Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Exxonmobil Technology and Engineering Company

Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

P Scott Northrop

Narasimhan Sundaram

Robert D Denton

Shwetha Ramkumar

Kevin A Harnsberry

Frank Hershkowitz

Ananda K Nagavarapu

Edward J Grave

Edward W Corcoran

J Tim Cullinane

Stephanie A Freeman

Norman K Yeh

Sean T Philbrook

Suhas P Mondkar

Jenny P Seagraves

Bruce T Kelley

Ronald R Chance

Harry William Deckman

Michael Siskin

Wieslaw J Roth

Mohsen Shahmirzadi Yeganeh

Martin Ernst

David Stern

Georg Sieder

Edward William Corcoran, Jr

Ronald Richard Chance

Peter I Ravikovitch

Preeti Kamakoti

Gerald Vorberg

Pavel Kortunov

Matthew Scott Ide

Thomas Ingram

Jaime A Valencia

Eugene R Thomas

Carla S Pereira

Ning Ma

Donald J Victory

Peter C Rasmussen

Martin N Webster

Zarath M Summers

John Timothy Cullinane

David W Maher

Giovanni Pilloni

Qiuzi Li

Vikram Singh

Paul Lawrence Tanaka

Robert J Colby

Xiaozhou Zhang

Dag O Calafell, Ii

Jagannathan N Iyengar

Francis S Wu

J Timothy Cullinane

Donald P Shatto

Margaret Wu, Legal Representative

Christopher W Sparling

Johnny E Johnson

Barry M Friedman

Hua Hu

Tye R Aikins

Priya Santhanam

James A Valencia

Noman K Yeh

Dag O Calafell

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for sweetening natural gas may utilize a water wash to achieve a reduction in raw natural gas stream contaminants (e.g., particulate contaminants and/or chemical contaminants) and/or to recover solvent used for removing HS and COfrom the natural gas. For example, a method may include contacting a first natural gas stream with a first water stream in a co-current contacting system to produce a second natural gas stream and a second water stream, wherein the first natural gas stream comprises natural gas, an acid gas, and a contaminate, and wherein a concentration of the contaminate in the second natural gas stream is less than a concentration of the contaminate in the first natural gas stream; and removing at least a portion of the acid gas from the second natural gas stream.

Natural gas sweetening methods and related systems

Methods for utilizing and regenerating solvent mixtures for dissolving elemental sulfur within hydrocarbon wells are described herein. One method includes providing a solvent mixture including an elemental sulfur solvent fraction including disulfide compound(s), as well as an odorant fraction including a lactate ester solvent. The method also includes injecting the solvent mixture into a hydrocarbon well such that the elemental sulfur solvent fraction dissolves elemental sulfur deposited on well components, as well as collecting the resulting spent solvent mixture, which includes thiols and residual lactate ester solvent, within a spent solvent separator. The method further includes sparging the spent solvent mixture with oxidizer within the spent solvent separator to allow for oxidation of the thiols to produce the disulfide compound(s) using the residual lactate ester solvent (and, optionally, additional lactate ester solvent), as well as regenerating the solvent mixture using at least a portion of the produced disulfide compound(s).

Regenerating solvent mixtures that are used for elemental sulfur removal within hydrocarbon wells

Capture of hydrogen sulfide from a gas mixture may be accomplished using an aqueous solution comprising an amine. Certain sterically hindered amines may selectively form a reaction product with hydrogen sulfide under kinetically controlled contacting conditions and afford a light phase and a heavy phase above a critical solution temperature, wherein the hydrogen sulfide may be present in either phase. Upon separation of the light phase from the heavy phase, processing of one of the phases may take place to remove hydrogen sulfide therefrom. Recycling of the amine to an absorber tower may then take place to promote capture of additional hydrogen sulfide.

Acid gas scrubbing methods featuring amine phase separation for hydrogen sulfide capture

Solids dissolution may be promoted using a solvent blend comprising a disulfide solvent, particularly additional solids present in combination with elemental sulfur deposits. The solvent blends may comprise at least one disulfide solvent, at least one amine solvent, at least one ketone solvent, at least one ester solvent, and optionally water. Solids dissolution methods may comprise: identifying one or more solids in addition to elemental sulfur to be contacted by the solvent blend; adjusting a composition of the solvent blend to afford selectivity for dissolution of at least a portion of the one or more solids; and contacting the solvent blend with elemental sulfur and the one or more solids to promote at least partial dissolution thereof.

