IPORSM TECHNOLOGY FOR NGL RECOVERY IN THE MARCELLUS SHALE

摘要

Much of the gas being developed from the Marcellus Shale is rich in natural gas liquids,including a significant concentration of ethane. Today there is insufficient market for themajority of the ethane being produced, and it may be some time in the future beforemarkets develop so that all of the ethane produced is fully utilized. Most natural gasprocessors operating in the region are using expander technology so that when the ethanemarket develops, their plants will have the capability for high ethane recovery. Today,however, they are operating inefficiently in an ethane rejection mode, targeting maximumrecovery of the C_3+ fraction, sacrificing potential NGL revenue.IPORSM (Iso Pressure Open Refrigeration), an advanced refrigeration process developedby Randall Gas Technologies , a part of Lummus Technology, a CB&I company, caneconomically achieve essentially total C_3+ recovery from most natural gas streams. It isan ideal solution for rich gas streams like those being produced in the Marcellus or Uticashales. Using a conventional closed loop mechanical refrigeration process incombination with an open loop mixed refrigeration cycle, IPORSM technology canachieve NGL recovery efficiencies comparable to that of turboexpander cycles, but inmany applications, with significantly less CAPEX and OPEX, with options for futureethane recovery.This paper reviews the fundamentals of the IPORSM process, including features, benefitsand applicability. Four case studies comparing the IPOR process performance with aconventional GSP type turboexpander design processing Marcellus type feed gas streamsare presented:Case Ⅰ Maximum Propane RecoveryCase Ⅱ Maximum Propane Recovery with Incidental Ethane RecoveryCase Ⅲ High Ethane RecoveryCase Ⅳ Ethane Rejection – Ethane RecoveryResults of these case studies illustrate that the IPOR process is a viable alternative toconventional turboexpander type technology for processing the rich gas being developedin the Marcellus, or other similar shale developments like the Eagle Ford, Utica, or theWoodford.