Improve amine unit efficiency by optimizing operating conditions

D. Satyadileep, A. S. Berrouk and C. J. Peters, The Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, UAE; and A. A. Aziz, Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd., Abu Dhabi, UAE How can the efficiency of an amine gas sweetening unit be improved without additional capital investment? Operation at optimum conditions is the first key to enhance the performance of the unit, as revealed by a case study performed on a commercial gas plant using a kinetics-based simulation analysis. Lower amine temperature provides a significant reduction in solvent circulation rate, steam consumption rate, pumping duty and dehydration unit load while posing no risk of hydrocarbon condensation or hydrate formation. Also, higher amine stre