Metasource Pty, Ltd.

Cool Energy Limited

Woodside Energy Limited

Ior Technology Pty Ltd.

Robert Amin

Alan Jackson

Ahmed Barifcani

Anthony Frederick Kennaird

A process for recovering a light hydrocarbon, such as ethane, from a sour hydrocarbon gas. The process involves mixing the sour hydrocarbon gas with an azeotrope inhibitor and then passing the mixture into a first distillation column. The first distillation column is operated under a set of temperature and pressure conditions in which the light hydrocarbon is substantially separated from the mixture as an overhead vapor product. The sour species in the mixture can be recovered by passing the bottoms liquid product into a second distillation column under a second set of temperature and pressure conditions in which the sour species is separated as a second overhead vapor product.

Separation of light hydrocarbons and sour species from a sour gas

A process for removing water from a natural gas in an underwater environment is described. The process comprises dehydrating a natural gas feed stream in an apparatus arranged to exchange heat with the underwater environment, preferably including the step of forming hydrates in a hydrate forming zone of a hydrate vessel. The step of forming hydrates in the hydrate zone may comprise the step of introducing the natural gas feed stream into the hydrate vessel through an expansion device with the expansion device is located at and defines a gas inlet to the hydrate vessel. Heat exchange with the hydrate vessel itself need not occur as in one embodiment, heat exchange with the underwater environment takes place through an arrangement of pipes upstream of the hydrate vessel.

Dehydration of natural gas in an underwater environment

Novel processes and devices for the removal of freezable species such as carbon dioxide, water and heavy hydrocarbons from a natural gas feed stream during liquefaction to produce LNG are disclosed. The freezable species are able to be removed as a solid, avoiding the costly step of pretreatment to remove the freezable species from the natural gas feed stream prior to the liquefaction stage. The freezable species may be removed on a continuous basis being separated as solids following liquefaction of the natural gas feed stream with subsequent separation of the solids. The solid freezable species may then be liquefied on a continuous basis if required with natural gas recycled to the process. Continuous removal of the freezable species from the natural gas feed stream is achievable by maintaining cooling and separation apparatus at the same working pressure. Advantageously, at least part of the cooling vessel is constructed from a material having a low thermal conductivity which discourages formation of the solids of the freezable species on the walls of the cooling vessel.

Process and device for production of LNG by removal of freezable solids

A method for the separation of non-hydrocarbon gases from hydrocarbon gases, the method comprising the steps of: adding water and an agent adapted to reduce the interfacial tension between water and hydrocarbons to a first stream of desired hydrocarbon and undesired non-hydrocarbon gases to form a gas-agent-water mixture; pressurising the gas-agent-water mixture; and cooling the gas-water-agent mixture to initiate the formation of a hydrate richer in desired hydrocarbons and leaner in undesired non-hydrocarbons relative to the first stream of desired hydrocarbon and undesired non-hydrocarbon gases.

Method for separation of non-hydrocarbon gases from hydrocarbon gases

A method for the production of the natural gas hydrate characterized by the steps of: combining natural gas and water to form a natural-gas water system and an agent adapted to reduce the natural gas-water interfacial tension to form a natural-gas water-agent system, allowing the natural gas-water-agent system to reach equilibrium at elevated pressure and ambient temperature and reducing the temperature of the natural gas-water-agent system to initiate the formation of the natural gas hydrate.

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Salter Point, Australia

Robert Amin