Membrane Technology and Research, Inc

Saudi Arabian Oil Company

Lummus Technology Inc.

Kaaeid A Lokhandwala

Richard W Baker

Ingo Pinnau

Sebastien Andre Duval

Milind M Vaidya

Feras Hamad

Ahmad Abdullah Bahamdan

Tim Merkel

Faisal D Al-Otaibi

Zhenjie He

Andre R Da Costa

Sachin Joshi

Johannes Gerard Wijmans

Phuong Nguyen

Karl D Amo

Lora G Toy

Scott Segelke

Marc L Jacobs

Nicholas Patrick Wynn

Douglas Gottschlich

Michael Malsam

Jurgen Kaschemekat

Donald A Fulton

Ghulam Shabbir

Ivy Huang

Ankur Jariwala

Maliha Williamson

Nasser Al-Aslai

Ahmad A Bahamdan

Methods and systems for recovering sulfur dioxide from a Claus unit process emissions stream are provided. The method comprises the steps of generating a process emissions stream from a thermal oxidizer or other combustion device, introducing the emissions stream to an SOremoval system, introducing the SOrich stream from the SOremoval system to a COremoval system, and introducing an enriched SOstream back to the Claus unit. The SOremoval system can include one or more SOselective membranes. The COremoval system can include one or more COselective membranes.

Improving sulfur recovery operations with processes based on novel COover SOselective membranes and its combinations with SOover COselective membranes

Methods are provided for reducing the quantity of acid gas reinjected into a reservoir by partial COremoval processes. The methods include acid gas removal, acid gas enrichment, generation of a COrich stream and an HS rich stream, and reinjection of the HS rich stream into the reservoir. The acid gas enrichment can be performed by a solvent-based acid gas enrichment unit, a membrane-based acid gas enrichment unit, or a combination of a solvent-based acid gas enrichment unit a and membrane-based acid gas enrichment unit. The system includes an acid gas removal unit, one or more acid gas enrichment units, and an acid gas reinjection compressor. The acid gas enrichment unit can be a solvent-based acid gas enrichment unit, a membrane-based acid gas enrichment unit, or a solvent-based acid gas enrichment unit and a membrane-based acid gas enrichment unit.

Reservoir management by controlling acid gas build-up in reservoir by partial CO2 removal processes

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.

Hydrogen sulfide-carbon dioxide membrane separation systems and processes

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.

Process of improved sulfur capture from a syngas mixture

A process for recovering sulfur and carbon dioxide from a sour gas stream, the process comprising the steps of: providing a sour gas stream to a membrane separation unit, the sour gas stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide; separating the hydrogen sulfide from the carbon dioxide in the membrane separation unit to obtain a retentate stream and a first 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; introducing the permeate stream to an amine absorption unit; and processing the permeate stream in the amine absorption unit to produce an enriched carbon dioxide stream.

Sulfur recovery operation with improved carbon dioxide recovery

A process and system for recovering natural gas liquids (NGL) using a combination of J-T cooling and membrane separation. The process involves compressing, separating, and cooling a flare gas stream comprising at least methane and Chydrocarbons prior to being introduced to a J-T valve. The cooled stream exiting the J-T valve is further separated, producing a NGL product stream and an uncondensed gas stream. The uncondensed gas stream is directed to a membrane separation step, which results in a Chydrocarbon enriched stream and a Chydrocarbon depleted stream. The Chydrocarbon enriched stream may be recycled back to the process to recover more NGL.

Process and system for recovering natural gas liquids (NGL) from flare gas using Joule-Thomson (J-T) cooling and membrane separation

Process and system for recovering natural gas liquids (NGL) from flare gas using joule-thomson (J-T) cooling and membrane separation

A membrane separation assembly that includes an integrated filter element and at least one membrane module housed within a first vessel and a second vessel containing at least one membrane module, which is stacked or aligned adjacent to the first vessel. The first vessel is configured to allow liquids to be trapped and removed from the assembly, and gases to flow to and through the membrane modules of the first vessel and the membrane modules of the second vessel, which are ultimately withdrawn from the assembly. The assembly is useful in the conditioning of fuel gas to separate methane from Chydrocarbons.

Membrane separation assembly for fuel gas conditioning

Disclosed herein is a process for conditioning natural gas containing Chydrocarbons, so that it can be used as combustion fuel to run gas-powered equipment, including gas engines and turbine-driven compressors, in the gas field or the gas processing plant. The claimed process use glassy polymeric membranes that are preferentially permeable to methane over Chydrocarbons to produce a partially purified methane stream. The process operates at a stage cut of at least about 5%.

Fuel gas conditioning process using glassy polymer membranes

Disclosed herein is a membrane separation apparatus that includes an integrated filter element and a membrane element housed within a single vessel. The vessel is configured to allow liquids to be trapped and removed from the vessel, and gases to flow to and through the membrane element. The apparatus is useful in the conditioning of fuel gas to separate methane from Chydrocarbons.

Membrane separation apparatus for fuel gas conditioning

A gas-separation membrane assembly, and a gas-separation process using the assembly. The assembly incorporates multiple gas-separation membranes in an array within a single vessel or housing, and is equipped with two permeate ports, enabling permeate gas to be withdrawn from both ends of the membrane module permeate pipes.

Four-port gas separation membrane module assembly

A process for removing carbon dioxide or nitrogen from gas, especially natural gas. The process uses three membrane separation stages without compression between the second and third stages.

Three-stage membrane gas separation process

A process and equipment for treating natural gas produced by a well that has recently been stimulated, and that contains an undesirably high concentration of the fracturing gas used to stimulate the well. The process involves treating the gas by membrane separation, and provides for control of treatment parameters to compensate for the changing concentration of fracturing gas in the produced gas, as well as changes in gas flow rate.

Natural gas treatment process for stimulated well

A process and apparatus for separating carbon dioxide from gas, especially natural gas, that also contains C hydrocarbons. The invention uses two or three membrane separation steps, optionally in conjunction with cooling/condensation under pressure, to yield a lighter, sweeter product natural gas stream, and/or a carbon dioxide stream of reinjection quality and/or a natural gas liquids (NGL) stream.

Carbon dioxide removal process

A process for treating natural gas or other methane-rich gas to remove excess nitrogen. The invention relies on two-stage membrane separation, using methane-selective membranes for the first stage and nitrogen-selective membranes for the second stage. The process enables the nitrogen content of the gas to be substantially reduced, without requiring the membranes to be operated at very low temperatures.

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Kaaeid A Lokhandwala