Startup troubleshooting of amine units in LNG export facilities

The production of LNG has gained considerable importance in the past few years because of the energy value contained in natural gas, the ability for export and its lower environmental impact in terms of emissions. In addition, natural gas is seen as a bridge fuel to cleaner energy sources. LNG production (FIG. 1) begins with inlet separation of contaminants from the feed gas stream, followed by H2S and CO2 removal, water removal, mercury removal and higher-molecular-weight hydrocarbon removal. The gas stream, which is predominantly methane, is then liquefied at –160°C in an aluminum cryogenic heat exchanger. The liquefied product is normally transferred and stored in specialized LNG tanks o