Accelerated Field Facility Development for Hot Sour Gas

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper presents the chronological plan by which a grass roots sweetening facility was constructed in a minimum amount of time. The facility design was based on production with 9% carbon dioxide and 40 ppm hydrogen sulfide. Flowing wellhead temperatures were predicted to be approximately 300°F with flowing well head pressures to 11,500 psi. The production facility, with a current total nominal capacity of 100 MMcf/D, was installed as five separate parallel sweetening units. The units were put on-stream In phases in order to maintain a sweetening capacity schedule compatible with wells being put on production. The first units were available for service in three months. All five units were complete in nine months, and a permanent facility installation was commissioned three months later. The process design, equipment procurement, and installation phases of the project were pursued concurrently. Three different sweetening systems were operated during the facility development. A conventional DEA (diethanolamine) system was used because of its simple operation. Conversions were made to a proprietary MDEA (methyldiethanolamine) system in order to increase capacity. A proprietary activated MDEA was tested and operated in order to determine sweetening system selection for future facility capacity and for other applications. Included is a discussion of the project development procedure and key considerations that led to minimal development time. General comparisons are made concerning the performance of several sweetening systems.