Gas Processing Industry Research Articles

Effect of industrial flare DREs derived by CFD and WERF on ozone pollution through CAMx simulation

Abstract Flare is the last safety measure for daily operations in oil, gas & chemical process industries (OGCPI). However, an excessive flaring releases large quantity of emissions of VOCs and NOx, which may suddenly enhance local ozone as a secondary pollution. Normally, the flare destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) of 98% or 99% is regulated as the national standard and presumed for industrial practices in the U.S. Unfortunately, real DRE values could be much lower than the standard due to impact factors including various meteorological and operating conditions such as the cross-wind speed, flare jet velocity and heating value of combustion. Thus, it is critically important to explore the sensitivity of the regional ozone impact due to low DREs of OGCPI flare combustions. In this paper, a systematic methodology has been developed to examine ozone impacts due to the low flare DREs, which have never been systematically studied before. The DRE formulas were derived from computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling and Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) results and then employed to recompile the point source emission inventory. After that, comprehensive air quality model with extensions (CAMx) was employede to simulate and quantify local ozone changes impacted by flare emissions of OGCPI. Case studies indicate that the maximum hourly ozone increments due to the low DRE through CFD and WERF modeling is 0.18 ppb and 1.3 ppb, respectively. This study could enrich fundamental understandings of industrial point source emissions and provide the quantitative and valuable support for the ozone pollution caused by OGCPI flare emissions under low DRE instead of standard values.

Разработка базы данных вычислительных экспериментов в программном комплексе TOXI+Risk для оценки риска и последствий аварий

The generalization and analysis of accident statistics on objects of petrochemical, oil and gas processing industries, as well as on oil products supply facilities for the period from 2009 to 2016 has been carried out. Has been performed a brief overview of examples for using the TOXI+Risk software package for emergency simulation and risk analysis. Has been presented the developed database of computational experiments for assessment the risk and consequences of accidents at chemically hazardous objects.

LQR based Control Strategies for a Spherical Tank Level Process

Spherical tank finds wide application in gas plants and process industries, petro chemical industries, paper manufacturing and water treatment industries. In a spherical tank, controlling the level is a critical entity. Due to change in shape, the system displays high nonlinear behavior which in turn exhibits the non-linear characteristics. The system’s nonlinearity complicates in the design of conventional PI controllers. In this work, The PI controller gains are formulated as the optimal state-feedback gains. A PSO has been accustomed optimally discover the weighting matrices, related to the various optimum state-feedback regulator design whereas minimizing ISE and the controller effort. The performance of the proposed PSO based LQRPI controller is contrasted with those of GA-LQRPI and LQRPI controllers.

WITHDRAWN: Effect of Flare destruction and removal efficiencies on regional ozone pollution from oil, gas and chemical process industries in Southeast of Texas through CAMx modeling and simulation

Flare is the last safety measure for daily operations in oil, gas & chemical process industries (OGCPI). However, an excessive flaring releases large quantity of emissions of VOCs and NOₓ, which may suddenly enhance local ozone as a secondary pollution. Normally, the flare destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) of 98% or 99% is regulated as the national standard and presumed for industrial practices in the U.S. Unfortunately, real DRE values could be much lower than the standard due to impact factors including various meteorological and operating conditions such as the cross-wind speed, flare jet velocity and heating value of combustion. Thus, it is critically important to explore the sensitivity of the regional ozone impact due to low DREs of OGCPI flare combustions. In this paper, a systematic methodology has been developed to examine ozone impacts due to the low flare DREs, which have never been systematically studied before. The DRE formulas were derived from computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling and Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) results and then employed to recompile the point source emission inventory. After that, comprehensive air quality model with extensions (CAMx) was employede to simulate and quantify local ozone changes impacted by flare emissions of OGCPI. Case studies indicate that the maximum hourly ozone increments due to the low DRE through CFD and WERF modeling is 0.18 ppb and 1.3 ppb, respectively. This study could enrich fundamental understandings of industrial point source emissions and provide the quantitative and valuable support for the ozone pollution caused by OGCPI flare emissions under low DRE instead of standard values.

Solubility of propane in N‐formyl morpholine

AbstractN‐formyl morpholine (NFM) is a solvent that has been used to separate acid gases from gas streams. An advantage of NFM is the high solubility of acid gases compared with the low solubility of light hydrocarbons. The solubility of the light hydrocarbons in NFM is important, as the hydrocarbons constitute a loss to the process, and result in hydrocarbon emissions to the atmosphere. However, there are only a few experimental data sets dealing with the solubility of hydrocarbons in NFM. To provide data to be used in the design of plants in the natural gas processing industry, the solubility of propane (C3H8) in NFM was measured at 298.15, 313.15, and 343.15 K at pressures up to 20.15 MPa. The Peng‐Robinson equation of state was employed to correlate the experimental data and to obtain binary interaction parameters. The binary interaction parameters were used to obtain the parameters of the Krichevsky‐Ilinskaya equation and Henry's law constants for propane were calculated. Henry's law constants for propane were compared with those of hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide, methane, and ethane in NFM.

