Simulation and comparison of Sulfinol solvent performance with Amine solvents in removing sulfur compounds and acid gases from natural sour gas

CATEGORY: NATURAL GAS
Simulation and comparison of Sulfinol solvent performance with Amine solvents in removing sulfur compounds and acid gases from natural sour gas

Type	Journal Article
Author	Hassan Ghanbarabadi
Author	Behnam Khoshandam
URL	http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875510014004028
Volume	22
Pages	415-420
Publication	Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering
Date	January 2015
Abstract	Natural gas issued from well production must be be treated to remove acid gases and sulfur compounds to satisfy transport requirements and sale gas specifications. Two families of solvent are used for this gas treatment: chemical and physical solvents. Ilam gas refinery, a major gas refinery in Iran, discharges high levels of mercaptans in the production of raw LPG and condensates. Also problematic are sulfur compounds, because of the lack of Merox unit. Authors simulated acid gas removal as well as removal of sulfur compounds with mixed solvent Sulfinol and DGA, MDEA + AMP solvents. They compared results with the present solvent MDEA. Their purpose was to study feasibility of utilizing Sulfinol-M solvent to replace the aqueous amine solvent in the gas sweetening unit of Ilam gas refinery. Simulation results revealed that more than 30–40% of mercaptans along with sour gas is absorbed with Sulfinol-M solvent of lower flow rate and a considerable 10–25% less energy is required for solvent regeneration. In addition, very little waste of solvent was observed compared with amine solvents. Many of the process parameters are controlled more easily than amine solvents with the characteristic of the composition of Sulfinol-M compound and there will be energy and economic saving in different sections of mercaptan and acid gas absorption.