted from the expanding high
pressure gas, the expansion is approximated by an
isentropic process (i.e., a constant entropy process)
and the low pressure exhaust gas from the turbine
is at a very low temperature, sometimes as low as
−90 °C or less.
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery: Turbo-expander
Refrigerant vapor is compressed to a higher pressure
resulting in a higher temperature as well. The hot,
compressed vapor is then condensed into a liquid.
The condenser is where heat is expelled from the
circulating refrigerant and is carried away by whatever
cooling medium is used in the condenser (air, water,
etc.).
The refrigerant liquid flows through the turboexpander
where it is vaporized and the vapor undergoes an
isentropic expansion which results in a low-
temperature mixture of vapor and liquid.
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery: Turbo-expander
The vapor-liquid mixture
is then routed through
the evaporator where it
is vaporized by heat
absorbed from the
space being cooled.
The vaporized
refrigerant flows to the
compressor inlet to
complete the cycle.
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery: Turbo-expander
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery: Turbo-expander
NGL RECOVERY
NGL Recovery: Turbo-expander
Expansion turbine or "turboexpander" is used
when LPG production is required. The usual
inlet pressure values ranges from 70 to 100 bars
NGL RECOVERY
NGL RECOVERY
NGL RECOVERY
Algeria field – 500 km from shore
NGL RECOVERY
DISCUSSION MOMENT
1. NGL Extraction
2. NGL Recovery
3. Other topics including the previous ones
REFERENCES
List of references and other sources
1. Ducros, M., Pech, C., Gas and LNG Training Material,
TPA, France, 2014
2. Younger, A. H., Natural Gas Processing Principles and
Technology Part 2, University of Calgary, Canada, 2004
3. Auntie Wi(kipedia)
4. Youtube
5. Onepetro