The Eastern Gas Program: Expectations and Realities of Russia

The state and the prospects of implementation of major investment projects combined into the Eastern Gas Program have been analyzed. The terms of realization, the state of resources and the state of gas transportation system under the projects forming part of them are considered. It is shown that only one (Sakhalin) of four gas production centers foreseen in the program has an adequate infrastructure; the unifed gas transportation system has not been established, and the gas processing industry has received insuffcient development. It has been determined that the capacity of the pipeline makes up 70% of the total production volume and this is the factor limiting the development of the gas production and processing industry in the regions. The reasons for a change of the terms and conditions of the development of the projects of the Eastern Gas Program have been investigated. It is shown that the discrepancy in key goals and the actual state of gas industry in the eastern regions of the country is explained by the changing situation in the key gas markets, which determines the fnal economic effciency of the projects, the lack of the solution to long-term demand problems and stable sources of fnancing. The prospects of the development of the projects of the Gas Program and the risks of implementation for the Russian side have also been investigated. The article describes a dependence of the implementation of separate projects on the possibility of signing effcient international contracts with the countries of the Asia-Pacifc region and on the success of the strategy of formation of new export goods niches based on the in-depth processing of hydrocarbon raw materials. The consequences of creating the full-scale gas industry in Eastern Russia have been analyzed. It has been determined that the projects within the Program with a focus on the formation of the national export income have been implemented. It is shown that the projects within the Program do not ensure an accelerated development of the Eastern regions of the country because of the lack linkages between the projects and other branches of regional economy. Furthermore, the regions do not accumulate fnancial resources from the project implementation.

Оценка экономических последствий сокращения выбросов в системе энергоснабжения региона: опыт Дальнего Востока

The article presents model complex for assessing the economic consequences of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the power system of region. The trajectories of emissions and macroeconomic indicators for the Russian Far East are estimated in the context of maintaining the current parameters of the power system efficiency and in the context of power system transformation (modernization of thermal power plants, transition of thermal power plants from coal to gas with the development of gas processing industry). The results of calculations confirm that an emissions reduction is a secondary effect for selected transformations of the region’s power system

Development of a heat exchanger device- regenerator for high-temperature gas heating

The urgency of the task is to develop a heat exchanger-regenerator designed for high- temperature heating of gaseous media, which are used in various technological schemes of the petrochemical, gas processing, energy and other industries. The developed heat exchanger has high performance due to the developed heat exchange surface, reliability due to the fact that the inner and outer pipes are movable relative to each other with linear dimensions compensation, it is simple to manufacture, does not require the use of an intermediate heat carrier, can be used as a heating coolant combustion products of untreated, low-grade gaseous fuel. At the same time, it is possible to equip the developed apparatus with a convection heat exchanger for more efficient use of the heat of the fuel combustion products. The article describes the proposed design, the principle of operation of this heat exchanger-regenerator. A review of the technical literature has been carried out, the main advantages of the device are shown in comparison with the currently known domestic and foreign counterparts. The paper presents the main calculated dependencies used in the design, as well as the results of the calculations. The possibility of using the proposed heat exchanger as part of a gas turbine unit used as an autonomous power source is considered, as well as information about technological processes in which it can be used. In conclusion, we can say that the developed heat exchanger has high performance, differs in the ability to work at high temperatures without violating the integrity of the structure, does not require the use of an intermediate heat carrier, and is to be used in many industries.

Perspective raw materials of Uzbekistan for the production of refractory materials

The results of studies of promising raw material resources of Uzbekistan (enriched kaolins, bauxite-like rock, highalumina waste from the gas processing industry) to obtain high-alumina aggregates are presented. It is established that these raw materials in terms of their physico-chemical indicators meet the requirements for aluminosilicate and high-alumina materials used in metallurgical units. Ref. 13. Tab. 3.

