Abstract: Natural gas processing plants that are capable of handling sour gas can be adapted to handle large amounts of sweet gas by maintaining a low CO2/H2S ratio in the natural gas. Solvent mediated acid gas removal and a CO2 permeable membrane are used to yield a concentrated, high pressure H2S stream. The H2S stream is added to the natural gas.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods for removing radon from a natural gas stream. The system includes a radon permeable membrane. The radon permeable membrane is configured to separate a natural gas stream into a radon rich permeate stream and a radon reduced retentate stream. The radon rich stream can be stored for a period of time to yield a decayed permeate stream or reinjected into the source formation. The system can include a second radon permeable membrane configured to separate the radon reduced retentate stream into a second permeable stream and a second retentate stream. The decayed permeate stream and second retentate stream can be combined to form a sales gas.

Abstract: A side-stream is separated from an oil phase stream that is discharged from a crude oil separator in a gas-oil separation plant. The side-stream contains water and oil. At least a portion of the oil phase stream that is discharged from the crude oil separator in the gas-oil separation plant is flowed to a desalter in the gas-oil separation plant. An electric field is applied across the side-stream to coalesce aqueous droplets present in the side-stream to form an aqueous phase. The aqueous phase is separated from the oil of the side-stream. At least a portion of the aqueous phase is evaporated to form a wastewater phase and a vapor phase. At least a portion of the vapor phase is condensed to produce a wash water. The wash water is flowed to the desalter. The wash water can be referred to washing water or dilution water.

Abstract: A system and method for producing hydrogen, including steam reforming elemental sulfur to generate hydrogen gas and sulfur dioxide, to give a mixture including hydrogen gas, sulfur dioxide, elemental sulfur gas, and water vapor, removing the elemental sulfur gas to give a process gas including the hydrogen gas, sulfur dioxide, and water vapor, and isolating the hydrogen gas or a hydrogen gas rich stream.

Abstract: A system and method for removing sulfur compounds from gas, including providing a feed gas having sulfur compounds including hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to a sulfur recovery unit (SRU) that has a furnace or a non-thermal plasma (NTP) reactor, discharging an SRU tail gas having H2S from the SRU to a tail gas treatment (TGT) unit having a hydrogenation reactor, a quench tower, and a TGT NTP reactor, converting sulfur compounds in the SRU tail gas in the hydrogenation reactor into H2S, discharging a process gas having H2S from the hydrogenation reactor to the quench tower and removing water vapor from the process gas in the quench tower, discharging an overhead gas having H2S from the quench tower to the TGT NTP reactor, and converting H2S in the TGT NTP reactor into hydrogen (H2) and elemental sulfur.

Abstract: A method for sulfur recovery includes, in a hydrogenation reactor, converting sulfur-containing compounds in a Claus tail gas stream to hydrogen sulfide to produce a hydrogenated gas stream; feeding the hydrogenated gas stream to a quench tower to produce a quenched gas stream by condensing liquid water; feeding the quenched gas stream to a first stage adsorption vessel of a first stage adsorption unit to produce a first outlet gas stream by adsorbing water from the quenched gas stream; feeding the first outlet gas stream to a second stage adsorption vessel of a second stage adsorption unit to produce a second byproduct gas stream by adsorbing hydrogen sulfide from the first outlet gas stream; separating the second byproduct gas stream into a carbon dioxide stream and an enriched nitrogen stream; and regenerating the second stage adsorption vessel using the enriched nitrogen stream.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system and method for improving sulfur recovery from a Claus unit. More specifically, this invention provides a sorption based SO2 selective crosslinked polyionic liquid system and method for treating acid gas streams and minimizing sulfur dioxide emissions therefrom.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method and system for sulfur recovery. A Claus tail gas stream is fed to a hydrogenation reactor to produce a hydrogenated gas stream. The hydrogenated gas stream is fed to a quench tower to produce a quenched gas stream. The quenched gas stream is fed to a first stage adsorption vessel of first stage adsorption unit to produce a first outlet gas stream. The first outlet gas stream is fed to a second stage adsorption vessel of a second stage adsorption unit to produce a second byproduct gas stream. The first stage adsorption vessel is regenerated to produce a first byproduct gas stream. The second stage adsorption vessel is regenerated to produce a second outlet gas stream including hydrogen sulfide. Optionally, a portion of the second byproduct gas stream or nitrogen can be fed to the first stage adsorption vessel or the second stage adsorption vessel for regeneration. Optionally, a sales gas can be fed to the second stage adsorption vessel for regeneration.

Abstract: A method for sulfur recovery includes, in a hydrogenation reactor, converting sulfur-containing compounds in a Claus tail gas stream to hydrogen sulfide to produce a hydrogenated gas stream; feeding the hydrogenated gas stream to a quench tower to produce a quenched gas stream by condensing liquid water; feeding the quenched gas stream to a first stage adsorption vessel of a first stage adsorption unit to produce a first outlet gas stream by adsorbing water from the quenched gas stream; feeding the first outlet gas stream to a second stage adsorption vessel of a second stage adsorption unit to produce a second byproduct gas stream by adsorbing hydrogen sulfide from the first outlet gas stream; separating the second byproduct gas stream into a carbon dioxide stream and an enriched nitrogen stream; and regenerating the second stage adsorption vessel using the enriched nitrogen stream.

