Producers use triethelyne glycol to dehydrate natural gas so the gas can be sold and processed downstream.
One challenge to this dehydration process is glycol loss.
When glycol is lost, your dehy process can be disrupted until you replace the glycol,
which can be very expensive.
In this video, I’ll explain some of the most common reasons for glycol loss and their solutions.
Foaming is a major cause of glycol loss. Some primary foaming promoters include contaminants,
temperature differentials, turbulence and high pH levels.
Contaminants present in the gas flow stream that were introduced upstream of the dehydration
system need to be removed using different kinds of filtration.
Carbon filters can be used to remove hydrocarbon liquids from glycol to help prevent glycol
foaming. These are typically installed downstream of the flash separator. Carbon or charcoal
filters remove liquid hydrocarbons, compressor oils, degradation compounds and other carbon
impurities from the glycol flow stream by catching these molecules in the charcoal's pores.
Field corrosion inhibitors, salt and finely divided suspended solids need to be filtered
through solid particle filters such as sock or horsehair filters. These will remove these
small particles from the glycol flow stream and are found throughout the dehydration system.
High temperature differentials between the gas and glycol in the contactor can cause
foaming and glycol loss.
The dry glycol inlet temperature should be no more than 20 degrees F greater than the
temperature of the gas. A drastic temperature differential tends to emulsify the glycol
with any contamination it may contain. This causes excessive glycol foaming, and high
gas velocities through the tower can carry the glycol foam downstream.
Adequate heat exchange will lower the temperature of the hot glycol coming from the reboiler
so that it does not cause foaming in the contactor. Over time, heat exchangers can become plugged
with build up from contaminates in the glycol causing them to not operate efficiently. Good
filtration will help mitigate these issues.
Excessive turbulence and high liquid-to-vapor contacting velocities will also cause glycol
to foam. This condition can be caused by mechanical or chemical troubles.
Lowering the velocity of the gas through the contactor and removing chemical contaminates
through good filtration can help prevent glycol foaming.
Optimum operating pH levels of glycol should remain between 7 - 7.5
to keep the glycol from foaming, emulsifying, or becoming corrosive.
Glycol with a pH level above 8.5 will tend to saponify hydrocarbons and cause foaming
which leads to glycol being swept out by the high velocities of gas.
Alkaline neutralizers can be added to the glycol to help control high pH levels.
One cause of glycol loss that is not related to foaming is broken welds in gas-to-glycol
heat exchangers or other equipment. The broken welds cause the glycol to be lost downstream
in the gas pipeline.
A broken weld in the chimney of the contactor could cause glycol loss through the inlet
scrubber. If this is the case, you will find glycol in your storage tank with the rest
of the separated water.
Now while you can use products like alkaline neutralizers and foam inhibitors to treat
glycol foaming, these merely treat symptoms, not the cause, and are temporary solutions.
The root cause for most glycol loss almost always comes down to filtration. Again, it’s
crucial to regularly check and replace your filters.
To learn more about natural gas dehydration, watch our other videos on this subject. To
speak with an expert about your dehy system challenges, contact your local Kimray store
or authorized distributor.