(547b) Maintaining Operation Excellence in Badak LNG in Facing Leaner Gas Entrance

Badak LNG as one of the pioneer in LNG business is currently facing operational challenge in operating plant safely, efficient, and reliable. One of the current operational issues faced in Badak LNG plant is the leaner gas entrance to the facility. The leaner gas composition may cause inefficient operation as it requires some amount of LPG being reinjected to the feed gas stream to maintain a desired LNG quality specification.

The Badak LNG plant facility is designed with specific feed gas quality (±83% of Methane content) and single LNG quality. Along time, leaner gas is introduced to the feed gas which has caused the Methane content to reach 90%. This condition may cause the LNG quality (i.e. heating value/HHV) to drop below the Rich LNG sales contract specification. As countermeasure, some amount of LPG was reinjected to the feed gas stream in Badak LNG facility to maintain the LNG product quality as per specified quality.

With the shifting operation mode, Badak LNG is challenged to optimize this by manipulating the operation mode inside the plant. Badak LNG has implemented an operational breakthrough by segregating LNG production line of production. This was done by separating Process Train, LNG rundown line, LNG Tanks, and LNG Transfer Line, & Terminal to produce 2 LNG qualities in parallel. This method was later known as dual HHV mode. A single production line is set to produce rich LNG (HHV > 1,107 BTU/SCF) to fulfill rich LNG sales contract, while the other production line is set to produce lean LNG (HHV < 1,107 BTU/SCF) for the other sales contracts or spot markets. With this operation, the LPG consumption can be reduced significantly with a potential saving of almost 300 kUSD/day.