Hydrocarbon Processing - December 2021 - GP-19

SPECIAL FOCUS: PLANT DESIGN & PROCESS CONTROL
rofits provide greater flexibility with improved product recovery
when operating in ethane recovery or rejection modes. The
standard process technologya
design can switch from ethane recovery
to rejection but, with the retrofit, the recovery of ethane
and propane will be nearly 100%. The plants also can increase
production volume as market conditions dictate. The retrofits
are scheduled to be fully operational by the end of this year.
Retrofit studies. Globally, the authors' company has retrofitted
more than 50 gas processing plants. The ideal retrofit to
maximize value add will be customer specific. A recent study
was completed on a 300-MMft3
d gas processing unit. The client's
focus is to increase ethane recovery in anticipation of
future ethane demand, while minimizing capital expenditure
(CAPEX). The study determined that a low CAPEX retrofit
would improve ethane recovery from 71% to 90%. Installing
additional equipment would further increase ethane recovery
to 97% (TABLE 1). For this facility, improving ethane recovery
to 90% or 97% would increase annual revenue by an estimated
$24 MM or $34 MM, respectively. These values do not include
the additional revenue that would be generated from the
improved propane recovery. It is projected that both the lower
and higher cost retrofits would be paid off in less than 1 yr.
A retrofit was completed on an 80-MMft3
d unit that was
originally designed to recover 72% ethane and 98% propane.
This facility was not capable of switching to ethane rejection
operation. The authors' company retrofitted the unit, while
satisfying the customer's four primary objectives:
1. Enable flexibility to operate efficiently in either
ethane recovery or ethane rejection modes
2. Increase propane recovery to above 99%
in all operating modes
3. Maximize the use of existing equipment
to reduce CAPEX
4. Minimize plant downtime for installation.
The authors' company implemented a retrofit that provided
the customer with a stable and simple operation that exceeded
design expectations. As detailed in TABLE 2, ethane recovery was
increased from 72% to 95%, while reducing power consumption
by 33%, which reduced the plant's operating expense and significantly
improved profitability. The facility is now capable of
running effectively in either ethane rejection or ethane recovery
modes. To minimize downtime, new equipment was delivered as
a bolt-on package that was easily integrated into the existing unit.
By combining the gas processing technology with modular
equipment design, the authors' company is uniquely positioned
to provide customized retrofits in a cost-efficient manner. As
global petrochemical demand increases, ethane and propane
prices are forecast to rise. Gas processors that have upgraded
their plant technology will be in a better position to maintain
strong profitability. GP
NOTES
a
Gas Subcooled Process developed by Ortloff Engineers. Ortloff was acquired by
Honeywell UOP in 2018.
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Gas Processing & LNG | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 19
Hydrocarbon Processing - December 2021

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