Abstract: A system and method for treating natural gas, including producing natural gas from a subterranean formation via a wellhead system to a nonthermal plasma (NTP) catalytic unit, converting by the NTP unit carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the natural gas into carbon monoxide (CO), elemental sulfur (S), and hydrogen (H2), and removing the elemental sulfur as liquid elemental sulfur to give treated natural gas. The NTP unit may convert methane (CH4) in the natural gas to heavier hydrocarbons.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system and method for improving sulfur recovery from a Claus unit. More specifically, this invention provides a steam swept membrane tail gas treatment system and method for treating acid gas streams and minimizing sulfur dioxide emissions therefrom.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods of measuring a hydrogen diffusivity of a metal structure including during operation of the metal structure, are provided. A hydrogen charging surface is provided at a first location on an external surface of the structure. In addition, a hydrogen oxidation surface is provided at a second location adjacent to the first location on the external surface of the structure. Hydrogen flux is generated and directed into the metal surface at the charging surface. At least a portion of the hydrogen flux generated by the charging surface is diverted back toward the surface. A transient of the diverted hydrogen fluxes measured, and this measurement is used to determine the hydrogen diffusivity of the metal structure in service.

Abstract: A membrane module includes a housing. The housing includes a housing, comprising: a first plurality of porous hollow fiber membranes, and a second plurality of porous hollow fiber membranes different from the first plurality of porous hollow fiber membranes. The first plurality of porous hollow fiber membranes has a first length, and the second plurality of porous hollow fiber membranes has a second length that is at least 1.1 times greater than the first length. The membrane module can be used in separation methods, such as membrane distillation methods.

Abstract: A system and method for sulfur recovery, including hydrogenating Claus tail gas, quenching the hydrogenated gas, adsorbing water and hydrogen sulfide from the quenched gas, and regenerating adsorbent with carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen and heating the adsorbent in a regeneration temperature ramp to desorb primarily hydrogen sulfide in a first part of the temperature ramp.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method and system for sulfur recovery. A Claus tail gas stream is fed to a hydrogenation reactor to produce a hydrogenated gas stream. The hydrogenated gas stream is fed to a quench tower to produce a quenched gas stream. The quenched gas stream is fed to a first stage adsorption vessel of first stage adsorption unit to produce a first outlet gas stream. The first outlet gas stream is fed to a second stage adsorption vessel of a second stage adsorption unit to produce a second byproduct gas stream. The first stage adsorption vessel is regenerated to produce a first byproduct gas stream. The second stage adsorption vessel is regenerated to produce a second outlet gas stream including hydrogen sulfide. Optionally, a portion of the second byproduct gas stream or nitrogen can be fed to the first stage adsorption vessel or the second stage adsorption vessel for regeneration. Optionally, a sales gas can be fed to the second stage adsorption vessel for regeneration.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and systems for treating a tail gas of a Claus process to remove sulfur-containing compounds. The method includes combusting a tail gas of a Claus process in an excess of oxygen gas to yield a thermal oxidizer effluent. The thermal oxidizer effluent includes sulfur dioxide, water vapor, and oxygen. The effluent is routed to a quench tower and contacted with a dilute aqueous acid quench stream to yield sulfurous acid, hydrated sulfur dioxide, or both. The sulfurous acid or hydrated sulfur dioxide is oxidized with the excess oxygen from the thermal oxidizer effluent to yield sulfuric acid.

Abstract: A process for recovering sulfur from a sour gas is provided. The process includes the steps of: providing the sour gas to a membrane separation unit having a carbon dioxide-selective membrane that comprises a perfluoropolymer, wherein the sour gas comprises carbon dioxide and at least 1 mol % hydrogen sulfide; separating the sour gas using the carbon dioxide-selective membrane in the membrane separation stage to obtain hydrogen sulfide-enriched gas and hydrogen sulfide-stripped gas, wherein the hydrogen sulfide-enriched gas has a hydrogen sulfide concentration of at least 20 mol %, and wherein the hydrogen sulfide-stripped gas comprises carbon dioxide; and processing the hydrogen sulfide-enriched gas in a sulfur recovery unit to obtain sulfur.

Abstract: A process for sweetening a syngas stream, the process comprising the steps of: providing a syngas stream to a nonselective amine absorption unit, the sour syngas stream comprising syngas, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide; separating the syngas stream in the nonselective amine absorption unit to obtain an overhead syngas stream and an acid gas stream; introducing the acid gas stream to a membrane separation unit, the acid gas stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide; separating the acid gas stream in the membrane separation unit to produce a retentate stream and a permeate stream, wherein the retentate stream comprises hydrogen sulfide, wherein the permeate stream comprises carbon dioxide; introducing the retentate stream to a sulfur recovery unit; processing the retentate stream in the sulfur recovery unit to produce a sulfur stream and a tail gas stream, wherein the sulfur stream comprises liquid sulfur.

Abstract: To measure water content of liquid hydrocarbon using dried liquid hydrocarbon solvent, a liquid hydrocarbon sample is received from a flowline carrying the liquid hydrocarbon. The liquid hydrocarbon sample includes liquid hydrocarbon and liquid water at a concentration greater than a water saturation level. The liquid hydrocarbon sample is split into a first portion and a remainder portion. The first portion is dried to remove liquid water in the first portion. The remainder portion is mixed with the dried first portion causing the concentration of liquid water in a mixture of the remainder portion and the dried first portion to be below the water saturation level. After mixing the remainder portion with the dried first portion, a water content in the liquid hydrocarbon sample is determined.

Abstract: A system and method for sulfur recovery, including hydrogenating Claus tail gas, quenching the hydrogenated gas, adsorbing water and hydrogen sulfide from the quenched gas, and regenerating adsorbent with carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen and heating the adsorbent in a regeneration temperature ramp to desorb primarily hydrogen sulfide in a first part of the temperature ramp.