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PETROMAKS2-Stort program petroleum

Monitoring of glycol quality to Reduce operational risks

Alternative title: Overvåking av glykolkvalitet for å redusere driftsproblemer

Awarded: NOK 8.4 mill.

The oil and gas industry is currently shifting towards automated processing including unmanned platforms for gas treatment. The gas must meet the export requirements for water content, and gas dehydration is a must to maintain production. It is most commonly performed using glycol (mono- or triethylene glycol). In contact with natural gas, the glycol absorbs water and dries the gas. The glycol is regenerated in a low-pressure unit, which strips off the water at high temperature. Continuous recycling of glycol is possible by integrating the regeneration in the dehydration unit. MORE will provide the knowledge needed to enable remote control of glycol units by reducing the chemical degradation of glycol and improving condition monitoring. It will be done by: - Identifying products that form when glycol reacts with oxygen and other contaminants and thereby describe the chemical reactions that cause degradation of the common glycols - Identifying compounds that can be used to monitor the degradation - Establishing recommendations for sampling frequency and acceptance limits for contaminants and degradation products - Testing different analytical methods to identify methods that can form the basis for development of remote monitoring technologies - Assembling operational data from plants and laboratory studies and make guidelines for process design and operation The project will reduce capital and operational costs by preparing for future unmanned platforms for gas treatment. The results of the project give operators, engineering- and service companies a better understanding of the connection between operation parameters and degradation mechanisms. Keeping up the glycol quality over time will reduce the need for glycol replacement and maintain process efficiency, and thereby contribute to lower energy consumption and reduce climate gas emission.

The oil and gas industry is currently shifting towards automated processing including unmanned platforms for gas treatment. The gas must meet the export requirements for water content, and gas dehydration is only second to electricity in operation criticality. It is most commonly done using glycol (monoethylene or triethylene glycol). In contact with natural gas, the glycol absorbs water and dries the gas. The glycol is regenerated in a low-pressure unit, which strips off the water at high temperature. Continuous recycling of glycol is possible by integrating the regeneration in the dehydration unit. MORE will provide the knowledge needed to enable remote control of glycol units by reducing degradation of glycol and improving condition monitoring. Some of the factors that lead to glycol degradation are well-known, but the full reaction scheme is lacking, and it is not possible to quantify operational risks with continued use of contaminated glycol. Furthermore, there is a need for degradation indicators that can be utilised for online monitoring of glycol degradation. The project will fill these gaps by: - Establish degradation reaction mechanisms for the common glycols - Identify the main degradation compounds and how the formation is influenced by the process conditions temperature, oxygen ingress and presence of impurities - Identify compounds that can be used to monitor the degradation - Establish recommendations for sampling frequency and acceptance limits for contaminants as well as degradation products - Compare and test different analytical methods to identify methods that could form the basis for development of remote monitoring technologies - Assemble operational data from plants and laboratory studies and make guidelines for process design and operation.

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Funding scheme:

PETROMAKS2-Stort program petroleum