Articles
Regional Focus: North American NGL to boom alongside petrochemicals
Strong natural gas production and rapidly rising demand from petrochemicals makers have resulted in record-high production of natural gas plant liquids in North America, particularly in the U.S. This growth has been led by ethane.
Business Trends: Four challenges to Australia’s rising role in the global LNG market
The past 10 yr have been the decade of natural gas, but the next 10 yr will belong to LNG as countries race to build out their export capacity.
Avoid costly startup delays with a MAC
Almost every oil and gas company has experienced the chaos that comes with trying to finish a startup in its final days. The good news is that this does not have to be the status quo. Steps can be taken to dramatically reduce integration challenges and keep projects on time and on budget.
Reduce gas dehydration costs with high-efficiency mixing
The gas dehydration process is typically carried out using a large contactor tower, where glycol [typically triethylene glycol (TEG), ethylene glycol (MEG) or diethylene glycol (DEG)] enters counter-currently to the process gas for optimum contact between glycol and gas during mass transfer.
Global Project Data
<i>Hydrocarbon Processing’s</i> Construction Boxscore Database and Gulf Energy Information’s Energy Web Atlas is tracking more than 420 active gas processing/LNG projects around the world.
U.S. Industry Metrics
On November 4, the thousandth LNG export cargo was shipped from the U.S. since the start of LNG exports from the Lower 48 States in February 2016.
Sectionalizing valve location on an onshore buried gas pipeline
In onshore buried natural gas pipelines, sectionalizing valves are used to divide the pipeline into smaller segments that can be isolated in an emergency case or when needed to allow for operation, inspection and maintenance activities.
Manage contaminants in LNG feed gas and cryogenic processing—Part 2
Part 1 of this article reviewed requirements for contamination management, common issues in LNG processing and feed gas contamination. Part 2 presents a case study to demonstrate how proactive contamination sampling and onsite testing prevented a plant shutdown and revealed a solution to avert further problems.
Delivering asset data integrity through digitization and standardization
During the lifecycle of an asset—from capital project activities through operations and maintenance and to end-of-life—data about the asset are handed over numerous times, from engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms, various supply chain partners, owner-operators, and internally within each of these organizations.
Optimization of BOG management during LNG unloading with dynamic simulation
In LNG receiving terminals, the dynamic nature of boiloff gas (BOG) generation in the unloading process can be difficult to understand, and BOG management can be challenging.
Executive Viewpoint: Back to production: Where we’re going, we don’t need pipelines
What if a cost-effective way existed to extract and distribute natural gas, regardless of proximity to pipeline, and bring those assets back to production? What if the industry went in a direction that did not need pipelines? For those looking to monetize unproductive natural gas assets or bring unproductive wells back to production, it would be revolutionary.
Editorial Comment: The Future of FLNG: Less is More?
Global LNG export capacity is expected to increase by 45% between 2017 and 2022, to more than 400 metric MMtpy, with 90% of the new capacity coming from sanctioned projects in the U.S. and Australia. By 2050, this capacity is anticipated to exceed 700 MMtpy. Regasification capacity is anticipated to increase even more sharply.
Regional Focus: Australia to boost LNG exports despite domestic gas shortage
Australia is planning further increases in LNG production and exports over the next decade, despite quickly depleting reserves and a looming supply shortage in the domestic market.
Advanced modeling for monitoring centrifugal compressor operation
Ensuring safe and optimal operative conditions for compressors is a primary goal for process plants. check
US Industry Metrics
In US gas news, Freeport LNG shipped its first LNG cargo of 150,000 m<sup>3</sup> from Train 1 on September 3.
Global Project Data
<i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i>’s Construction Boxscore Database and Gulf Energy Information’s Energy Web Atlas are tracking more than 400 active gas processing/LNG projects around the world.
Smart coolant for NGL processing in very hot regions
A propane refrigeration system, consisting of a compressor, air coolers, an expansion valve and an evaporator, is commonly used for deethanizer overhead cooling in the oil and gas industry.
Driving the viability of micro-LNG projects
In recent years, as the world has increasingly shifted away from heavier distillates in favor of cleaner-burning fuel sources, the role of natural gas in the global energy landscape has expanded dramatically.
Opportunities for increasing efficiency in small- to mid-scale LNG plants—Part 2
Several factors are incentivizing lifecycle cost (LCC)-focused production capacity for mid-scale LNG.
Manage contaminants in LNG feed gas and cryogenic processing—Part 1
The process of treating and liquefying natural gas into LNG is a complex and often delicate operation.
Regional Focus: Gazprom faces challenges for combined LNG/processing plant in Baltics
Russia’s largest natural gas producer, Gazprom, aims to build a giant project on the Russian Baltic seaport of Ust-Luga. The plans include the construction of a combined LNG and gas processing plant.
Industry Focus: The future of gas-to-power projects in Africa
Natural gas is expected to play a central role in supporting Africa’s drive to achieve electricity connection for nearly 600 MM people without access to the grid, to reduce widespread reliance on coal for power generation, and to fast-track the continent’s slowed industrial expansion.
Editorial Comment
The continued expansion of natural gas trade is led primarily by growth in the LNG sector, which has tripled over the past 3 yr.
Evaluate train size, drivers and digitalization options for mid-scale LNG
In some select cases, mid-scale LNG trains (0.5 MMtpy–2 MMtpy) may offer commercial, logistical and financial advantages over large-scale LNG trains.
Gas Processing News
Japan’s Kyushu Electric Power Co. agreed to back a study using floating LNG (FLNG) vessels at remote gas fields of 0.5 Tft<sup>3</sup>–2 Tft<sup>3</sup> offshore Australia that would otherwise be untapped.
New in Gas Processing Technology
BP Ventures has made an investment of $30 MM in Calysta Inc., an alternative protein producer, that will use BP's natural gas to produce protein for fish, livestock and pet feeds.
US Industry Metrics
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects strong growth in US natural gas production to pressure prices through the remainder of 2019.
Global Project Data
Hydrocarbon Processing’s Construction Boxscore Database is tracking more than 1,300 projects around the world.
Maintain temperatures in gas sample lines to enhance measurement accuracy
Within a gas sampling system, numerous variables can affect the accuracy of analyzer measurements.
Prevent premature failure of mechanical-drive gas turbines
A 24,000-hp gas turbine driving a natural gas compressor was started up for initial performance and overspeed tests, following an extended overhaul for major maintenance and upgrade to the entire train.
- Gasum selects Wärtsilä for another bio-LNG project in Sweden
- Vanguard Renewables breaks ground on its first organics-to-renewable gas facility
- Amarinth secures $1-MM order of API 610 pumps for Coral North FLNG project in Mozambique
- Linde selected to supply carbon capture technology to ADNOC’S Hail and Ghasha project
- Tecnimont to build waste-to-biogas plant to fuel local kitchens in India
