Measuring and Sampling for Gas Processing Plants

✍ Scribed by Kilmer, J.W.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2007
• Weight: 527 KB
• Volume: 3
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0743-5665
• DOI: 10.1002/gas.3410030302

✦ Synopsis

As gas processors face severe competition from low crude oil prices both on a Btu basis and as marketers of feedstock to olefin plants, the economic evaluation of plant operation becomes increasingly important. Accurate plant balances can provide data for financial reports as well as supply the basis for changes in conditions to optimize plant recoveries.

Plant balances can be developed using mass (weight), volume (thousand cubic feet, or mcf), or heat (Btu) balances. Because plant inlet streams are generally in vapor form while plant outlet streams may be vapor (residue gas) or liquid (product), some conversion will be involved regardless of the basis used for the balance.

Assumptions tions have been made:

In the discussion that follows, certain assump-1. The contracts, construction and operating agreements, and processing agreements for the plants involved have already been negotiated and the plants have operated for some time.

2. The gas measurement facilities and volume calculations meet the requirements of ANWAPI 2530, Orifice Metering of Natural Gas! Sampling will be performed in accordance with GPA 2166-68, Methods for Obtaining Natural Gas Samples for Analysis by Gas Chromatography.