Studi Kelayakan Bisnis dalam Rangka Pendirian XX Cafe

One of the rapidly developing creative industries in Indonesia is the food and beverage or culinary industry. Currently the food and beverage industry is the sector with the largest contribution of the Indonesian economy, namely 5.5 percent of national gross domestic product and 31 percent of gross domestic product in the non-oil and gas processing industry. This makes Indonesia a high potential in the culinary field. Seeing the rapid development of the culinary world in Indonesia, more and more restaurants, cafes, or eating places are emerging in Indonesia.This study aims to examine the business profile of XX Cafe, analyze the prospects of XX Cafe business on Jl. Cihampelas, Bandung Wetan, Bandung City, West Java based on business feasibility aspects such as: legal aspects, environmental aspects, market and marketing aspects, technical and technological aspects, aspects of human resources, and financial aspects. In conducting this research, the author discusses more deeply the financial aspects. These financial aspects are analyzed using capital budgeting techniques that take into account the return period, present net value, internal rate of return, and profit index. The results of calculating capital budgeting techniques can be a consideration for investors to make decisions. After the analysis and calculation was made, XX Café is feasible to run. But apart from the results of the calculation, a capital budgeting control is also needed so that the expectations that have been made can be achieved.
 Keywords: Feasibility Study, Payback Period, Internal Rate of Return, Net Present Value, Profitability Index

Ultrasonic technique for tracking oil-water emulsion layer in separation vessels

Ultrasonic based techniques have been explored to monitor emulsion layer and separation of oil and water phases from their emulsions. Creation of oil and water emulsions is a common occurrence in the petroleum and gas processing industry and several other commercial operations. This creates a multi-interface level measurement problem due to the presence of an emulsion layer in between oil and aqueous phase layers. The potential of ultrasonic-based methods has been tested by tracking the interphase position between the phases with suitably configured probes. The oil phase consisted of either crude or mineral oil while deionized water constituted the aqueous phase. The tests were conducted in a four inch diameter and twenty inch tall column mounted with acoustic probes. The measured acoustic parameters included, time of flight and energy content of the travelling wave at a selected frequency of 3.5 MHz. The ingress of emulsion phase layer at a sensor location could be easily detected since the probe design maintained a good signal-to-noise ratio even in highly attenuating emulsion phase. The observed attenuation losses in the emulsion phase are attributable to intrinsic losses and thermal effects. The simultaneous changes to acoustic velocity could be attributed to the fraction of water phase in the oil-water emulsions.

Prospects of GTL Technology Use in the Oil and Gas Industry

Progress of the global energy industry as well as resources of natural gas of Russia were indicated in this article. The main region of their development over the years is Western Siberia, where more than 80% of gas reserves are explored. It is from here that the main stream of Russian gas flows to countries in Eastern and Western Europe. To date, good prospects have been opened for the preparation of gas reserves and production in eastern Russia with the launch of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline, which determined the high importance of this region, which is of strategic interest to the gas industry in Russia. The main resources of natural gas will be located in remote from the existing gas transmission system, inaccessible areas and areas with a harsh climate, where there are no large markets for the consumption of hydrocarbons. In connection with this, the search is underway for the transportation of natural gas, alternative to pipeline transportation, to the places of consumption. Three possible options are considered. According to the “General scheme for the development of the gas industry for the period up to 2030” , one of the promising options for the development of gas processing industries is the development and implementation of efficient technologies for the production of synthetic liquid fuels (GTL technology) aimed at solving the problems of developing small, mature and hard-to-reach natural gas fields. The special emphasize was made on one of the promising variants of gas-processing productions development - development and implementation of GTL (Gas to liquid) technology as a new method of production of synthetic liquid hydrocarbons from natural gas. Relevance, possible advantages, and prospects of GTL technology were also mentioned. The example of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) shown the possibility of using GTL technology, using as a raw material of natural gas of the Middle-Vilyusk gas condensate (gk) field. Also shown in this article are experimental details of the study of an individual hydrocarbon gas composition, which was determined using the gas chromatography method. The conclusion was made on the Republic's Oil and Gas Complex's overall potential cost-benefit in case of GTL technology implementation.

Current Status of Marine Pollution and Mitigation Strategies in Arid Region: A Detailed Review

