(7b) Process Understanding of Acid Gas Removal Unit Instabilities: Lessons Learnt from Malaysia LNG TIGA (Webcast Not Available)

In a remarkably competitive Oil and Gas industry, sustaining plant operational stability is key in ensuring optimum business performance. Acid Gas Removal Unit (AGRU) instabilities due to foaming and carryover are typical critical operational issue that impacts plant availability, reliability and utilization. With comprehensive understanding of factors that promotes foaming, AGRU instabilities can be avoided and sufficient designs considerations can be made from Project phase in ensuring long term plant operational stability. Malaysia's PETRONAS LNG complex in Bintulu, Sarawak, comprises of Malaysia LNG Sdn Bhd, Malaysia LNG DUA Sdn Bhd and Malaysia LNG TIGA Sdn Bhd plants with total LNG deliverable capacity of about 23 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). The three LNG plants are operated as one integrated site, all being part of the Gas Sector of PETRONAS. The first plant, MLNG with three modules (Modules 1, 2 and 3) began operation in 1983. This was followed by the second plant, MLNG DUA, which started its operations in 1994 also with three modules (Modules 4, 5 and 6). The third plant, MLNG TIGA with two modules (Modules 7 and 8) was later integrated with the existing site and come into operations in 2003. This paper enlightens the process knowledge learnt from the operational experience of MLNG TIGA AGRU for better design of future installation. It highlights key factors to be considered in ensuring AGRU robustness towards foaming promoters especially heavy hydrocarbons (HC) contamination; particularly in preventing HC ingress into AGRU amine solvent and effectively removing HC from accumulating in amine system.