[4] Effective phase separation at the beginning of the processing train prevents hydrocarbons and other liquids from entering the gas treatment plant.
Improper separation allows liquid carryover to contaminate the desulfurization stage, triggering foaming and fouling, leading to unplanned shutdowns and reduced gas flow.
Amine-based liquids used in desulfurization to remove hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) can carry over if not properly separated, contaminating the dehumidification stage.
This can lead to liquid dropout as mist or stratified flows due to pressure and temperature drops during gas transmission.
Over time, solid and liquid accumulation at low points in the transmission system can lead to corrosion, potentially causing ruptures and failures at compressor stations.
These include: Even though some power stations preheat the fuel gas, contamination with compressor oil or glycol (if not properly vaporized) can cause several maintenance issues.
These include: Liquid carryover in incoming natural gas feed lines can also disrupt operations at LNG plants.
Molecular sieves, used to dry the gas to extremely low moisture levels, become contaminated and lose efficiency when exposed to liquid hydrocarbons.
This means that measurements made at custody transfer points, where gas ownership changes hands, are unreliable when two-phase flow is present.
To ensure accurate fiscal measurements, these potential errors must be continuously monitored and factored into the uncertainty budget for all flow meters.