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Amine Plants
Amine Plants Ad Space Available Through the Renewable Energy Institute
Midstream
Oil and Gas
Stranded
Gas & Gas
to Power Solutions
“spending hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars every year for oil, much of it from the Middle East, is just about the single stupidest thing that modern society could possibly do. It’s very difficult to think of anything more idiotic than that.” - R. James Woolsey, Jr., former Director of the CIA
_________________________________________________________ The American Energy Plan sm Provides, within 10 Years: *
No Foreign
Oil
No
Foreign Oil!
and the
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Amine Plants
www.AminePlants.com
What is an
Amine Plant?
Amine plants are used for "gas sweetening" in the midstream oil and gas sector known as "gas processing."
Amine plants provide H2S removal as well as CO2 removal from natural gas and liquid hydrocarbons. The process involves both absorption and chemical reactions.
What is Amine?
Amine, is the shortened form of " Mono Ethanol Amine" or MEA. MEA removes H2S or acid gases through a chemical reaction with hydrogen sulfide or carbon dioxide which forms a salt compound (see Gas Sweetening diagram below).
When
the MEA has absorbed the H2S ( and carbon dioxide) it is referred to as
" rich" MEA.
When the acid gases have been removed from the mono ethanol amine it's
called lean MEA
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What is a "Cryogenic Plant"?
A
cryogenic
plant is another term for a "gas
processing plant."
Gas processing plants produce natural gas liquids products, including ethane, at very low or "cryogenic" operating temperatures.
What is Flare
Gas Recovery?
Flare Gas Recovery, Waste to Fuel and Vapor Recovery Units recover valuable "waste" or vented fuels such as Biomethane that can be used to provide fuel for an onsite power generation plant.
Flare
Gas Recovery, Waste to Fuel and
Vapor Recovery Units
can be located in hundreds of applications and
locations. At a
Wastewaster
Treatment System
(or
Publicly
Owned Treatment Works
- "POTW") gases from the facility
can be captured from the
anaerobic
digesters, and manifolded/piped to one of our onsite power
generation plants, and make, essentially, "free" electricity
for your facility's use. These associated "biogases"
that are generated from municipally owned landfills or wastewater
treatment plants have low btu content or heating values, ranging around
550-650 btu's. This makes
them
Additionally, if heat (steam and/or hot water) is required, we will incorporate our cogeneration or trigeneration system into the project and provide some, or all, of your hot water/steam requirements. Similarly, at crude oil refineries, gas processing plants, exploration and production sites, and gasoline storage/tank farm site, we convert your facility's "waste fuel" and environmental liabilities into profitable, environmentally-friendly solutions.
What are Gas Compressors?
Gas compressors are mechanical device that increase the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. Gas compressors are responsible for moving the natural gas from the oil or natural gas production well to homes and businesses via natural gas pipelines and gas compression stations.
Gas compressionalso increases the temperature of the gas during compression.
What is Gas Processing?
Natural Gas Processing plants separate the various hydrocarbons and natural gas liquids from the pure natural gas (methane or CH4) to produce what is known as 'pipeline quality' natural gas. Natural gas pipeline companies have requirements on natural gas they buy from producers which is why the natural gas processing plants are located where they are, and why they separate the ethane, propane, butane, and pentanes from the methane. Natural gas liquids or NGLs include ethane, propane, butane, iso-butane, and natural gasoline.
What
is Gas
Sweetening?
Sulfur
exists in natural gas and is known as hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Natural gas is
usually considered "sour" if hydrogen
sulfides content exceeds 5.7 milligrams of H2S
per cubic meter of natural gas. The process hydrogen
sulfide removal from sour gas is commonly
referred to as "gas
sweetening."
