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A Discussion on
Compression Systems in
Gas Processing and
Treatment Systems
Marcus Sprenkel
Senior Process Consultant at DRL Engineering 26 articles Follow
- Owner Engineers
June 12, 2020
In this discussion, I will look at the role that compression
plays in gas processing and the various technologies that
are available in the industry as well as their applications.
Gas gathering and field operations dictate upstream gas
compression requirements. High Pressure operation
downstream of the field operation may be critical to drive
liquids recovery from hydrocarbon rich gas depending
upon the local markets and logistics. Some of the
transportation pipelines require higher pressure to keep
pipe diameters smaller and to keep gas in the dense phase
and thus prevent condensation and two-phase flow within
the pipeline.
If the field operation pressure is low, upstream compression
may be required to compress this gas to medium to high
pressure (200-1000 psig) for the processing to meet
required pipeline specifications. To protect the compressor
from damage during operation, filters or scrubbers that are
able to remove very fine particulates (both solid and liquid)
from the feed gas are required upstream of the
compressor.
High pressure discharge gas from the compressor may
contain some free liquid water and liquid hydrocarbons
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which need to be removed by installing appropriate filter
coalescers or gas scrubbers downstream of the compressor.
Compression Duties
Pressure plays a major role in gas processing, as it moves
the gas from the field through the gas plant and into the
sales gas line. Pressure also provides the cooling for gas to
low temperatures.
There are a variety of gas processing streams that undergo
compression including:
Field gas from low pressure operations
Gas leaving inlet receiving.
Gas coming from stabilizing the liquids in Natural Gas
Liquids Processing, and from other vapor recovery
facilities that collect low pressure gas
Gas exiting Hydrocarbon recovery and entering the
pipeline, and
Gas within pipelines
Low pressure Field Gas
In some marginal gas fields, and in many larger gas fields
that experience a decline in flowing pressure with time,
economics may dictate that the wells flow at surface
pressures below that required for gas sales.
In such cases a "booster compressor" may be installed.
These are typically characterized by a low overall
compressor ratio and relatively high throughput.
From Inlet Receiving
To maximize liquids recovery, the gas may need to be at
850 to 1000 psig (60 to 70 barg) when it passes to
Hydrocarbon Recovery (this pressure requirement drops to
600 to 650 psig if only propane and heavier components
are to be recovered).
As such, compression once the gas leaves Inlet Receiving is
often a necessity.
From Liquid Processing & Vapor recovery
Flash gas from low-pressure vessels used for multistage
stabilization of liquids, oil treating, water treating, etc.,
often exists at too low a pressure to flow into the gas sales
pipeline.
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Sometimes this gas is used as fuel and the remainder flared
or vented.
Often it is more economical, or it is necessary for
environmental reasons, to compress the gas for sales.
In a gas field, a compressor used in this service is normally
called a "flash gas compressor." Flash gas compressors are
normally characterized by low throughput rate and high
differential pressure.
Hydrocarbon Recovery and Pipeline Entry
For gas plants that process more that 25 million standard
cubic feet of gas per day, the use of turboexpansion to cool
the gas for liquid hydrocarbon recovery is economically
attractive. For gas flow rates between 1 and 20 MMscfd ,
typoically mechanical refrigeration units are more
commonly deployed. In fact , depending on the overall
richness (gpm of the gas ) , a turboexpander plant would be
more favorable at 50 Mmscfd anmd higher due to the
overall CAPEX and OPEX involved for the said project.
The mechanical energy generated by the turboexpander
provides part of the power requirements for the outlet
compression. However, additional outlet compression is
normally required to bring the sales gas up to pipeline
pressure.
Gas in Pipelines
Booster compressors are also used on long pipelines to
restore pressure drop lost to friction. The design of a long
pipeline requires trade-off studies between the size and
distance between booster compressor stations and the
diameter and operating pressure of the line.
Types of Compressors
Compressors can be categorized into three main groups:
Positive displacement, Dynamic, and Thermal.
In a positive displacement compressor, the gas is
transported from low pressure to high pressure in a device
that reduces its volume and thus increases its pressure. The
most common type of positive displacement compressors
are reciprocating and rotary (screw or vane).
