Behavior and effect of methanol in amine treating systems

To prevent the formation of hydrates, methanol is commonly added to wellhead gas before it enters pipelines for transport to processing units. Perhaps under the mistaken notion that more is better, copious amounts of methanol are sometimes added, amounting to many tons of methanol per day. Almost invariably, a large proportion of the methanol is removed from the gas in the amine unit, where it tends to build up to high levels in certain areas, especially the amine regenerator. Eventually, the absorbed methanol finds its way at high concentrations into the acid gas entering the sulfur plant, where it acts as a diluent. This absorbed methanol can significantly lower flame temperatures in the