From the choke to the column: where does the potential of LTS in associated petroleum gas processing end?
DOI: 10.17586/1606-4313-2025-24-4-45-50
UDC 665.65
Kholyavkin Vadim O., LOGVINENKO E. V.
Keywords: associated petroleum gas, low temperature separation, cryogenic rectification, Aspen HYSYS simulation, ethane recovery, techno economic assessment, turbo expander, greenhouse gas reduction.
UDC 665.65
From the choke to the column: where does the potential of LTS in associated petroleum gas processing end?
For citation: Kholyavkin V.O., Logvinenko E.V. From the choke to the column: where does the potential of LTS in associated petroleum gas processing end? Journal of International Academy of Refrigeration. 2025. No 4. p. 45-50. DOI: 10.17586/1606-4313-2025-24-4-45-50. (in Russian)
Abstract
A unified Aspen HYSYS v 12.1 model was developed to benchmark two competing low‑temperature routes for associated petroleum gas (APG) valorization: conventional two‑stage low‑temperature separation (LTS) and full cryogenic rectification (CR) equipped with a turbo‑expander. Both schemes were simulated for a “rich” Western Siberian APG (9.0 MPa, 12.6 mol % C₃, Σ C₄+ ≈ 8 mol %). Switching from LTS (–30 °C) to CR (–88 °C) increases C₂+ recovery from 41 % to 64.8 % while raising total refrigeration duty by 24 %. The additional cold demand is partly offset by 93 kW of turbo‑expander power, improving the net power balance from –248 kW to –155 kW. Relative CAPEX and OPEX indices for CR amount to 1.2 and 1.5, respectively; at spot prices of 140 USD t⁻¹ ethane and 480 USD t⁻¹ propane the incremental investment is repaid in < 2.5 years. A hybrid “LTS→CR” configuration lowers the specific OPEX to 57 kWh t⁻¹, requires only +15 % CAPEX and pays back in ~26 months while preserving 92 % of full‑scale CR recovery. Deep rectification also cuts the carbon footprint of sales gas by ~18 kg CO₂‑eq t⁻¹ – enough to offset ≈ 7 % of annual operating costs under the forthcoming EU CBAM tariff. The study provides a decision matrix linking reservoir pressure and dew‑point specification to the most cost‑effective processing route.
Abstract
A unified Aspen HYSYS v 12.1 model was developed to benchmark two competing low‑temperature routes for associated petroleum gas (APG) valorization: conventional two‑stage low‑temperature separation (LTS) and full cryogenic rectification (CR) equipped with a turbo‑expander. Both schemes were simulated for a “rich” Western Siberian APG (9.0 MPa, 12.6 mol % C₃, Σ C₄+ ≈ 8 mol %). Switching from LTS (–30 °C) to CR (–88 °C) increases C₂+ recovery from 41 % to 64.8 % while raising total refrigeration duty by 24 %. The additional cold demand is partly offset by 93 kW of turbo‑expander power, improving the net power balance from –248 kW to –155 kW. Relative CAPEX and OPEX indices for CR amount to 1.2 and 1.5, respectively; at spot prices of 140 USD t⁻¹ ethane and 480 USD t⁻¹ propane the incremental investment is repaid in < 2.5 years. A hybrid “LTS→CR” configuration lowers the specific OPEX to 57 kWh t⁻¹, requires only +15 % CAPEX and pays back in ~26 months while preserving 92 % of full‑scale CR recovery. Deep rectification also cuts the carbon footprint of sales gas by ~18 kg CO₂‑eq t⁻¹ – enough to offset ≈ 7 % of annual operating costs under the forthcoming EU CBAM tariff. The study provides a decision matrix linking reservoir pressure and dew‑point specification to the most cost‑effective processing route.
Keywords: associated petroleum gas, low temperature separation, cryogenic rectification, Aspen HYSYS simulation, ethane recovery, techno economic assessment, turbo expander, greenhouse gas reduction.
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