Technical paper
Optimization and Throughput Opportunities at PTT PLC's Amine Plant
Removal of CO2 from natural gas is a necessary treating step before cryogenic processing. At the PTT Public Limited Company Gas Processing Plant 5, the wellhead gas has CO2 concentrations ranging from 19 to 23 mol%. This gas feeds an amine sweetening unit where most of the CO2 is removed. The sweet gas product is dried before entering a cryogenic demethanizer where ethane and heavier natural gas liquids are recovered. The demethanizer overhead reaches temperatures as low as -100 to -120 C. Thus to prevent CO2 freeze-out, the CO2 concentration in the sweet gas must be less than 900 ppm. This study focuses on optimization of the amine sweetening unit to increase throughput, provide adequate cold protection, and avoid corrosive operating conditions in the amine regenerator.
Removal of CO2 from natural gas is a necessary treating step before cryogenic processing. At the PTT Public Limited Company Gas Processing Plant 5, the wellhead gas has CO2 concentrations ranging from 19 to 23 mol%. This gas feeds an amine sweetening unit where most of the CO2 is removed. The sweet gas product is dried before entering a cryogenic demethanizer where ethane and heavier natural gas liquids are recovered. The demethanizer overhead reaches temperatures as low as -100 to -120 C. Thus to prevent CO2 freeze-out, the CO2 concentration in the sweet gas must be less than 900 ppm. This study focuses on optimization of the amine sweetening unit to increase throughput, provide adequate cold protection, and avoid corrosive operating conditions in the amine regenerator.