This course will start by defining what natural gas is, its properties, specifications and end uses. Then, typical gas processing operations will be discussed, including dehydration, acid gas removal, recovery of ethane, propane and NGL (natural gas liquids), and liquefied natural gas (LNG) operations. Sulfur recovery will also be discussed. Typical equipment and facilities that are found in typical natural gas processing operations will also be discussed including compressors, vessels, relief systems and safety systems.

This short course is designed to give the attendants the fundamentals of natural gas handling systems and facilities including some of the details of the process. Specifically, by attending this course you will:

• Gain a deep knowledge of the properties, specifications and end uses of natural gas.
• Gain a deeper understanding of typical natural gas processing operations, including:
• Dehydration
• Acid gas removal
• Recovery of ethane, propane and NGL (natural gas liquids)
• Sulfur recovery
• Gain a deeper understanding of the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
• Gain a deeper knowledge of the different equipment and facilities found in natural gas processing plants.

Technical and non-technical personnel involved in the activities of natural gas industry. Specifically, technical, operations and maintenance personnel who had limited exposure in this area, or professionals involved in other areas of the gas industry who require a comprehensive overview of natural gas processing will find this course ideally suited for them.

A highly interactive combination of lecture and discussion sessions will be managed to maximize the amount and quality of information, knowledge and experience transfer. The sessions will start by raising the most relevant questions, and motivate everybody finding the right answers. The attendants will also be encouraged to raise more of their own questions and to share developing the right answers using their own analysis and experience.

Day One:

• What is natural gas?
• Origins
• Properties
• Specifications
• End uses and markets for natural gas
• Environmental advantages
• Physical behavior of natural gas systems
• Physical and thermal properties
• Phase behavior analysis
• Pure substances
• The phase rule
• Behavior of mixtures
• Vaporization by gas pressure
• Molecular theory of gases and liquids
• Natural gases
• Density of natural gas
• Density of liquids
• Dense phase
• Surface tension
• Viscosity
• Thermal conductivity of gases
• Thermodynamic properties
• Sampling and analysis

Day Two:

• Natural gas processing plant

• Flowsheet
• Equipment and components

• Heat exchange in gas processing

• Heat transfer theory

• Mechanisms of heat transfer
• Process heat duty
• Heat exchangers types
• Shell and tube
• Double-pipe
• Plate and frame
• Aerial coolers
• Fired heaters
• Heat recovery units

Day Three:

• Hydrates
• Determination of hydrate formation temperature or pressure
• Condensation of water vapor
• Temperature drop due to gas expansion
• Thermodynamic inhibitors
• Kinetic inhibitors and anti-agglomerators
• Low temperature exchange (LTX) units and line heaters
• LTX units
• Line heaters
• Heat duty
• Fire-tube size
• Condensate stabilization
• Partial pressure
• Multistage separation
• Multi flashes
• Cold feed distillation tower
• Distillation tower with reflux
• Condensate stabilizer design
• Trays and packing
• Condensate stabilizer as a gas processing plant
• LTX unit as a condensate stabilizer

Day Four:

• Acid gas treating
• Gas sweetening processes
• Solid bed absorption
• Chemical solvents
• Physical solvent processes
• Direct conversion of H2S to sulfur
• Sulfide scavengers
• Process selection
• Design procedure for iron-sponge units
• Design procedure for amine systems

• Amine absorber
• Amine circulation rates
• Flash drum
• Amine reboilers
• Amine stripper
• Rich/lean amine exchanger
• Amine cooler
• Amine solution purification
• Materials of construction
• Gas dehydration

• Water content determination
• Glycol dehydration
• Process description
• Choice of glycol
• Design considerations
• System sizing
• Glycol powered pumps
• Solid bed dehydration
• Process description
• Design consideration

Day Five:

• Gas processing
• Absorption/lean oil
• Refrigeration
• Choice of process
• Compressors
• Types of compressors
• Specifying a compressor
• Reciprocating compressors process considerations
• Centrifugal compressors process considerations
• Mechanical design of pressure vessels
• Design considerations
• Inspection procedure
• Specification and design of pressure vessels
• Pressure relief
• Relief requirements
• Type of devices
• Valve sizing
• Installation
• Valves, fittings and piping details
• Valve types
• Chokes
• Piping design considerations

Summary Open and Close Forum

CDGA attendance certificate will be issued to all attendees completing minimum of 75% of the total course duration.