Dynamic compressors impart a velocity head to the gas,
which is then converted to a pressure head as the gas slows
down to the velocity in the discharge line. Centrifugal
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compressors are the only form of kinetic compressor
commonly used,
Ejectors are “thermal “compressors that use a high velocity
gas or steam jet to entrain the flowing gas in, thereby
convertinig the velocity of the fluid mixture into pressure in
the diffuser.
Multi-Stage Compressors
Multi-staging of compressors may be undertaken for
several different reasons.
The most obvious reason is that the energy required for
compression is directly related to the volume of gas being
compressed. Cooling the gas between stages reduces the
interstage gas volume, and hence the amount of energy
input for the next stage of compression.
Another reason is materials limitations. If natural gas was
compressed in a single stage from atmospheric conditions
up to around 600 psig (41.4 barg), the temperature of the
gas exiting the compressor would be in excess of 350°F
(176°C).
These temperatures present significant issues for the
selection of materials of construction, seals, and lubricants.
Multistage compression with interstage cooling can help
greatly with keeping the temperatures down at a useful
level.
Compressors Types
The most common types of compressors used in oil and
gas production activities are:
Reciprocating (both single and multistage)
Rotary screw
Radial or Centrifugal (again, both single and multi-
stage), and
Axial Flow
There are other types of units, but these are less common.
Reciprocating Compressors
When the natural gas industry started, only reciprocating
compressors were available.
A reciprocating compressor is a positive-displacement
compressor in which the compressing and displacing
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element is a piston moving linearly within a cylinder.
The reciprocating compressor consists of one or more
cylinders each with a piston or plunger that moves back
and forth, displacing a positive volume with each stroke.
Reciprocating compressors are either single -stage or multi
stage. The number of stages is determined by the overall
compression rato. The compression ratio per stage and the
valve life is limited by the discharge temperature and
usually the ratio does not exceed 4:1. Some small size units
with intermittent duty may be designed with a compression
ratio as high as 8 but this is rare and depends on the
application.
Reciprocating compressor ratings can vary from small
fractional values to as high as 40,000 HP per unit. Pressure
ranges can be as low as vacuum at suction to as high as
30,000 psi on the discharge end.
Reciprocating compressors are designed to either API 618 “
Reciprocating Compressors for petroleum , Chemical and
Gas Industry Services or API 11P “ Specification for
Packaged Reciprocating compressors for Oil and Gas
Production Services.
A summary on how a reciprocating compressor works can
be found in this video
Reciporcating Compressor Operation
Reciprocating compressors are classified as either "high
speed" or "slow speed." Typically, high-speed compressors
run at a speed of 900 to 1200 rpm and slow-speed units at
speeds of 200 to 600 rpm.
Reciprocating compressors are used in onshore gas plant
and field operation. Not only do they offer the highest
efficiency, but these are unaffected by gas composition.
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They are also able to handle smaller volumes and higher
discharge pressures than other types of compressors.
Only reciprocating and centrifugal compressors have
sufficiently higher discharge pressure capabilities to meet
gas processing and gas transmission requirements.
There are some disadvantages with reciprocating units.
Reliability can be an issue. Often runtime is 90 to 95%
compared with around 99% for other compressor types.
99% can be achieved, but this tends to be with plants
where operators have a good understanding of the
operation of the units, and on electrically driven
compressors (as gas-fired engines are more prone to failure
than the compressor)
Variable speed drives can be used to maintain their
efficiency
Rotary Screw Compressors Types
Rotary Screw compressors are also positive displacement
type units that use two screws or lobes to compress the
gas. They can handle moderate amounts of liquid, as well
as dirty gases because there is no metallic contact within
the casing.
Rotary compressors cover lobe type, screw type, vane type
and liquid ring type, each having a casing with one or more
rotating elements that either mesh with each other such as
lobes or screws or that displace a fixed volume with each
rotation.
The rotary compressor is typically a low head or low
compression ratio piece of equipment. These relatively
handle low volumes of gas per machine. The primary use of
these compressors is for boosting of low pressure casing
head gas from individual wells or from field treaters into
the large reciprocating or centrifugal compressors and for
the compression of the lease stock tank vapors which when
cooled enhance the recovery of the stock tank oil.
The two helical rotors are rotated by a series of timing
gears so that gas trapped in the space between them is
transported from the suction to the discharge piping.
