Abstract: A natural gas liquids (NGL) plant, the NGL plant comprising an absorber configured to provide an absorber overhead and an absorber bottoms, a stripper configured to produce a stripper overhead and a stripper bottoms, wherein the stripper is positioned downstream from the absorber and fluidly connected therewith such that the absorber bottoms can be introduced into the stripper, and a multi-pass heat exchanger configured to provide at least one reflux stream to the absorber, wherein the absorber and stripper are configured, in an ethane rejection arrangement, to provide the stripper overhead to a top of the absorber, and wherein the absorber and stripper are configured, in an ethane recovery arrangement, to provide the stripper overhead to a bottom of the absorber.

Abstract: Processes and systems for oxygen-enhanced Claus carbon dioxide recovery are disclosed. Oxygen is fed to a sulfur recovery unit instead of air. The tail gas is fed to a tail gas treatment unit which produces a treated tail gas, and the treated tail gas is processed in a carbon dioxide recovery unit to produce a carbon dioxide product. A method for retrofitting an existing sulfur recovery unit and tail gas treatment unit so as to recover the carbon dioxide product is also disclosed.

Abstract: A steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) processing facility comprising: an oil/water separation process block operable for bulk separation of produced water from a produced fluid comprising produced water and hydrocarbons; a de-oiling process block operable to remove residual oil from the produced water separated from the produced fluid in the oil/water separation process block and provide a de-oiled water; a water treatment block operable to remove contaminants from the de-oiled water and provide a treated water; and a steam generation process block operable to produce steam from the treated water. In embodiments, each of the oil/water separation process block, the de-oiling process block, the water treatment process block, and the steam generation process block is modularized and comprises a plurality of modules. Methods for operating and assembling a SAGD processing facility are also provided.

Abstract: A method for removing heavy hydrocarbons from a feed gas by: feeding, into an absorber, a top reflux stream and a second reflux stream below the top reflux stream, wherein the absorber produces an absorber bottom product stream and an absorber overhead product stream; depressurizing and feeding the absorber bottom product stream to a stripper to produce a stripper bottom product stream and a stripper overhead product stream; cooling and feeding a portion of the absorber overhead product stream back to the absorber as the top reflux stream; and pressurizing and feeding the stripper overhead product stream back to the absorber as the second reflux stream. Systems for carrying out the method are also provided.

Abstract: A steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) processing facility comprising: an oil/water separation process block operable for bulk separation of produced water from a produced fluid comprising produced water and hydrocarbons; a de-oiling process block operable to remove residual oil from the produced water separated from the produced fluid in the oil/water separation process block and provide a de-oiled water; a water treatment block operable to remove contaminants from the de-oiled water and provide a treated water; and a steam generation process block operable to produce steam from the treated water. In embodiments, each of the oil/water separation process block, the de-oiling process block, the water treatment process block, and the steam generation process block is modularized and comprises a plurality of modules. Methods for operating and assembling a SAGD processing facility are also provided.

Abstract: A method and system for liquid sulfur degassing is disclosed. The method and system generally involve degassing liquid sulfur in a degassing vessel, and the level of the liquid sulfur in the degassing vessel is controlled in the degassing vessel by determining the level of liquid sulfur in the degassing vessel.

Abstract: Embodiments include systems and methods for multiple-stage grinding of crushed ore material. A method may comprise separating, in a first stage of separating, crushed ore material by size into a first fines stream and a first coarse stream; grinding the first coarse stream in a second stage of grinding; feeding the product of the second stage of grinding back to the step of separating; feeding the first fines stream from the step of separating to a recovery circuit; producing a rejected stream from the recovery circuit of crushed ore material that does not meet the target mineral size; separating, in a second stage of separating, the rejected stream from the recovery circuit into a second fines stream and a second coarse stream; grinding the second coarse stream in a third stage of grinding; and feeding the product of the third stage of grinding back to the recovery circuit.

Abstract: A method for operating a natural gas liquids processing (NGL) system, the system being selectively configured in either an ethane rejection configuration or an ethane recovery configuration, the method comprising, when the NGL system is in the ethane rejection configuration, collecting a reboiler bottom stream that, in the ethane rejection configuration, includes ethane in an amount of less than 5% by volume, and when the NGL system is in the ethane recovery configuration, collecting a reboiler bottom stream that, in the ethane recovery configuration, includes ethane in an amount of at least about 30% by volume.

Abstract: Systems and methods that utilize feed gases that are supplied in a wide range of compositions and pressure to provide highly efficient recovery of NGL products, such as propane, utilizing isenthalpic expansion, propane refrigeration, and shell and tube exchangers are described. Plants utilizing such systems and methods can be readily reconfigured between propane recovery and ethane recovery.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing the recondensation of boiloff gas in liquid natural gas storage tanks are presented. In especially preferred aspects of the inventive subject matter, BOG from a storage tank is condensed using refrigeration content of a portion of LNG sendout in a direct or indirect manner, and the BOG condensate and LNG sendout portion are combined to form a subcooled stream that is then combined with the balance of the LNG sendout, to be fed to a high pressure pump. Contemplated recondensation operations advantageously occur without using otherwise needed large volume recondensers. Moreover, the condensing and subcooling operations are decoupled from the LNG sendout rate.

