Optimization of Gas Sweetening Plant with Specific Energy Consumption Approach

The type of amine used in the natural gas sweetening plant is one of the variables that strongly affects plant energy consumption. In this study, the effect of using mixed amines on energy consumption in the gas sweetening plant (GSP) of Fajr-e-Jam Gas Refining Company (FJGRC) has been investigated. There are 8 trains of GSP in FJGRC. In trains 1 to 4, a mixture of MDEA and DEA are used. In trains 5 to 8, DEA is used in the presence of low concentration of MDEA. In this paper, GSP trains 5 to 8 were simulated by using the ProMax 3.2 software, taking into account different compositions of mixed amine. The simulation results show that the use of combined 15 wt. % MDEA and 30 wt. % DEA caused a significant reduction in energy consumption in the GSP. Under the new conditions, the amount of steam used in the process as well as the flow of amine circulation rate reduced by 19.3% and 19.4%, respectively. Another benefit of using mixed amines is the reduction of the specific energy consumption (SEC) index by 0.05 GJ/ton and the reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30 ton/day.

Keywords:

Gas Sweetening , Energy Optimization , Amine Mix , Economic Analysis , CO2 Emission