They come in two basic types: Oil-free, and Oil Injected
Oil Free Rotary Screw Compressors
Non-lubricated screw compressors can deliver a clean, oil-
free gas, and are used for vapor recovery and compression
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of low-pressure gases up to the suction pressure of high-
pressure compressors.
Non-lubricated screw compressors have very close
clearances and thus they are designed for limited ranges of
discharge temperature, temperature rise, compression ratio,
etc., all of which can cause changes in these clearances.
Oil Injected Rotary Screw Compressors
However, in hydrocarbon service most screw compressors
require that liquid be injected to help provide a seal. After-
coolers and separators are required to separate the seal oil
and recirculate it to suction.
Lubricated compressors have a somewhat broader
tolerance to changes in operating conditions, but they are
still more limited than reciprocating compressors.
Rotary Screw Compressors
Screw compressors can handle dirty gas., and moderate
amounts of liquids, (albeit no slugs), and deliver a non-
pulsating flow. At low discharge pressures (<50 psig), they
can be more efficient than reciprocating.
However, in hydrocarbon service, there can be a need for
using seal oil which will require an after-cooler and a
separator to recycle oil. And at discharge pressures over 50
psig, they have 10 to 20% more power requirement than a
reciprocating unit. And there is a low tolerance to change in
operating conditions of temperature, pressure, and
compression ratio.
The following video from MAN Diesel & Turbo
demonstrates the operating principles of screw
compressors.
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Centrifugal Compressors
Like multistage centrifugal pumps, centrifugal compressors
use a series of rotating impellers to impart velocity head to
the gas. This is then converted to pressure head as the gas
is slowed in the compressor case. Centrifugal compressors
achieve compression by applying inertial forces to the gas.
The inertial forces are transmitted by an impeller (a series of
blades in a rotating wheel) which by dynamic centrifugal
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motion, adds velocity through acceleration of the gas. The
gas then flows from the impeller to the diffuser where the
gas decelerates and velocity energy is transformed into
pressure energy.
The centrifugal compressor is a constant head variable
volume machine.
They are either turbine or electric motor driven and range
in size from 1,000 hp to over 20,000 hp.
Most larger compressors (greater than 4,000 hp) tend to be
turbine-driven centrifugal compressors because there is low
initial cost.
Centrifugal compressors have high ratios of horsepower
per unit of space and weight, which makes them very
popular for offshore applications.
They can be either horizontally split case or vertically split
case ( or barrel). To develop the required gas velocities and
head they must rotate at very high speeds (20,000 to
30,000 rpm), making the design of driver, gear, and
compressor extremely important. Turbine drives are also
high speed and a natural match for centrifugal
compressors.
Design of centrifugal compressors is governed by design
requirements covered in API Standard 617.
There is a disadvantage in centrifugal machines in that they
are low efficiency. This means it requires more brake
horsepower (bhp) to compress the same flow rate than
would be required for a reciprocating compressor.
If the compressor is driven with a turbine, there is even a
greater disadvantage because the turbines are low in fuel
efficiency.
The net result is that turbine-driven centrifugal machines
do not use fuel very efficiently. However, this fuel penalty
can be overcome if process heat is needed.
Waste heat can be recovered from the turbine exhaust,
decreasing or eliminating the need to burn gas to create
process heat.
As with electric motor and engine-driven high-speeds,
turbine and electric motor-driven centrifugals can be easily
packaged for use in oil and gas fields.
They are very common in booster compressor service (high
volume, low ratio) and for very high flow rate gas-lift
service.
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Centrifugal compressors cannot be used for high ratio, low-
volume applications.
The following video demonstrates the operating principles
of centrifugal compressors
CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORNPOS.AVI
Axial Flow Compressors
Axial flow compressors routinely compress large volumes of
gas (50 to 500 thousand actual cubic feet per minute or 80
to 800 thousand actual cubic meters per hour) at pressures
up to around 200 psug (14 barg). In special applications,
they may go to higher pressures. They are smaller and
more efficient compared to centrifugal units.
Axial compressors use stationary and rotating vanes to
push the gas down the length or axis of the compressor as
oppose to a radial direction in a centrifugal compressor.
The arrays of airfoils are set in rows, usually as pairs: one
rotating and one stationary. The rotating airfoils, also
known as blades or rotors, accelerate the fluid. The
stationary airfoils, also known as stators or vanes,
decelerate and redirect the flow direction of the fluid,
preparing it for the rotor blades of the next stage.
