Solutions for Associated Gas Disposal

Design Institute of SME TEC develops integrated solutions for associated gas disposal.

Basing on their experience specialists of SME TEC Design Institute apply various options for associated gas disposal, allowing to transport all associated gas to a gas refinery plant and obtain commercial products (propane-butane fraction, stable natural gas gasoline, commercial dry gas) on site. Techniques used for associated gas disposal are the following:

• Oil absorption technique, with use of hydrocarbon absorbent with molecular weight not less than 150. It also can be used as an absorbent for stable condensate. This technique is widely used in USA and some European countries. About 60% of associated and natural gas is treated by means of this technique.
• Low temperature separation technique, during which the gas is cooled down by an outside cooling station. Propane, ammonia and freon are used as a cooling agent in oil, gas and chemical industry.
• Low temperature separation technique, when Joule-Tompson effect is used for gas cooling, it is achieved through gas throttling expansion. This technique is the most popular in gas industry.
• Low temperature separation technique, during which the gas is cooled down by a turbine expander. Turbine expanders are widely used in gas and chemical industry.
• Low temperature separation technique, when Ranque-Hilsch effect is used for gas cooling down. Vortex tubes are used for gas cooling down when this technique is applied. This is a relatively new technique for gas cooling down. This technique is being successfully implemented at several Russian oilfields.
• Low temperature condensation technique, is further development of low temperature separation technique and it differs in lower temperature of separation. Separation temperature can go down to 120 ºС when this technique is applied. The main goal of low temperature separation is obtaining target product - ethane, i.e. a raw material for petrochemical industry.
• Rectification technique is used during field refinery aimed to obtain target products out of liquid hydrocarbons - propane and butane or their mixture, stable condensate or stable natural gas gasoline. As a rule it is used combined with low separation technique.

In 2008 Design Institute implemented the following projects:

• Main engineering solutions on associated gas disposal for Imperial Energy fields upon the assignment and contract with Imperial Energy Tomskgas (city of Tomsk)
• Technical and feasibility evaluation of options for associated gas disposal at Talinskoye Oilfield upon the assignment and contract with TNK-Nagyan (city of Nagyan)