(58f) Process Optimization and Iow Implementation for Preventing Loss of Containment in Gas Processing Plants (amine treatment)

Gas treating plants have to increase their processing capacity, because of the new customer requirements. In order to be able to provide the amount of sweet gas required by the market, process conditions were altered without any prior analysis. The sour gas stream enter the absorber column (AC), in past years, the contaminants like H₂S and CO₂, were adequately controlled, but, nowadays, due to some composition changes in the feed stream, contaminants concentrations has increase. So, with more contaminants on the stream, more lean-amine is required to remove them. The lean-amine is obtained thru a regeneration process which implies heating the rich-amina stream from the AC, using steam as a heat source. This process is carry out at the regeneration column (RC). In order to supply a more lean-amine, the reboiler and RC temperature should be increased, this causes the amine to degrade, and this degradation mechanism produces heat-stable amine salts (HSAS), this conditions increases corrosion rates and wall thickness reduction, which leads to a loss of containment. An amine substitution program was implemented, also an IOW program is proposed to be implemented, mainly for RC temperature control, this IOW should be implement together with a quality/process window for H₂S and CO₂ concentration control. The benefits for these alternatives bring an increase of sweet gas production, from 208 MMSCFD to 218 MMSCFD; energy savings (MMBTU) form USD 90,963 to USD 86,724. In addition, loss of containment reduction is expected, which influences safety, reliability and business continuity.