Amine sweetening units are widely used in the gas industry to remove acid gases (H2S, other sulfur species, and/or CO2) from sour natural gas. Field and laboratory measurements have shown that VOCs and HAPs present in the natural gas are partially absorbed into the lean amine solution. Depending on composition of the natural gas entering the sweetening unit and the gas throughput, these units may represent a significant source of VOC and HAP emissions if the acid gas stream from the amine regenerator is discharged directly into the atmosphere. This paper presents measurements from six field tests showing the amounts of VOCs and HAPs (primarily BTEX species) absorbed by amine solutions and the distribution of these species between flash gas, regenerator overhead gas, and lean amine streams.

Keywords:
Corrosion Inhibition, LNG, liquified natural gas, Upstream Oil & Gas, oilfield chemistry, Downstream Oil & Gas, BTEX, H2S management, Corrosion Management, Workplace Hazard
Subjects:
Production Chemistry, Metallurgy and Biology, Natural Gas Conversion and Storage, Health, Liquified natural gas (LNG), Noise, chemicals, and other workplace hazards, Corrosion inhibition and management (including H2S and CO2)
Copyright 1997, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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