PROGRAM DETAILS

Introduction

The rapidly increasing worldwide demand for natural gas as an energy source requires expertise in gas engineering technology, which involves several production operations such as dehydration, acid gas removal, recovery of natural gas liquids and the production of liquefied natural gas. In addition, one involved in such industry needs to be familiar with different gas sources, specifications, storage requirements, transportation and distribution

Learning Objectives

This short course is designed to give the attendants the fundamentals of natural gas conditioning and processing including some of the details of the process.  Specifically, by attending this course you will:

• Gain a deeper knowledge of the properties, specifications and end uses of natural gas.
• Gain  a  deeper  understanding  of  typical  natural  gas  conditioning  and  processing operations, including:

o Dehydration
o Acid gas removal
o Recovery of ethane, propane and NGL (natural gas liquids)
o Sulfur recovery

• Gain a deeper understanding of the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
• Gain a deeper knowledge of the different equipment and facilities found in natural gas processing plants.
• Learn about fundamentals of gas transportation and distribution.

Target Audience

Technical and non-technical personnel involved in the activities of natural gas industry. Specifically, technical, operations and maintenance personnel who had limited exposure to this area, or professionals involved in other areas of the gas industry who require a comprehensive overview of natural gas processing will find this course ideally suited for them.

Training methodology

The seminar will use a range of interactive activities – group and individual exercises, case studies and discussions. There will also be formal inputs of theory and practical models. The programme is geared towards effective application of what has been learned in order to maximize the value of the seminar to both the individual delegate and his/her organization.

Program Content

Day 1: 

What is natural gas?

• Origins
• Properties
• Specifications
• End uses and markets for natural gas
• Environmental advantages
• Physical behaviour of natural gas systems
• Physical and thermal properties
• Phase behavior analysis
• Pure substances
• The phase rule
• Behavior of mixtures
• Vaporization by gas pressure
• Density of natural gas and liquids
• Dense phase
• Surface tension
• Viscosity
• Thermal conductivity of gases
• Thermodynamic properties
• Sampling and analysis

Day 2:

• Natural gas processing plant
  o Flow sheet
  o Equipment and components
• Heat exchange in gas processing
• o Heat transfer theory
  ▪ Mechanisms of heat transfer
  ▪ Process heat duty
  o Heat exchangers types
  ▪ Shell and tube
  ▪ Double-pipe
  ▪ Plate and frame
  ▪ Aerial coolers
  o Fired heaters
  o Heat recovery units

Day 3:

Hydrates
o Determination of hydrate formation temperature or pressure
o Condensation of water vapor
o Temperature drop due to gas expansion
o Thermodynamic inhibitors
o Kinetic inhibitors and anti-agglomerators

Low temperature exchange (LTX) units and line heaters

o LTX units
o Line heaters
o Heat duty
o Fire-tube size
o Coil size
o Standard size line heaters

Condensate stabilization

o Partial pressure
o Multistage separation
o Multi flashes
o Cold feed distillation tower
o Distillation tower with reflux
o Condensate stabilizer design
o Trays and packing
o Condensate stabilizer as a gas processing plant
o LTX unit as a condensate stabilizer

Day 4:

Acid gas treating
o Gas sweetening processes
▪ Solid bed absorption
▪ Chemical solvents
▪ Physical solvent processes
▪ Direct conversion of hydrogen sulfide to sulfur
▪ Sulfide scavengers
o Process selection
o Design procedure for iron-sponge units
o Design procedure for amine systems

• Amine Processes

o Amine absorber
o Amine circulation rates
o Flash drum
o Amine reboilers
o Amine stripper
o Rich/lean amine exchanger
o Amine cooler
o Amine solution purification
o Materials of construction

Day 5: 
Gas dehydration
o Water content determination
o Glycol dehydration
▪ Process description
▪ Choice of glycol
▪ Design considerations
▪ System sizing
o Glycol system troubleshooting
▪ Indications of reduced glycol circulation