Análisis de las simulaciones del proceso de deshidratación del gas natural con Aspen Hysys y Aspen Plus

Abstract

Natural gas has taken an important strategic role in world energy supply as a result of the growing global energy demand. Water is probably the most undesirable component found in raw natural gas because its presence can produce hydrate formation, and it can also lead to corrosion or erosion problems. Due to these often expensive consequences natural gas should be subjected to conditioning processes in order to achieve strict specifications for sales, transportation and final uses. In recent years, process simulation is playing an important role in the oil and gas industry as an appropriate and powerful tool for the design, characterization, optimization, and monitoring of industrial processes performance. In this paper the development of two steady state simulations of natural gas dehydration by absorption with triethylene glycol (TEG) is described, using commercial process simulators such as Aspen HYSYS V8.3 and Aspen PLUS V8.2. Natural gas composition, plant configuration and operating conditions adopted for designs and simulation are those generally used in the area in conditioning plants of natural gas in the province of Salta (Argentina).