CRC Press, 2006. — 429 p. — ISBN 0849334063.
Fundamentals of Natural Gas Processing explores the natural gas industry from the wellhead to the marketplace. It compiles information from the open literature, meeting proceedings, and experts to accurately depict the state of gas processing technology today and highlight technologies that could become important in the future.
This book covers advantages, limitations, and ranges of applicability of major gas plant processes to provide a sound understanding from system fundamentals to selection, operation, and integration into the overall gas plant. It also describes the major operations involved in bringing the gas to the plant, information not usually discussed in most gas processing books. Comprehensive chapters cover field operations, inlet receiving, compression, dehydration, hydrocarbon recovery, nitrogen rejection, liquids processing, sulfur recovery, and the increasingly popular liquefied natural gas industry, focusing on liquefaction, storage, and transportation. The book also discusses plant economics, offering ways to make initial cost estimates of selected processes and determine capital costs of gas processing facilities.
Overview of Natural Gas IndustryThe World Picture for Natural Gas
Natural Gas in United States
Nonconventional Gas Reserves in United States
Sources of Natural Gas
Natural Gas CompositionsTraditional Natural Gas
Important Impurities
Coal Bed Methane
Subquality Gas
ClassificationLiquids Content
Sulfur Content
Processing and Principal ProductsMethane
Ethane
Propane
Ethane–Propane Mix
Isobutane
n-Butane
Natural Gas Liquids
Natural Gasoline
Sulfur
Product SpecificationsNatural Gas
Liquid Products
Combustion CharacteristicsHeating Value
Wobbe Number
Overview of Gas Plant ProcessingRoles of Gas Plants
Plant ProcessesField Operations and Inlet Receiving
Inlet Compression
Gas Treating
Dehydration
Hydrocarbon Recovery
Nitrogen Rejection
Helium Recovery
Outlet Compression
Liquids Processing
Sulfur Recovery
Storage and Transportation
Liquefaction
Important Support ComponentsUtilities
Process Control
Safety Systems
Contractual Agreements and EconomicsFee-Based Contracts
Percentage of Proceeds Contracts
Wellhead Purchase Contracts
Fixed Efficiency Contracts
Keep Whole Contracts
Field Operations and Inlet ReceivingIntroduction
Field OperationsWellhead Operations
Piping
Compression Stations
Pigging
Gas HydratesProperties
Hydrate Formation Prediction
Hydrate Inhibition
Inlet ReceivingSeparator Principles
Slug Catcher Configurations
Safety and Environmental ConsiderationsCompressionIntroduction
FundamentalsThermodynamics of Compression
Multistaging
Compressor Efficiencies
Compressor TypesPositive Displacement Compressors
Dynamic Compressors
Capacity and Power CalculationsCapacity
Power Requirements
Comparison of Reciprocating and Centrifugal Compressors
Safety and Environmental ConsiderationsGas TreatingThe Problem
Acid Gas Concentrations in Natural Gas
Purification Levels
Acid Gas Disposal
Purification Processes
Solvent Absorption ProcessesAmines
Alkali Salts
Physical AbsorptionSolvent Properties
Representative Process Conditions
Hybrid Processes
Adsorption
Cryogenic Fractionation
MembranesMembrane Fundamentals
Carbon Dioxide Removal from Natural Gas
Operating Considerations
Advantages and Disadvantages of Membrane Systems
Nonregenerable Hydrogen Sulfide Scavengers
Biological Processes
Safety and Environmental ConsiderationsAmines
Physical Absorption
Adsorption
Membranes
Gas DehydrationIntroduction
Water Content of Hydrocarbons
Gas Dehydration ProcessesAbsorption Processes
Adsorption Processes
Desiccant Processes
Membrane Processes
Other Processes
Comparison of Dehydration Processes
Safety and Environmental ConsiderationsHydrocarbon RecoveryRetrograde Condensation
Process ComponentsExternal Refrigeration
Turboexpansion
Heat Exchange
Fractionation
Recovery ProcessesDew Point Control and Fuel Conditioning
Lower Ethane Recovery
High Ethane Recovery
Safety and Environmental ConsiderationsNitrogen RejectionNitrogen Rejection for Gas Upgrading
Cryogenic Distillation
Pressure Swing Adsorption
Membranes
Nitrogen Rejection for Enhanced Oil Recovery
Safety and Environmental Considerations
Trace-Component Recovery or RemovalHydrogen
Oxygen
Radon (NORM)
Arsenic
HeliumRecovery Methods
MercuryEnvironmental Considerations
Amalgam Formation
Removal Processes
(BTEX) Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and XyleneLiquids ProcessingCondensate Processing
Sweetening
Dehydration
NGL Processing
Sweetening
Dehydration
Fractionation
Safety and Environmental Considerations
Sulfur RecoveryProperties of Sulfur
Sulfur Recovery Processes
Claus Process
Claus Tail Gas Cleanup
Sulfur Storage
Safety and Environmental Considerations
Transportation and StorageGas
Transportation
Market Centers
Storage
Liquids
Transportation
Storage
Liquefied Natural GasPeak Shaving Plants and Satellite Facilities
Baseload Plants and Stranded Reserves
Gas Treating before LiquefactionLiquefaction CyclesJoule-Thomson Cycles
Expander Cycles
Cascade Cycles
Storage of LNGCryogenic Aboveground Storage
Cryogenic In Ground Storage
Rollover
TransportationTruck Transport
Pipelines
Marine Transport
Regasification and Cold Utilization of LNGRegasification
Cold Utilization
EconomicsLiquefaction Costs
Shipping Costs
Regasification Terminal Costs
Plant Efficiency
Safety and Environmental ConsiderationsCapital Costs of Gas Processing FacilitiesBasic Premises for Cost Data
Amine Treating
Glycol Dehydration
NGL Recovery with Straight Refrigeration (Low Ethane Recovery)
NGL Recovery with Cryogenic Processing (High Ethane Recovery)
Sulfur Recovery and Tail Gas Cleanup
High Sulfur Recovery Rates
Low Sulfur Recovery Rates
NGL Extraction Plant Costs for Larger Facilities
Corrections to Cost Data
Natural Gas Processing PlantsIntroduction
Plant with Sweet Gas Feed and % Ethane RecoveryOverview of Plant Feed and Product Slate
Compression
Heat Exchange
Dehydration
Propane Refrigeration
Hydrocarbon Recovery
Amine Treating
Deethanizer
Residue Compression
Plant with Sour Gas Feed, NGL, and Sulfur RecoveryOverview of Plant Feed and Product Slate
Inlet Receiving
Inlet Compression
Gas Treating
Sulfur Recovery
Dehydration
Hydrocarbon Recovery
Liquids Processing
Plant with Sour Gas Feed, NGL Recovery, and Nitrogen RejectionOverview of Plant Feed and Product Slate
Inlet Receiving
Gas Treating
Sulfur Recovery
Dehydration
NRU and Cold Box
Liquids Processing
NotationAppendix A Glossary of Gas Process Terminology
Appendix B Physical Constants and Physical Properties
Unit Conversion Factors
Gas Constants and Standard Gas Conditions
Thermodynamic and Physical Property Data
Hydrocarbon Compressibility Factors