How Glycols Affect the Acid Gas Removal Process

In some natural gas applications glycols, such as MEG, DEG or TEG, are added into the pipeline or the gas conditioning process, either as hydrate inhibitors or for dehydration purposes to protect downstream pipelines. These substances have high boiling points and are not supposed to be carried over into the downstream process. Proper separator design shall avoid carry-over of these substances into the Acid Gas Removal plant.

Some amine plants however report glycol build-up in the amine solution over time, which can lead to performance losses and ultimately to unexpected plant shutdowns. This paper deals with the sources and consequences of glycol build-up in the amine unit and delivers some understanding of how the glycol content affects the acid gas capture performance. It provides recommendations on how to control the full acid gas capture performance over time and how to avoid operational surprises.