Removal of acid gases from a gas stream, with CO2 capture and sequestration
AssigneeExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
InventorsPaul S Northrop, Robbin Bruce Anderson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas processing facility and method for processing a hydrocarbon gas stream comprising sulfurous components and carbon dioxide. The gas processing facility includes an acid gas removal facility for separating the hydrocarbon gas stream into (i) a sweetened gas stream, and (ii) an acid gas stream comprised primarily of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. The gas processing facility also includes a Claus sulfur recovery unit that generates a tail gas, and a tail gas treating unit for receiving the tail gas. In various embodiments, the gas processing facility and method capture CO2 from the tail gas and injects it under pressure into a subsurface reservoir.
Claims26
A gas processing facility for processing a hydrocarbon gas stream comprising sulfurous components and carbon dioxide, the gas processing facility comprising:
- an acid gas removal facility for separating the hydrocarbon gas stream into (i) a sweetened gas stream, and (ii) a first acid gas stream comprised primarily of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide;
- a sulfur recovery unit for receiving the first acid gas stream, and separating the first acid gas stream into (i) a liquid stream of elemental sulfur, and (ii) a tail gas comprising acid gas impurities;
- a tail gas treating unit having a reducing gas generator and a catalytic bed to hydrogenate the tail gas, an absorber vessel, and a solvent regenerator vessel, where the tail gas treating unit receives the tail gas and separates the tail gas into (i) an overhead by-products stream from the absorber vessel, and (ii) a second acid gas stream from the regenerator vessel, where the second acid gas stream is a carbon dioxide-rich gas stream;
- and
- a compressor station for receiving the second acid gas stream from the regenerator vessel, and providing pressure to the second acid gas stream for injection into a subsurface reservoir.
A method for processing a hydrocarbon gas stream in a gas processing facility, the hydrocarbon gas stream comprising sulfurous components and carbon dioxide, the method comprising:
- separating the hydrocarbon gas stream at an acid gas removal facility into (i) a sweetened gas stream, and (ii) a first acid gas stream comprised primarily of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide;
- receiving the first acid gas stream at a sulfur recovery unit and separating the first acid gas stream into (i) a liquid stream of elemental sulfur, and (ii) a tail gas comprising acid gas impurities;
- receiving the tail gas at a tail gas treating unit having a reducing gas generator and a catalytic bed to hydrogenate the tail gas, an absorber vessel, and a solvent regenerator vessel, and separating the tail gas into (i) an overhead by-products stream from the absorber vessel, and (ii) a second acid gas stream from the regenerator vessel, where the second acid gas stream is a carbon dioxide-rich gas stream;
- delivering the second acid gas stream from the regenerator vessel to a compressor station;
- providing pressure to the second acid gas stream from the regenerator vessel at a compressor station;
- and
- injecting the second acid gas stream into a subsurface reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.