Coastal pollution is becoming a significant threat for both marine ecosystems and humans. Marine pollution and coastal degradation are severely exacerbated by anthropogenic activities involving the discharge of industrial and domestic effluents, ballast water and brine wastes, accidental spillage of oil and radioactive wastes, and the modification of coastal structures. Understanding the sources of marine pollution and their possible impacts allows us to measure the current mitigation and conservation strategies aimed at protecting marine ecosystems from further deterioration. This review assessed the status of marine pollution based on the literature with a focus on the sea in arid regions over the last four decades. The review also summarized the degree of contamination of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons that accumulated in marine water, sediments and living organisms. In addition, the review critically suggested several mitigation strategies to alleviate the impacts of such pollutions. The key findings indicated that the oil and gas production and processing industries, desalination industries, sea traffic, urban development, and discharge of treated wastewater and ballast water along with seasonal upwelling, and climate change were the main contributors of marine pollution in these regions including the Sea of Oman. The major identified pollutants were heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, organochlorine, tar, harmful algal blooms, marine debris, non-native species, and sediment that are posing severe threats to marine biodiversity and ecosystems. The occurrence of radionuclides in these regions seems to be smaller compared to the World Ocean because of the insignificant disposal of nuclear waste due to strict law enforcement and monitoring. However, marine litter, micro-plastic, radionuclides, greenhouse gases, and non-point pollutant sources have not been investigated properly. Therefore, efforts to identify the possible sources of pollution, estimate their impacts based on field data and numerical modeling, and understand ocean dynamics with regard to the transportation and deposition of sediments and pollutants need to be undertaken in order to protect the coastal and marine environment and ecosystems. Furthermore, integration of robotic aircraft along with satellite surveillance can be an additional measure deployed for the purposes of monitoring oil spillage, illegal ballast water discharge, harmful algal blooms, and beach utilization.

Qatar’s Wind Energy Potential with Associated Financial and Environmental Benefits for the Natural Gas Industry

This study analyzes the possibility to use the wind’s kinetic energy to produce electricity in Northern Qatar for the natural gas processing industry. An evaluation of the wind potentiality is performed based on a thorough analysis of parameters such as wind speed and direction, temperature, atmospheric pressure, and air density. In addition, based on the measured parameters, a commercial wind turbine is selected, and a case study is presented in order to quantify the energy that a wind farm could produce and its environmental benefits. Furthermore, an economical assessment is made to quantify the repercussions that it could produce if this wind farm substitutes a fraction of the energy demand (within the oil and gas field) that is currently generated by traditional hydrocarbons. The results indicate that the environmental parameters, led by a 5.06 m/s wind speed mean, allow the production of wind energy in the area with an annual CO2 savings of 6.813 tons in a 17 MW wind power plant. This enables Qatar to reduce its internal oil and gas consumption. As a result, the amount of hydrocarbon (natural gas) saved could be used for exportation purposes, generating a positive outcome for the economy with a cost savings of about 3.32 million US$ per year through such a small size wind power plant. From the energy production point of view, the natural parameters enable a single wind turbine to produce an average of 6995.26 MWh of electricity. Furthermore, the wind farm utilized in the case study is capable of generating an average of 34.976 MWh in a year.

Mathematical Model of Mass Transfer in Randomly Packed Columns with Phase Maldistribution

The paper considers the processes of mass transfer between phases in countercurrents of gas and liquid in stationary packed beds of industrial randomly packed column apparatus. Such beds are widely used in heat and mass transfer, separation, and reaction processes in the oil and gas processing, petrochemistry, and other industries. An approximate approach of mathematical modeling of mass transfer in a randomly packed bed at turbulent gas motion and countercurrent laminar wave flow of liquid film is analyzed. The basic concepts of the multispeed continuum model, in which the transfer equations are written for each phase separately, are used. The phases fill one space, the volume of the continuous phase (gas) exceeding by far that of the liquid one. The interaction of the phases is reflected in averaged transfer terms, which take into account the interfacial transfer phenomena. Those are the mass transfer coefficients and the driving forces of the processes. The concentration profiles of the components are found from the solution to differential mass transfer equations written for a cylindrical channel with a volume source of mass. This approach can be used in the absence of experimental data on the structure of gas and liquid flows in a packed bed, for example, when designing new contact elements.

Natural gas processing wastewater management

The aim of this research is to focus on adequate treatment technology for handling wastewater discharged from natural gas processing industries. An Egyptian natural gas company located at Alexandria was selected for the study. The study represents a useful reference for treatment of such kind of wastewater. Dark Fenton, biological treatment and the combination of them were carried out. The wastewater produced by subject industries has high concentration of chemical oxygen demand, (COD=52665 mg/L), low biological oxygen demand (BOD=8350 mg/L) and low total suspended solids (TSS=370 mg/L). The value of BOD/COD was low (0.16) which indicates that this wastewater inhibits the metabolic activity of bacterial seed because of their refractory properties causing biodegradability to be difficult. Fenton oxidation treatment raise the BOD/COD to more than 0.36. Biological treatment using both aerobic and anaerobic bioreactors for the treatment of mixture of Fenton pretreated gas processing wastewater and sewage gave satisfactory results. The subsequent anaerobic treatment using UASB reactor at optimum HRT [18h] qualifies the produced wastewater for discharge into the sewerage system. The additional aerobic treatment using the continuous-flow activated sludge at 12h HRT qualifies the treated wastewater for discharge into the sea.

