(140b) Improving the Energy Efficiency of Natural Gas Processing with Process Integration Techniques

Process Integration techniques allow the holistic investigation of key design variables in a systematic manner, and hence they have been widely adopted in the oil and gas industries for the improvement of energy efficiency. Graphical manipulation of energy performance indicators, for example using energy composite curves, may be insufficient for the purpose of evaluating various design options and assessing their techno-economic impacts, due to the complex design interactions which exist in natural gas processing. Hence, process simulation and optimization methods can be used strategically and simultaneously allow the rigorous assessment of economic trade-offs and the confident selection of energy-saving features based on a systematic analysis. This work focuses on methodology connecting Process Integration techniques, process simulation and optimization methods which aim to effectively identify the most appropriate optimal operating conditions and to assess the economic implications of different structural options or network configurations, leading to considerable energy savings in gas processing plants. This will be illustrated through case studies regarding the design of natural gas liquefaction and NGL (natural gas liquids) recovery.

Acknowledgement

This research was supported from the Technology Innovation (10042424, Floating Production Platform Topside Systems and Equipment Development) funded By the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MI, Korea).