Recovery of ethane and wide fraction of light hydrocarbons from natural gas
In 2005 the detail design of “The plant for recovery of ethane and wide fraction of light hydrocarbons (WFLH) from natural gas” with a capacity of 3.0 billion m3/year for Orenburggazprom directed to reconstruction of the operating plant was completed.
After reconstruction the plant will produce the following commercial products (per year):
- ethane fraction - 169 - 193 thousand tons
- wide fraction of light hydrocarbons(WFLH) - 70 - 144 thousand tons
- stripped natural gas - 2.77 - 2.82 billion m3
TThe plant allows to increase the ethane production volume at Helium plant due to the application of current technologies. The extraction factors of desired products reach: ethane – 94% , WFLH - 99.5%.
The gas processing technology is based on the application of the following methods:
- gas pre-cooling by recuperation of backflow cold and using of initial gas as a heat carrier in the demethanizer
- adiabatic gas expansion in a turbo-expander
- absorption of desired components by liquid methane
- separation and rectification of liquid hydrocarbons
- adsorption refining of ethane fraction from H2S and CO2 and WFLH from mercaptans
The external cooling cycle is used only on the stage of ethane fraction production.
In accordance with the adopted processing technology, the production facility includes the following process units:
- source gas measuring station/li>
- ethane and WFLH producing plant
- propane cooling unit
- flame heaters battery
- torch system
- boosters shop (BS)
- end products cleaning plant
- auxiliary departments including nitrogen store, compressed air receivers, etc.
The major part of the equipment is manufactured at works of Russia. The share of imported equipment is about 10%.
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