Separation of Light Hydrocarbons and Sour Species From a Sour Gas
AssigneeIOR Technology PTY LTD
InventorsRobert Amin, Ahmed Barifcani
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Abstract
The invention provides a process for recovering a light hydrocarbon, such as ethane, from a sour hydrocarbon gas. The process involves mixing the sour hydrocarbon gas with an azeotrope inhibitor and then passing the mixture into a first distillation column. The first distillation column is operated under a set of temperature and pressure conditions in which the light hydrocarbon is substantially separated from the mixture as an overhead vapour product. The sour species in the mixture can be recovered by passing the bottoms liquid product into a second distillation column under a second set of temperature and pressure conditions in which the sour species is separated as a second overhead vapour product.
Claims32
A process for recovering a light hydrocarbon comprising methane and ethane from a sour hydrocarbon gas, the process comprising the steps of:
- a) mixing the sour hydrocarbon gas with an azeotrope inhibitor agent;
- and
- b) passing the mixture into a first distillation column and operating the first distillation column under a set of temperature and pressure conditions in which the light hydrocarbon is substantially separated from the mixture as an overhead vapour product.
A process for recovering sour species from a sour hydrocarbon gas, the process comprising the steps of:
- a) separating hydrocarbons having 3 or more carbons from the sour hydrocarbon gas;
- b) mixing the hydrocarbon-depleted gas with an azeotrope inhibitor agent;
- c) passing the mixture into a first distillation column and operating said first distillation column under a first set of temperature and pressure conditions in which the light hydrocarbon comprising methane and ethane is separated from the mixture as a first overhead vapour product;
- and
- d) separating the sour species from a bottoms liquid product of the first distillation column.
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A hydrocarbon separation system comprising:
- a sour hydrocarbon feedgas source;
- an azeotrape inhibitor source;
- a first chiller having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the first chiller inlet is in fluid communication with the feedgas source and the azeotrope inhibitor source;
- a first distillation column having a top end and a bottom end, a first inlet disposed between the two ends, a vapor outlet adjacent the top end, a liquid outlet adjacent the bottom end and a second inlet adjacent the top end and a third inlet adjacent the bottom end, wherein the outlet of the first chiller is in fluid communication with the first inlet of the first distillation column;
- a second chiller having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the second chiller inlet is in fluid communication with the vapor outlet of the first distillation column;
- a first vapor-liquid separator having an inlet, a gas outlet and a liquid outlet, wherein the inlet of the first vapor-liquid separator is in fluid communication with the outlet of the second chiller and wherein the liquid outlet is in fluid communication with the second inlet of the first distillation column;
- a first heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet of the first heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the liquid outlet of the first distillation column and the outlet of the first heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the third inlet of the first distillation column;
- a second distillation column having a top end and a bottom end, a first inlet disposed between the two ends, a vapor outlet adjacent the top end, a liquid outlet adjacent the bottom end and a second inlet adjacent the top end and a third inlet adjacent the bottom end, wherein the liquid outlet of the first distillation column is in fluid communication with the first inlet of the second distillation column;
- a third chiller having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the third chiller inlet is in fluid communication with the vapor outlet of the second distillation column;
- a second vapor-liquid separator having an inlet, a gas outlet and a liquid outlet, wherein the inlet of the second vapor-liquid separator is in fluid communication with the outlet of the third chiller and wherein the liquid outlet is in fluid communication with the second inlet of the second distillation column;
- and
- a second heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet of the second heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the liquid outlet of the second distillation column and the outlet of the second heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the third inlet of the second distillation column,
- wherein the second distillation column is the azeotrope inhibitor source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.