Simulation and Optimization of Natural Gas Sweetening Process: A Case Study of Ng Sweeting Unit Designed By Chen Group In The Gulf of Mexico.

The impurities such as hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are unwanted components and may cause corrosion and environmental pollution. The Gulf of Mexico area is one of the biggest fossil fuel markets around the world. It encourages more investments to recover and process the natural gas.The Gulf of Mexico natural gas contains high quantities of CO2 about (1.47%) and barely low amounts of H2S. Therefore, this study endeavour to simulate and optimize the prospective gas sweetening process by using the Aspen HYSYS V.8.4 program. Moreover, the simulation study is adopted amine sweetening technique by utilizing MDEA solution activated by Piperazine and it has achieved high CO2 removal, for example, CO2 gas concentration in sweet gas stream was about 40 ppm at (800 m3/h) circulation rate. In addition, gas sweetening process optimization is also achieved by employing different amine types and amine mixes such as MEA(Monomethylamine) and DEA (Dimethylamine). Further amine process parameters are examined for all amine types, for example, circulation rate, amine concentration and other operation conditions. However, the optimization step of the process recognized that the use of (30 wt.% MDEA(Methyldiethanolamine) +2.5wt.% PZ(Piperazine)) amine is the most efficient and recommended amine technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]