Abstract: A natural gas liquid plant is retrofitted with a bolt-on unit that includes an absorber that is coupled to an existing demethanizer by refrigeration produced at least in part by compression and expansion of the residue gas, wherein ethane recovery can be increased to at least 99% and propane recovery is at least 99%, and where a lower ethane recovery of 96% is required, the bolt-on unit does not require the absorber, which could be optimum solution for revamping an existing facility. Contemplated configurations are especially advantageous to be used as bolt-on upgrades to existing plants.

Abstract: A process for dewatering crude oil is described. The process includes feeding crude oil onto a separation of a cyclone separator that is at least partially disposed in a flash vessel. The temperature are pressure in the flash vessel are selected such that at least 20% of the water contained in the crude oil is flashed from the crude oil as it moves on the separation surface of the cyclone separator. The flow rate and angle of the crude oil inlet is selected such that the crude oil moves across the separation surface as a film in a helical pattern, providing a substantial foaming-free manner. The vapor that is flashed from the crude oil exits the flash vessel at a top outlet and the liquid crude oil exits the flash vessel at a bottom outlet.

Abstract: A system for carbon dioxide capture from a gas mixture comprises a lean solvent comprising 3-amino-1-propanol (AP), 2-dimethylamino-2-methyl-1-propanol (DMAMP), and water; an absorber containing at least a portion of the lean solvent, wherein the absorber is configured to receive the lean solvent and a gaseous stream comprising carbon dioxide, contact the lean solvent with the gaseous stream, and produce a rich solvent stream and a gaseous stream depleted in carbon dioxide; a stripper, wherein the stripper is configured to receive the rich solvent stream; a cross-exchanger fluidly coupled to a rich solvent outlet on the absorber and a rich solvent inlet on the stripper; a reboiler fluidly coupled to a lower portion of the stripper; and a condenser fluidly coupled to a vapor outlet of the stripper.

Abstract: Gas processing plants and methods are contemplated in CO2 is effectively removed to very low levels from a feed gas to an NRU unit by adding a physical solvent unit that uses waste nitrogen produced by the NRU as stripping gas to produce an ultra-lean solvent, which is then used to treat the feed gas to the NRU unit. Most preferably, the physical solvent unit includes a flash unit and stripper column to produce the ultra-lean solvent.

Abstract: Embodiments relate generally to systems and methods for pre-cooling a natural gas stream to a liquefaction plant. A system may comprise a compressor configured to receive a first natural gas stream at a first pressure and produce a second natural gas stream at a second pressure; an exchanger, wherein the exchanger is configured to receive the second natural gas stream as the second pressure and cool the second natural gas stream to produce a cooled natural gas stream; and an expander, wherein the expander is configured to receive the cooled natural gas stream and expand the cooled natural gas stream from the second pressure to a third pressure.

Abstract: A plant deliverable management system is presented. The system leverages plant construction agnostic templates to generate plant deliverables (e.g., training materials, inspections, reports, design drawings, etc.). The plant deliverables can be converted from common, a generic format to a format desired by a client paying for the plant construction. The system can also provision a computer system with a released version of plant deliverables where the deliverables are indexed according to a derived indexing scheme generated based on the templates and a client's desired formats or asset attributes.

Abstract: Embodiments include systems and methods for processing a feed gas and acid gas removal. A method may comprise receiving a feed gas to an absorber; contacting the feed gas counter-currently with a lean solvent stream to remove acid gas from the feed gas; producing a treated feed gas stream from the absorber; producing a rich solvent stream from the absorber comprising H2S and CO2 removed from the feed gas; receiving a side stream from the absorber to a side cooler; removing at least a portion of the heat of absorption from the side stream by the side cooler; producing a first output stream from the side cooler that is routed back into the absorber at a point below a draw point for the side stream; and producing a second output stream from the side cooler that is routed back into the absorber at a point below the first output stream.

Abstract: A system for processing a gas stream can include an acid gas removal unit comprising a first absorber unit, a compressor, and a second absorber unit. The first absorber unit is configured to receive a feed gas stream containing organic sulfur species and acid gas components, remove at least a portion of the organic sulfur species and acid gas components using a semi-rich solvent at a first pressure, produce a semi-treated gas stream, and produce a rich solvent stream. The compressor unit is configured to compress the semi-treated gas stream from the first pressure to a higher second pressure. The second absorber unit is configured to receive the compressed semi-treated gas stream, remove at least a portion of any organic sulfur species and acid gas components present in the compressed semi-treated gas stream using a lean solvent, produce the semi-rich solvent stream, and produce a treated gas stream.

Abstract: Embodiments relate generally to systems and method for processing tars to produce benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX). A method for processing tars may comprise distilling the tars to separate creosotes and pitch; and processing the pitch via hydropyrolysis, including both hydrogenation and hydrocracking functions, to remove heteroatoms and break down polyaromatics in the pitch and produce monoaromatics, such as BTX. A system for processing tars may comprise one or more of the following: an input stream comprising tars feeding into a column; the column configured to separate the tars into one or more creosote streams and a pitch stream; and a reactor (or a series of reactors, or beds within a single reactor), wherein the pitch stream is fed to the reactor along with a stream of hydrogen, wherein the reactor is configured to break down the pitch to produce BTX.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing the energy requirements for carbon dioxide capture are described. Heat from system processes, such as steam condensation and hot flue gas, is utilized to heat reflux liquid utilized in release of carbon dioxide from absorbent solvent.