Diagram
of the Gas Sweetening Process
The
primary process for sweetening "sour" natural gas ("sour"
natural gas contains H2S or hydrogen sulfides) is quite similar to the processes
of glycol dehydration and NGL absorption. In this case, however, amine solutions
are used to remove the hydrogen sulfide. This process is known simply as the
'amine process', or alternatively as the Girdler process, and is used in 95
percent of U.S. gas sweetening operations. The sour gas is run through a tower,
which contains the amine solution. This solution has an affinity for sulfur, and
absorbs it much like glycol absorbing water. There are two principle amine
solutions used, monoethanolamine (MEA) and diethanolamine (DEA). Either of these
compounds, in liquid form, will absorb sulfur compounds from natural gas as it
passes through. The effluent gas is virtually free of sulfur compounds, and thus
loses its sour gas status. Like the process for NGL extraction and glycol
dehydration, the amine solution used can be regenerated (that is, the absorbed
sulfur is removed), allowing it to be reused to treat more sour gas.
Although most sour gas sweetening involves the amine absorption process, it is
also possible to use solid desiccants like iron sponges to remove the sulfide
and carbon dioxide.
Sulfur can be sold and used if reduced to its elemental form. Elemental sulfur
is a bright yellow powder like material, and can often be seen in large piles
near gas treatment plants, as is shown. In order to recover elemental sulfur
from the gas processing plant, the sulfur containing discharge from a gas
sweetening process must be further treated. One sulfur recovery process is
called the "Claus" process, and involves the use of thermal and
catalytic reactions to extract the elemental sulfur from the hydrogen sulfide
solution.
Some of the above information from www.NaturalGas.org with our thanks.
What is Glycol Dehydration?
Glycol dehydration is used in the production and processing of natural gas by using a liquid desiccant that removes water from natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL).
Various types of glycols are used in this process including;
triethylene glycol (TEG)
diethylene glycol (DEG)
ethylene glycol (MEG)
tetraethylene glycol (TREG).
TEG is the most commonly used glycol in the natural gas industry.
What is
H2S
Removal?
H2S, or Hydrogen Sulfide, is a hazardous and corrosive element found in oil and natural gas which needs to be removed from the hydrocarbon before the oil or natural gas can be sold. The hydrogen sulfides are usually removed in a mid-stream gas processing facility by either iron sponges or amine plants.
What
is a
Heater Treater?
A "Heater
Treater" is used in the oil and gas production process and is
used to removes water and gas from the produced oil - and to improve its
quality for sale into a crude oil pipeline or for other transport. A heater
treater typically combines the following components inside the
heater treater: a heater, free-water knockout, and oil and gas
separator.
What is
Natural
Gas Treating?
As natural gas is produced from either a natural gas well, or from an oilwell which contains "associated gas," the natural gas must be treated or processed before it can be sold/injected as "pipeline quality gas" and then be used at a home or business as a fuel.
Natural gas treating or processing, takes place at gas processing plants to remove the impurities and other hydrocarbons other than the methane itself, or CH4.
The by-products and impurities of natural gas that must be treated or processed include; ethane, propane, butane, isobutane, pentane, isopentane and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, as well as H2S or elemental sulfur, carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor and sometimes helium and nitrogen.
What is "NGL
Fractionation"?
Natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionation plants separate the mixed natural gas liquids stream into separated products. These natural gas liquids that are separated by heat at NGL Fractionation plants include; ethane, propane, normal butane, isobutane and natural gasoline.
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What is "Cogeneration"?
Did you know that 10% of our nation's electricity now comes from "cogeneration" plants?
And
because cogeneration
is so efficient, it saves its customers up to 40% on their energy expenses,
and provides even greater savings to our environment through significant
reductions in fuel usage and much lower greenhouse
gas emissions.
Cogeneration
- also known as “combined
heat and power” (CHP), cogen, district energy, total energy, and
combined cycle, is the simultaneous production of heat (usually in the form of
hot water and/or steam) and power, utilizing one primary fuel such as natural
gas, or a renewable fuel, such as Biomethane,
B100 Biodiesel,
or Synthesis Gas.
Cogeneration technology is not the latest industry buzz-word being touted as the solution to our nation's energy woes. Cogeneration is a proven technology that has been around for over 120 years!
