Simulation of CO2 removal from ethane with Sulfinol-M+AMP solvent instead of DEA solvent in the South Pars phases 9 and 10 gas processing facility

Hassan Ghanbarabadi Behnam Khoshandam David A. Wood

Raw gas gathered from well production has to be treated to extract its ethane, to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from it and to dry it, so that the send-out ethane gas complies with transport constraints and meets sales-gas specifications. Two distinct families of solvents are used generically for such gas treatment: chemical and physical solvents. The South Pars gas field development phases 9 and 10 feeds gas and natural gas liquids into a processing and fractionation plant (one of the largest gas processing plants in Iran), and is associated with concentrations of 5.37% mole CO2 in the raw gas produced. Furthermore, there are potential problems associated with the CO2 treatment, such as the high-energy requirements for amine solvent regeneration, corrosion caused by aqueous amine solvents and waste/losses (solubility, vaporization) of the solvent used to remove CO2 in the ethane treatment unit.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petlm.2018.06.004