NATURAL GAS PROCESSING

Natural gas processing consists of separating all of the various hydrocarbons and fluids from the raw natural gas, to produce what is known as ‘pipeline quality’ dry natural gas. Major transportation pipelines usually impose restrictions on the make-up of the natural gas that is allowed into the pipeline. That means before the natural gas can be transported, it must be purified. Natural gas, as it is used by consumers, is much different from the natural gas that is brought from underground up to the wellhead.

Raw natural gas comes from three types of wells: oil wells, gas wells, and condensate wells. While some of the needed processing can be accomplished at or near the wellhead (field processing), the complete processing of natural gas takes place at a processing plant.

• Major processes for gas processing include:

• Oil and Condensate Removal
• Water Removal
• Separation of Natural Gas Liquids (NGL’s)
• Gas “sweetening” or the Removal of H2S and C02