Solids removal using solvent blends comprising a disulfide solvent

The present disclosure relates to a porous liquid or a porous liquid enzyme that includes a high surface area solid and a liquid film substantially covering the high surface area solid. The porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme may be contacted with a fluid that is immiscible with the liquid film such that a liquid-fluid interface is formed. The liquid film may facilitate mass transfer of a substance or substrate across the liquid-fluid interface. The present disclosure also provides methods of performing liquid-based extractions and enzymatic reactions utilizing the porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme of the present disclosure.

Porous liquid and methods of making and using the same

Systems and methods for selectively removing hydrogen sulfide from a feed gas stream. The systems include an absorber-heat exchanger (ABHEX) assembly configured to exchange thermal energy between a mixed stream and a thermal management fluid stream. The ABHEX assembly defines a mixed stream volume and a thermal management fluid stream volume. The ABHEX assembly includes an isolation structure that maintains fluid separation between the mixed stream and the thermal management fluid stream and facilitates thermal communication between the mixed stream and the thermal management fluid stream. The ABHEX assembly is configured to receive and to mix the feed gas stream and a lean solvent stream to generate the mixed stream, to separate the mixed stream into a product gas stream and a rich solvent stream, and to cool the mixed stream. The methods include methods of operating the systems.

Systems and methods for selectively removing hydrogen sulfide from a feed gas stream

Solvent mixtures for dissolving elemental sulfur, methods of utilizing the solvent mixtures, and methods of forming the solvent mixtures. The solvent mixtures include an elemental sulfur solvent fraction and an odorant fraction. The elemental sulfur solvent fraction includes an elemental sulfur solvent that has a solvent odor and a solvent sulfur solubility of at least 10 weight percent (wt %). The odorant fraction includes at least one odorant that has an odorant odor that differs from the solvent odor. The solvent mixture includes at least 20 wt % and at most 80 wt % of both the elemental sulfur solvent fraction and the odorant fraction. The presence of the odorant fraction, within the solvent mixture, decreases an intensity of the mixture odor relative to the solvent odor and/or decreases an offensiveness of the mixture odor relative to the solvent odor.

Solvent mixtures for dissolving elemental sulfur, methods of utilizing the solvent mixtures, and methods of forming the solvent mixtures

A gas processing system is described herein. The gas processing system includes a number of co-current contacting systems configured to contact a sour feed gas stream including an acid gas with a solvent stream to produce a partially-sweetened gas stream and a rich solvent stream including an absorbed acid gas. At least one of the co-current contacting systems is configured to send the rich solvent stream to a regenerator. The regenerator is configured to remove the absorbed acid gas from the rich solvent stream to produce a lean solvent stream. The gas processing system also includes a solvent treater configured to treat at least a portion of the lean solvent stream to produce an enhanced solvent stream, and a final co-current contacting system configured to contact the partially-sweetened gas stream with the enhanced solvent stream to produce a partially-loaded solvent stream and a final gas stream.

Enhanced acid gas removal within a gas processing system

A method and apparatus for processing a hydrocarbon gas stream including sulfurous components and carbon dioxide. The hydrocarbon gas stream is separated into a sweetened gas stream and an acid gas stream. The acid gas stream and an air stream, enriched with oxygen such that the air stream comprises between 22% and 100% oxygen, are combusted in a sulfur recovery unit to separate the acid gas stream into a liquid stream of elemental sulfur and a tail gas stream comprising acid gas impurities. The tail gas stream and an air flow are sub-stoichiometrically combusted to produce an outlet stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide. The outlet stream is hydrogenated to convert sulfur species to a gaseous catalytic output stream comprising hydrogen sulfide. Water is removed from the gaseous catalytic output stream to produce a partially-dehydrated acid gas stream, which is pressurized and injected into a subsurface reservoir.

Removal of acid gases from a gas stream, with O2 enrichment for acid gas capture and sequestration

A method of separating impurities from a natural gas stream. The natural gas stream is cooled through heat exchange with one or more process streams to produce a chilled gas stream, which is contacted with a lean solvent stream in a contactor to separate hydrogen sulfide (HS) from the chilled gas stream, thereby producing a rich solvent stream and a partially-treated gas stream. Carbon dioxide (CO) and HS are separated from the partially-treated gas stream in a membrane separation system, thereby creating a fully-treated gas stream and a permeate gas stream, the permeate gas stream being comprised primarily of HS and CO, and the fully-treated gas stream being comprised primarily of natural gas. The fully-treated gas stream and the permeate gas stream are at a lower temperature than the partially-treated gas stream. The fully-treated gas stream and the permeate gas stream comprise the one or more process streams.

