ALGERIAN PETROLEUM

INSTITUTE
IAP spa

THE CO2
REMOVAL
SECTION IN
GL4/Z
REtOL=

323l /tonne de dattes

contents
INTRODUCTION
Presentation of the plant

Description of the units .

gas treatment.
frigorific fluids production.
liquefaction unit.
the terminal.

THE PROCESS OF CO2 REMOVAL SECTION

absorber.
regenerator.
General problems of the section
CONCLUSION.

Description of the units

Gas treatment unit (ulO):

This unit aims to treat the gas before being sent to the liquefaction unit,
it consists of the following sections:
dust removal section:

In this section dust and solid particles are removed from the
natural gas by means of three separators.
Expansion section:

The expansion is done by means of some regulation valves; the

aim is to maintain the service pressure (42bars).
Decarbonation:

The natural gas contains (CO2) which during liquefaction causes

the plugging (freezing) of the GN/GNL circuit at low temperature.
The aim of this section is to eliminate the (CO2) by chemical
treatment with MEA solution.

dehydration section:
The natural gas contains water, and after its contact with the MEA
solution it becomes saturated with water. An injection of glycol (DEG) in
evaporators of propane permits to eliminate it.
drying section: It is the last treatment section, the gas passes through
four parallel dryers (a fifth one is in regeneration), and the quantity of
water is reduced to I ppm by means of molecular sieves.
Liauefaction unit (u21/22/23):
The treated natural gas arrives to the liquefaction unit at a pressure of 40
bars and a temperature of-lc. the liquefaction is obtained by the important
reducing of temperature by thermal heat exchange: first with propane (fromlc to -35c) then with ethylene (from -35c to -97c), and finally with
methane (from -97c to -151c), using a flash phenomena the temperature
goes down to -161c.
The terminal(u50):
It represents the storage facilities, it consists of:
Three aerial tanks with a capacity of 11000m3 each.
Loading arms.

INTRODUCTION

The C02 removal section is placed in unit 10, separated

from the three process trains. It is the first section that the feed
gas enters.

The purpose of the CO2 removal section is to remove most of

the carbon dioxide (CO2) from the incoming natural gas before it
enters the liquefaction trains. CO2 must be removed in order to
avoid plugs in the liquefaction trains due to solidification of the
CO2 at low temperature. If a high amount of CO2 is allowed to
enter the liquefaction section it would freeze in the chillers and
the pipes. Then the train should be shut down to derime the
plugged equipment.

The natural gas enters the absorber C1201A/B at the bottom at pressure of
42bar and temperature of 35C approximately equal to the MEA temperature to
avoid the problem of foaming, after that the NG is saturated with water by using
a washing water tray to recover the quantity of MEA leaving with NG.
In the same time the lean MEA solution from the tank T1201 enters to the
absorber of MEA from the top with a pressure greater than 42 bar, it flows
downward in counter current with the NG, and CO2 is removed by the
absorption of the MEA. The amount of CO2 in the NG purified should not be
more than 90 ppm with a pressure of about 40 bar and a temperature of about
42 C due to the exothermal reaction with the MEA.

The rich MEA (reach in CO2) leaves from the bottom of the absorber at
temperature of 42C and pressure of 40 bar and passes through the level
control valve where its pressure is reduced to the 5,6 bar than it passes
through the MEA flush drum B1201A/B to separate the gas entrained with the
rich MEA.
The rich MEA passes through the filter S1201 to eliminate the
impurities than it passes through the MEA-MEA inter exchanger E1204 in tube
side, finally it goes to the MEA regenerator

THE MEA REGENERATOR:

It is easy to regenerate the MEA, it is only to remove the quantity of the
CO2 absorbed from the NG.
The rich MEA (rich in CO2) is introduced into the MEA inter exchanger
E1204A and B where we have a heat transfer with the lean MEA.
The rich MEA is heated to I00C by the lean MEA leaving from the reboiler
than it is introduced at the top of the regenerator.
The regenerator with 20 trays receives the rich MEA from the top and the
heat is supplied by the reboiler using steam, the CO2 and small amount of
water vapour pass through the overhead condenser E1203A/B where water
is condensed then into the reflux drum B1202A/B where the CO2 is vented to
the atmosphere and the water is returned to the regenerator by means of the
reflux pumps.

REGENERATION

ABSORPTION

GN with
CO2 < 50 PPM

To Dehydration
section

C02 to ATM

MEA lean

To FG

Reboiler

GN + CO2
MEA rich

DECARBONATION SECTION IN GL4/Z

General problems of the section

The use of MEA solution in the co2 removal section causes serious
problems if not used adequately.
These problems may lead to bad consequences on the gas
treatment later, eventually the overall efficiency drop. The important
problems encountered in carbon dioxide removal section are as
follow:
MEA degradation
Corrosion
Foaming
Contamination
Losses

THANK YOU
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION