Natural Gas Composition and Properties

Understanding Natural Gas Components

• Detailed analysis of natural gas constituents including methane, ethane, propane, butanes, pentanes, and heavier hydrocarbons (C6+).
• Understanding the impact of non-hydrocarbon components like nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, helium, and water vapor on processing requirements and gas quality.
• Learn how to use gas chromatography (GC) to determine the precise composition of natural gas streams.

Thermodynamic Properties and Phase Behavior

• Application of equations of state (EOS) such as Peng-Robinson, Soave-Redlich-Kwong, and their modifications to predict gas behavior under various conditions.
• Understanding phase diagrams (P-T and P-H) to determine phase envelopes, dew points, and bubble points of natural gas mixtures.
• Calculations involving enthalpy, entropy, heat capacity, and compressibility factor (Z) for natural gas mixtures.
• Practical application of software tools for thermodynamic modeling and simulations of natural gas processes.

Gas Sweetening and Acid Gas Removal

Amine Gas Treating

• In-depth study of various amine solvents like MEA, DEA, MDEA, DIPA, and blended amines used for H2S and CO2 removal.
• Chemical reaction kinetics and equilibrium considerations in amine absorption processes.
• Design and optimization of amine absorbers and regenerators, including trayed towers and packed columns.
• Troubleshooting common issues in amine plants such as foaming, corrosion, and solvent degradation.
• Understanding of amine reclaiming processes to remove heat stable salts (HSS) and other contaminants.

Non-Amine Gas Treating Processes

• Detailed examination of physical absorption processes like Selexol and Rectisol for bulk CO2 removal.
• Membrane separation technology for acid gas removal, including membrane materials, design considerations, and operational aspects.
• Understanding of direct conversion processes like the Claus process and tail gas treating units (TGTU) for sulfur recovery.
• Adsorption processes using molecular sieves and activated carbon for H2S and CO2 removal.

Gas Dehydration

Glycol Dehydration

• Study of glycol dehydration processes using TEG, DEG, and other glycols to remove water vapor from natural gas.
• Design and operation of glycol contactors, flash drums, and glycol regenerators.
• Understanding of glycol circulation rates, stripping gas requirements, and glycol losses.
• Troubleshooting issues like glycol foaming, corrosion, and excessive glycol losses.
• Analysis of water dew point depression and its impact on pipeline operations.

Molecular Sieve Dehydration

• Principle and application of molecular sieves for deep dehydration of natural gas.
• Types of molecular sieves and their adsorption characteristics.
• Design and operation of molecular sieve adsorption units, including regeneration cycles and temperature swing adsorption (TSA).
• Understanding of pre-treatment requirements for molecular sieve dehydration.

NGL Recovery

Absorption-Based NGL Recovery

• Detailed analysis of lean oil absorption processes for NGL recovery.
• Design and optimization of absorber towers, including trayed towers and packed columns.
• Understanding of lean oil properties, circulation rates, and stripping gas requirements.
• Process optimization for maximum NGL recovery and product fractionation.

Cryogenic NGL Recovery

• Study of cryogenic processes like turbo-expander plants and Joule-Thomson expansion for NGL recovery.
• Design and operation of cryogenic heat exchangers, separators, and expanders.
• Understanding of refrigeration cycles and their impact on plant efficiency.
• Process optimization for maximum NGL recovery at cryogenic temperatures.

Fractionation

• Design and operation of fractionation columns for separating NGL mixtures into individual components like propane, butane, and natural gasoline.
• Understanding of reflux ratios, reboiler duties, and condenser duties.
• Control strategies for fractionation columns to maintain product specifications.

Process Safety Management (PSM)

Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

• Comprehensive understanding of hazard identification techniques like HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Study), What-If analysis, and FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis).
• Application of quantitative risk assessment (QRA) methods to evaluate the likelihood and consequences of potential hazards.
• Development of risk matrices and ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) principles for risk mitigation.

Safety Systems and Procedures

• Design and implementation of safety instrumented systems (SIS) and safety instrumented functions (SIF).
• Understanding of safety integrity levels (SIL) and their application in safety system design.
• Development of operating procedures, emergency procedures, and maintenance procedures.
• Implementation of permit-to-work systems and lockout/tagout procedures.

Mechanical Integrity

• Understanding of mechanical integrity programs for pressure vessels, piping systems, and storage tanks.
• Implementation of non-destructive testing (NDT) methods like ultrasonic testing, radiographic testing, and magnetic particle testing.
• Development of inspection schedules and repair procedures.
• Compliance with industry codes and standards like ASME, API, and ANSI.

Environmental Management

Emissions Control

• Understanding of environmental regulations related to natural gas processing plants.
• Implementation of control technologies for reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and greenhouse gases (GHGs).
• Monitoring and reporting of emissions data.

Waste Management

• Proper handling and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes generated in natural gas processing plants.
• Implementation of waste minimization strategies and recycling programs.
• Management of wastewater and produced water.

Plant Operations and Troubleshooting

Startup and Shutdown Procedures

• Detailed procedures for starting up and shutting down various process units in a natural gas processing plant.
• Considerations for safe and efficient startup and shutdown operations.
• Management of abnormal operating conditions during startup and shutdown.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Identification and troubleshooting of common operational problems in gas sweetening, dehydration, NGL recovery, and fractionation units.
• Understanding of root cause analysis techniques for identifying and resolving operational issues.
• Implementation of corrective actions to prevent recurrence of operational problems.