Gas Liquids launches propane and ethane extraction tool
SUMMARY
Gas Liquids Engineering says its technology results in fewer carbon emissions than the traditional specialised equipment used to produce NGLs.
By Callum CyrusPOSTED IN:
Gas Liquids Engineering (GLE), an industry tech provider headquartered in Calgary, has launched a new technology that simplifies the extraction of natural gas liquids from natural gas, the company announced June 6.
Typically, for propane and ethane to be extracted, natural gas must be processed at supercool temperatures. Before the process has finished, carbon and methane must also be removed from the gas mix, so it can be transported as conventional pipeline product.
GLE says its technology results in fewer carbon emissions than using more traditional turboexpanders, which repeatedly expand and compress raw gas inputs through complex, ultra-cooling machinery, using considerable amounts of energy.
The new product is known as the Split ABsorber Reflux (SABR). Instead of turboexpanders, it works with NGL industry refrigerators, already used to store propane outputs at very cool temperatures. GLE says SABR can achieve a 5-20% energy usage reduction, compared to alternative propane and ethane extraction methods.
Stuart MacKenzie, vice president of operations at GLE, said: "We are truly thrilled to offer SABR at this time to the natural gas processing industry.
"In many cases, SABR can recover propane and ethane with lower energy use, and better turndown than the historically used deep-cut technologies. Not only does this equate to significant reductions in CO2 emissions, it also lowers gas plant operating costs."
