A competitive study for the behavior of amines in acid gas

Natural gas is the most common fossil fuel. However, because it exists in deep underground reservoirs, it may contain several non-hydrocarbon components [e.g., hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2)]. These impurities are undesirable compounds, and can cause several technical problems, including corrosion and environmental pollution. The Gulf of Suez gas plant—located in the Red Sea region of Egypt—has been operated by the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Co. (GUPCO) since 1983. This plant uses diethanolamine (DEA) for the sweetening process. The facility received a significant amount of natural gas containing acid gas that was beyond the plant’s design conditions. This resulted in corrosion