SIMULATION OF NATURAL GAS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CNG AND LPG RECOVERY - A CASE STUDY

Abstract

This research is a case study focused at presenting a framework upon which design methods can be followed to achieve an effective natural gas gathering, processing and fractionation process. It also reveals the incentive for flare reduction while encouraging domestic consumption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for electricity generation. The simulation of the plant was done using ASPEN HYSYS version 11.0 with the Peng Robinson equation of state as the thermodynamic fluid package. The gas was gathered from two flow stations 0.8km and 6.4km respectively from the proposed processing field. Since the gases from the region under study is a sweet with negligible sulphur content there was no need for a sweetening process. The Tri-Ethylene Glycol (TEG) was used for the gas dehydration, then fractionators were simulated to produce LPG and CNG of high purity. Results from the HYSYS report shows good energy and mass balance as well as efficient gas flow throughout the processing cycle. The resulting volume of CNG and LPG is substantial to power several households and supply them with cooking gas respectively. Keywords: Natural Gas Simulation, Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Compressed Natural Gas, Computer aided Design.