Abstract The efficiency of a gas-sweetening system is improved by first separating a high-pressure field sour gas into a gas and a liquid stream, sending the liquid stream to a flash tank to obtain separate liquid and sour gas fractions. The latter is then combined with rich absorbent solution from the high-pressure contactor acting on the first mentioned high-pressure gas stream. The higher hydrogen sulfide partial pressure in the aforesaid sour gas fraction causes physical solution of the H2S resulting in lessening the load on the downstream low-pressure contactor. By operating in this fashion the sweetening agent circulation rate to the contactors is approximately 30 percent less than required by conventional methods.
The process of claim 1 wherein said acidic component partial pressure is at least about 15 p.s.i. greater than that of the first mentioned solution rich in said acidic component.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 1 in which the acidic component is hydrogen sulfide.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 1 in which the acidic component consists initially of a mixture of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1 in which the acidic component is primarily carbon dioxide.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 1 in which the fluid mixture is a sour natural gas.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 1 in which the solvent employed is in the form of an aqueous solution.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 7 in which the solvent is sulfolane.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 8 in which the solvent consists essentially of a mixture of an alkylol amine and sulfolane.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 9 in which the alkylol amine is diisopropanol amine.