FIRE RISK MANAGEMENT AT PT PERTAMINA EP ASSET 4 FIELD SUKOWATI

Fire is a common risk in the oil and gas processing industry such as PT Pertamina Asset 4 Field Sukowati. Fire risk management is important to prevent large damages and losses in the fire incidence. This study aims to describe fire risk management at PT Pertamina Asset 4 Field Sukowati. It is hoped that it can be useful as a reference for evaluating companies to improve fire risk management performance. This research is classified as observational descriptive research with purposive sampling data collection method. The analysis of the study used the Risk Management based on AS / NZS 4360: 2004 reference. The results showed that fire risk at PT Pertamina Asset 4 in Sukowati Field based on the stages of work varied from low, medium to high. The fire protection system at PT Pertamina Aset 4 Field Sukowati generally shows good conditions and is well monitored. Fire emergency response planning and organization are also adequate. Unfortunately, fire emergency response simulations have not been carried out regularly, so evaluating the success of fire risk management programs is difficult to measure. The recommendation in this study is the measurement of workers' preparedness as a follow-up to the implementation of fire emergency response simulations. It is because high worker preparedness is the key to implementing good fire risk management. Keyword: Risk management; Fire; PT Pertamina

A novel investigation into the application of non-destructive evaluation for vibration assessment and analysis of in-service pipes

ABSTRACTFlow-induced vibrations are a major problem in all oil and gas processing industries, so all piping systems which work non-stop for 24/7 require regular condition monitoring and inspection to assess changes in their dynamic characteristics and structural integrity in order to prevent catastrophic failures. A novel method of non-destructive testing and evaluation of these pipes, while in service, is proposed in this paper. The method enables early detection of the root causes and pinpoints the location of the impending failure due to excess vibration as a result of cyclic force induced by the flow prior to condition-based maintenance procedures. The technique relies on the combined application of Operating Deflection Shapes (ODS) analysis and computational mechanics utilizing Finite Element Analysis (FEA), i.e. linear elastic stress analysis. The effect on vibration levels on the in-service pipes is assessed and verified. The effect of any change in the forces corresponding to changes in the Differential Pressure (DP) at a constant flow rate through the pipes can then be estimated. It was concluded that maintaining the differential pressure above some “critical” threshold ensures the pipe operates under the allowable dynamic stress for a theoretically “indefinite” life cycle.

Effect of pressure on the rectification sharpness in rectifying sections of tray distillation columns in oil and gas refining

The process of rectification is both widely and intensively used in the oil and gas processing and petrochemical industries to produce products with a specified concentration of components and also generate high yields. The aim of this work is to substantiate a method for improving the process of rectification in the oil-and-gas and petrochemical industries by increasing the efficiency of the operation of contact devices. It has been shown that both the rectification sharpness and the capacity of the columns can be significantly raised by increasing the pressure. The results of operation of the stabilized oil primary distillation unit, the ethane columns at the oil-dissolved gas rectification plants, confirming the high efficiency of the proposed approach were presented.

OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE AND HEALTH OF WORKERS EMPLOYED IN THE PROCESSING OF NATURAL GAS

This review in chronological order considers steps of the solution of the one of key issues of occupational medicine, namely - a hygienic assessment of working conditions at enterprises of gas-processing industry - the most steadily growing sector of economy, reliably providing the population’s needs and the national economy for fuel and energy resources. The intensity of the working process at these enterprises was shown to be often associated with the persistent exposure to various harmful factors of the occupational environment that in the complex promotes the formation of unfavorable functional states, a decline in the level of physical and mental health, productivity and efficiency of work. Industrial air environment in services workshop and compressor houses is often polluted with hydrogen sulphide, sulfur dioxide, mercaptans, methanol, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, nitrogen and carbon oxides. The main cause of this pollution is a certain imperfection of the technological process and equipment, especially the lack of its tightness. The number of processes at a high temperature and elevated pressure in the presence of very aggressive reagents primarily, as hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide promotes the release of harmful substances into air environment. The possibility of their additive or synergistic impact on employees is not excluded because just in such industries there is seen a number of combinations of harmful substances enforcing the action of each other. There is made a conclusion that working conditions and environmental protection at the enterprises for the processing of natural gas and condensate with the high content of hydrogen sulfide and other corrosive components need for the further comprehensive hygienic assessment with the aim of the development of measures for the improvement of working conditions, preservation of workers’ health and environmental protection at all stages of production and processing of hydrocarbon raw materials in modern conditions. In preparing the review, the Scopus and Russian Information Scientific Center databases were used.