Our nation's first commercial power plant was a cogeneration plant that was designed and built by Thomas Edison in 1882 in New York. Our nation's first commercial power plant was called the "Pearl Street Station."
What
is "Trigeneration"?
Trigeneration is the simultaneous production of three forms of energy - typically, Cooling, Heating and Power - from only one fuel input. Put another way, our trigeneration power plants produce three different types of energy for the price of one.
Trigeneration energy systems can reach overall system efficiencies of 86% to 93%. Typical "central" power plants, that do not need the heat generated from the combustion and power generation process, are only about 33% efficient.

Trigeneration
Diagram & Description
Trigeneration Power Plants' Have the Highest System Efficiencies and are
About 300 % More Efficient than Typical Central Power Plants
Trigeneration
plants are installed at locations that can benefit from all three forms of
energy. These types of installations that install trigeneration
energy systems are called "onsite power generation" also referred to as
"decentralized energy."
One of our company's principal's first experience with the design and development of a trigeneration power plant was the trigeneration power plant installation at Rice University in 1987 where our trigeneration development team started out by conducting a "cogeneration" feasibility study. The EPC contractor that Rice University selected installed the trigeneration power which included a 4.0 MW Ruston gas turbine power plant, along with waste heat recovery boilers and Absorption Chillers. A "waste heat recovery boiler" captures the heat from the exhaust of the gas turbine. From there, the recovered energy was converted to chilled water - originally from (3) Hitachi Absorption Chillers - 2 were rated at 1,000 tons each, and the third Hitachi Absorption Chiller was rated at 1,500 tons. The Hitachi Absorption Chillers were replaced shortly after their installation by the EPC company. The first trigeneration plant at Rice University was so successful, they added a second 5.0 MW trigeneration plant so today, Rice University is now generating about 9.0 MW of electricity, and also producing the cooling and heating the university needs from the trigeneration plant and circulating the trigeneration energy around its campus.

Trigeneration
Chart
Trigeneration's
"Super-Efficiency" compared
with other competing technologies
As you can see, there is No Competition for Trigeneration!
Our trigeneration power plants are the ideal onsite power
and energy solution for customers that include: Data
Centers, Hospitals, Universities, Airports, Central Plants, Colleges
& Universities, Dairies, Server Farms, District Heating & Cooling
Plants,
Food Processing Plants, Golf/Country
Clubs, Government Buildings, Grocery Stores, Hotels, Manufacturing
Plants,
Nursing Homes, Office
Buildings / Campuses,
Radio Stations, Refrigerated
Warehouses,
Resorts,
Restaurants,
Schools, Server Farms, Shopping Centers, Supermarkets, Television
Stations, Theatres and Military Bases.
At about 86% to 93% net system efficiency, our trigeneration power plants are about 300% more efficient at providing energy than your current electric utility. That's because the typical electric utility's power plants are only about 33% efficient - they waste 2/3 of the fuel in generating electricity in the enormous amount of waste heat energy that they exhaust through their smokestacks.
Trigeneration is defined as the simultaneous production of three energies: Cooling, Heating and Power. Our trigeneration energy systems use the same amount of fuel in producing three energies that would normally only produce just one type of energy. This means our customers that have our trigeneration power plants have significantly lower energy expenses, and a lower carbon footprint.
Our
New "Integrated" Trigeneration
Plants Have
Very High Efficiencies & Low Fuel Costs
The Effective Heat Rate is Approximately
4050 btu/kW & System Efficiency is 92%
Plants Have
Very High Efficiencies & Low Fuel Costs
Pictures (below) of a Cogeneration Plant Presently Being Built for New Customer.
This Cogeneration
Plant is Rated at 900 kW and Features:
(2) Natural Gas Engines
@ 450 kW each on one Skid with Optional
Selective Catalytic Reduction system that removes Nitrogen
Oxides to "non-detect."



