• AMINE SWEETENING

    GAS AND LIQUIDS TREATING

    Amine Sweetening is a regenerative process to treat a gas or liquid through the absorption of acid gas and sulphur components, most commonly: hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2), and mercaptans (RSH). The contaminants are removed via contact with an amine/water solution.

3D DESIGN
GAS TREATING
LIQUIDS TREATING
TDE EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE

Gas and Liquids Treating:
Natural Gas Rates: 5 MMSCFD to 500 MMSCFD
Liquids Treating: 2000 BPD to 15,000 BPD
Amine Circulation Rates: 30 USGPM to 3500 USGPM

Engineering
Procurement
Fabrication
Construction and Installation
Commissioning
Operation, Maintenance and Troubleshooting

TDE makes design considerations to maximize flexibility for future expansion at negligible initial incremental cost. With minimal upfront overbuild TDE's Amine Sweetening Unit Designs incorporate future expandability at a fraction of the cost of a multi-train approach.

TDE offers either our Standard Pre-Engineered Modular Packages or Fully Customized Designs to meet varying project and schedule requirements.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

Sour gas is filtered to remove contaminants prior to feeding the amine contactor where acid gas contaminates removed by the amine solution. The treated gas exits the contactor and continues to downstream units.

Rich amine flows to the flash drum where hydrocarbon vapours are removed. The rich amine is filtered and heated by cross exchange with hot lean amine prior to feeding the amine regenerator. The rich amine is stripped of acid gas by steam generated in the amine reboiler. The acid gas is cooled and steam vapour is condensed and is pumped back to the tower as reflux and acid gas flows to downstream disposal.

Regenerated amine exits the reboiler to preheat the rich amine prior to being sent to the surge drum, which provides a surge buffer to the amine system. The lean amine is cooled and a slipstream is filtered through a series of filters to remove particulates and contaminants, while the remainder is pumped back to the contactor.

AMINE SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS

• Contaminant type and concentration in feed
• Treated product specification
• Requirements for selectivity
• Operating temperature and pressure
• Solvent capital and operating cost
• Associated fees for specialty amines

Primary Amines
• Low operating pressure systems
• Low solvent cost
• Susceptible to amine degradation
• Higher vaporization losses
• Non-selective for H2S over CO2

Secondary Amines
• More suitable for higher pressures
• Resistant to degradation by carbonyl sulphide (COS) and carbon disulphide (CS2)
• Lower energy requirements to regenerate
• Non-selective for H2S over CO2
• Lower reactivity of amine and H2S & CO2
• Requires increased amine circulation rates

Tertiary Amines
• Higher solution concentration
• Higher acid gas loading
• Resistant to degraded by COS and CS2
• Selective removal of H2S over CO2
• Lower energy requirements for regeneration
• Lower required solvent circulation
• Higher solvent costs and losses

Formulated Amines
• Customizable selectivity for component removal and slip

Physical Solvents
• Acid gas components are dissolved and absorbed in the solvent compared to chemical reactions with H2S and CO2 for amine solvents.
• Efficient for mercaptan removal

Hybrid Amines
• Combination of physical and chemical solvent properties
• Increased acid gas loading compared to pure solvents

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