The following video from MAN Diesel & Turbo
demonstrates the operating principles of axial flow
compressors.
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3D animation of axial flow compressor working principle
Axial compressors are almost always multi-staged, with the
cross-sectional area of the gas passage diminishing along
the compressor to maintain an optimum axial Mach
number.
Axial compressors are typically high flow, low pressure
machines in contrast to the lower flow, high pressure
centrifugal compressors. The characteristic feature of an
axial compressor is the axial direction of the flow through
the machine. The axial compressor utilizes alternating rows
of rotating and stationary blades to transfer the input
energy from the rotor to the gas in order to generate an
increase in gas pressure.
Beyond about 5 stages or a 4:1 design pressure ratio a
compressor will not function unless fitted with features
such as stationary vanes with variable angles (known as
variable inlet guide vanes and variable stators), the ability
to allow some gas to escape part-way along the
compressor (known as interstage bleed) and being split
into more than one rotating assembly (known as twin
spools, for example).
Axial compressors can have high efficiencies however, they
are relatively expensive, requiring a large number of
components, tight tolerances and high-quality materials.
Axial-flow compressors are used in medium to large gas
turbine engines, natural gas pumping stations, and some
chemical plants.
Efficiences for the axial compressors can be as high as 90 %
( adiabatic ).
Compressor Selection
Each compressor type can operate over a range of
discharge pressures as a function of the actual volumetric
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flow rate of gas being processed.
The operating range of reciprocating compressors can be
increased using a multi-stage design. This is also the case
for centrifugal compressors.
And both rotary screw and axial compressors are limited by
discharge pressure.
In specifying a compressor, it is necessary to choose the
basic type, the number of stages of compression and the
required power requirement.
To do this, the volume of gas, suction and discharge
pressures, suction temperature and specific gravity of the
gas being compressed must be known.
Once the required power and number of stages are
estimated, a choice of compressor type can be undertaken
based on all the general considerations previously
mentioned and those associated with the specific
application.
Local foundation conditions, the type of drivers available,
the cost of fuel, the availability of spare parts, the familiarity
of personnel with operation and maintenance, waste heat
requirements etc could all influence the selection for a
specific installation.
There are a number of guides available to assist in
compressor selection available, depending on the
application.
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Marcus Sprenkel 26 Follow
Senior Process Consultant at DRL Engineering - Owner Engineers
articles
Published • 3y
Today, I'm returning to the subject of Natural Gas and how to deal with pressure
boosting requirements :A Discussion on Compression Systems in Gas Processing and
Treatment Systems #energy #naturalgas #oilandgas #gas #oilandgasindustry #oil
#oilgas #oilfieldservices #oilfield #oilfieldequipment #compression #upstream
#petroleum #petroleum #midstream #pipeline #oilindustry #downstream
#onshore #offshore #pipelines
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Mike Ivanovic, PhD • 3rd+ 6mo
President at UBAMIP Consulting
The author did a great job making this very good overview
Like Reply
Dr Najam Beg • 2nd 3y
Caltec Co-Owner/Director/Innovator
A very educational article. Really enjoyed reading it. 👍What is missing in
the gas compression side is the role of Surface Jet pump ( ejector etc)
using high pressure gas or sea water. Please have a look at few of my
simple posts, on how we have moved this area forward with large size very
successful deployments.
Like · 1 Reply · 2 Replies
Marcus Sprenkel • 2nd 3y
Senior Process Consultant at DRL Engineering - Owner Engineers
Dr Beg, I am glad you enjoyed it. Whenever I write on e of these
articles, I am almost certain that there is something that I do not give
sufficient coverage to. That's why I call them "Discussions" as
opposed to "Guides". I encourage people like yourself to advise what
it is I have neglected. I will check out your posts. I've done some
Like Reply
Dr Najam Beg • 2nd 3y
Caltec Co-Owner/Director/Innovator
Dear Marcus, Thanks for your prompt response.. I have just glanced
through a couple of your "Discussion" articles, and I thoroughly
enjoyed reading them. Some great applaud is due here. I will also
surly recommend these article to young engineers, so they get a feel
for the fluid processes in a real sense. Regarding Caltec's use
…see
of their
more
Like · 1 Reply
Marcus Sprenkel
Senior Process Consultant at DRL Engineering - Owner Engineers
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