Our onsite cogeneration
and trigeneration
or other "gas to
power" energy
systems could be the best solution for your "stranded
gas" problems!
Other clients that could benefit
from our cogeneration and trigeneration energy systems include the following:
Airports
Casinos
Central Plants
Colleges & Universities
Dairies
Data Centers
District Heating & Cooling plants
Food Processing Plants
Golf/Country Clubs
Government Buildings and Facilities
Grocery Stores
Hospitals
Hotels
Manufacturing Plants
Military Bases
Nursing Homes
Office Buildings / Campuses
Radio Stations
Refrigerated Warehouses
Resorts
Restaurants
Schools
Server Farms
Shopping centers
Supermarkets
Television Stations
Theatres
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Waste
Heat Recovery in Cogeneration
and
Trigeneration power and energy
systems
In most cogeneration and trigeneration power and energy systems, the exhaust gas from the electric generation equipment is ducted to a heat exchanger to recover the thermal energy in the gas. These heat exchangers are air-to-water heat exchangers, where the exhaust gas flows over some form of tube and fin heat exchange surface and the heat from the exhaust gas is transferred to make hot water or steam. The hot water or steam is then used to provide hot water or steam heating and/or to operate thermally activated equipment, such as an absorption chiller for cooling or a desiccant dehumidifer for dehumidification.
Many of the waste heat recovery technologies used in building co/trigeneration systems require hot water, some at moderate pressures of 15 to 150 psig. In the cases where additional steam or pressurized hot water is needed, it may be necessary to provide supplemental heat to the exhaust gas with a duct burner.
In some applications air-to-air heat exchangers can be used. In other instances, if the emissions from the generation equipment are low enough, such as is with many of the microturbine technologies, the hot exhaust gases can be mixed with make-up air and vented directly into the heating system for building heating.
In the majority of installations, a flapper damper or "diverter" is employed to vary flow across the heat transfer surfaces of the heat exchanger to maintain a specific design temperature of the hot water or steam generation rate.
Typical
Waste Heat Recovery Installation

In some co/trigeneration designs, the exhaust gases can be used to activate a
thermal wheel or a desiccant dehumidifier. Thermal wheels use the exhaust gas
to heat a wheel with a medium that absorbs the heat and then transfers the
heat when the wheel is rotated into the incoming airflow.
A professional engineer should be involved in designing and sizing of the waste heat recovery section. For a proper and economical operation, the design of the heat recovery section involves consideration of many related factors, such as the thermal capacity of the exhaust gases, the exhaust flow rate, the sizing and type of heat exchanger, and the desired parameters over a various range of operating conditions of the co/trigeneration system — all of which need to be considered for proper and economical operation.
About us:
We provide natural gas engineering and midstream oil and gas services which are led by an independent natural gas engineering firm that assists our company with acquisitions and project development services in the following areas;
Austin Chalk
Bakken
Eagle Ford Shale
Permian Basin
Marcellus
Our engineering team provides complete natural gas engineering services from the wellhead to the burner-tip with a focus in the midstream sector. Our midstream oil and gas engineering and project development development services include;
Greenhouse Gas Emissions consulting
Our work is performed on a strict adherence to "vendor-neutrality" and seek to maximize our client's "triple bottom line" returns: people, planet and profits.
To receive a preliminary, no obligation consult, email us a summary or overview of your project, including the following basic information:
Location/Lease name
Gas Analysis
Gas Gathering/Pipeline Pressure
Gas Flow Rate
H2S information
Inlet Gas Pressure
Inlet Gas Temperature
Pipeline info
Pipeline Quality Specs ( Hydrocarbon Dew Point)
Reservoir information
and
your company's specific goals and objectives.
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We
Buy, Sell and Market Natural
Gas Treating Equipment
and Provide Natural
Gas Engineering Services
Energy Investment Banking
Services
___________________________________________
www.EnergyInvestmentBanking.com
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Amine Plants
www.AminePlants.com
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© 2010
All Rights Reserved