Integration of cold solvent and acid gas removal

A hydrogen sulfide (HS) scavenging system for removing HS, mercaptans, and/or other sulfur-containing compounds from a natural gas stream. A co-current contacting system is located in-line within a pipe and receives the natural gas stream and a liquid scavenger stream. The co-current contacting system includes a co-current contactor including a droplet generator and a mass transfer section. The droplet generator generates droplets from the liquid scavenger stream and disperses the droplets into the natural gas stream. The mass transfer section provides a mixed, two-phase flow having a vapor phase and a liquid phase. The liquid phase includes the liquid scavenger stream with HS, mercaptans, and/or other sulfur-containing compounds absorbed from the natural gas stream, and the vapor phase includes the natural gas stream. A separation system separates the vapor phase from the liquid phase.

Compact contacting systems and methods for scavenging sulfur-containing compounds

Hydrocarbon gas treatment systems and methods. The hydrocarbon gas treatment systems include a feed gas supply system configured to provide a feed gas stream and a hydrogen sulfide removal system configured to separate the feed gas stream into a product gas stream and an acid gas stream. The hydrocarbon gas treatment systems also include a heat exchanger configured to cool the acid gas stream to generate a cooled acid gas stream and an acid gas enrichment system configured to separate the cooled acid gas stream into a treated gas stream and an enriched acid gas stream. The methods include providing a feed gas stream, separating the feed gas stream into a product gas stream and an acid gas stream, cooling the acid gas stream to generate a cooled acid gas stream, and separating the cooled acid gas stream into a treated gas stream and an enriched acid gas stream.

Hydrocarbon gas treatment systems and methods

A co-current contactor for separating components in a fluid stream, the co-current contactor comprising a first inlet configured to receive the fluid stream proximate to a first end of the co-current contactor, a second inlet configured to receive a solvent proximate the first end of the co-current contactor, and a mass transfer section configured to receive the fluid stream and the solvent and to provide a mixed, two-phase flow, wherein the mass transfer section comprises a surface feature along an inner surface of the mass transfer section configured to reduce film flow along an inner wall of the mass transfer section, and wherein the surface feature comprises at least one of a hydrophobic surface, a superhydrophobic surface, a porous wall surface, and a nonlinear surface irregularity extending radially inward or radially outward along the inner surface of the mass transfer section.

Inner surface features for co-current contractors

Systems and methods for separating hydrogen sulfide from carbon dioxide in a high-pressure mixed stream are disclosed herein. The methods include receiving the high-pressure mixed stream in an oxidation reactor and at an inlet pressure of at least 0.3 megapascals. The high-pressure mixed stream includes 0.01 to 5 mole percent hydrogen sulfide and at least 90 mole percent carbon dioxide. The methods further include oxidizing the high-pressure mixed stream with an oxidant to generate a high-pressure oxidized stream, includes oxidized hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, at an oxidation pressure of at least 0.3 megapascals. The methods also include separating the high-pressure oxidized stream into an oxidized hydrogen sulfide product and a carbon dioxide product and generating the carbon dioxide product at a pressure of at least 0.3 megapascals. The systems include the high-pressure mixed stream, an oxidation reactor, and a separation assembly.

Systems and methods for separating hydrogen sulfide from carbon dioxide in a high-pressure mixed stream

A system for conditioning a sour gas feed stream for a cryogenic distillation tower. A dehydration unit separates the sour gas feed stream into a first stream including water and a feed stream. A sequential cooling assembly is coupled to both the dehydration unit and the cryogenic distillation tower. The sequential cooling assembly includes: a first stage that separates the feed stream into a partially cooled feed stream and a second stream including acid gas; a second stage that cools the partially cooled feed stream into a cooled feed stream and a third stream including acid gas; and a cooled feed stream header coupled to a cryogenic distillation tower feed inlet. The first stage, the second stage, or both send at least one of the second and third streams to a bottom section of the cryogenic distillation tower.

Reducing refrigeration and dehydration load for a feed stream entering a cryogenic distillation process

Growing community of inventors

Spring, TX, United States of America

P Scott Northrop