Flow rate: 265,000 SCFD
CO2: 10%
H2S: none
Amine: MEA 45 wt%
Reboiler Corrosion Coupon: 0.8254 MPY (a very low rate with no H2S present)
Location: Enterprise, OK
Operator: Superior Fabrication (SFI)
The first amine plant to use the DThree solvent SFI-LGBD was in Enterprise, Oklahoma. On a gas stream of approximately 265,000 SCFD with 10% CO2 and no H2S, a 1 GPM amine plant with an average MEA 45 wt% was operational for approximately 60 of 80 days from May, 2009 through July, 2009. On average it removed 4% to 5% CO2, which was predicted by BRE’s ProMax software. A corrosion coupon was installed in the bottom third of the reboiler before the start of operations. The Corrosion Coupon Report shows a corrosion rate of 0.8254 MPY, which is a very low rate for MEA 45 wt% with a gas stream containing 10% CO2 and no H2S.
According to Figure 3-11 published in Google Books on page 210 of Kohl and Nielsen’s “Gas Purification”, Froning and Jones 1958 study shows that corrosion of carbon steel in an H2S-CO2-N2-MEA-H2O environment with MEA 20 wt% and no H2S present will have a corrosion rate of 6.0 MPY.
A 3 GPM plant running DEA had SFI-LGBD added to its circulation system on October 9, 2009. An update will be provided next month.
Superior Fabrication, Inc., a leading oil and gas equipment manufacturer based in Elk City, Oklahoma and DThree Technology, a leader in innovative amine chemistry are working together to create an amine acid gas sweetening plant that will have minimal to no amine degradation, hydrocarbon saturation, heat stable salts or corrosion problems. Using a DThree manufactured solvent SFI-LGBD, Superior Fabrication, Inc. will be using special blends of MEA, DEA and/or MDEA for use in amine plants.
