(82g) Data Analysis and Modeling Development for Debottlenecking of a NGL Recovery Facility

Operating companies need to optimize their assets to maintain their profitability and stay competitive in the market.  Companies may investigate the need to stretch their facilities through innovative debottlenecking projects. However these debottlenecking projects can present multiple options which will need to be screened, modelled, and evaluated on their operating and capital cost, gain on production revenue, and on their complexity and practicality. A critical part of this analysis is to develop a robust simulation model that can accurately define both the current operating capability and be manipulated to explore the impact of proposed modifications.

This case study presents the methodology and review of design options to debottleneck an existing NGL recovery unit. The study covered a range of various possible feed compositions which were developed by applying lean six sigma methodology on sampling data which allowed the feed composition to be defined with higher accuracy and reduce the operating design range.

The process scheme selection considered various recovery levels for ethane, with critical focus on the limitations and ability to upgrade the existing Demethanizer column. Plant operating data was retrieved, filtered and analyzed in order to define a range of the current plant performance which then became the basis for the process modeling. Interpretation of the data required in-depth review of the plant operating history and critical analysis of how to best present the observations and varying data points into a common simulation software package.