Amine Gas Sweetening System Problems Arising from Amine Replacement and Solutions to Improve System Performance

This paper includes the significant on-site experience of the authors related to problems faced in amine systems with fresh amine and their possible solutions in phases#2&3 of South Pars gas complex. The amine system was designed as a closed circuit system with the primary objective of removing H2S, CO2, and other acidic components from gaseous hydrocarbon streams. Amine plant operational problems such as excessive foaming, intense corrosion and capacity reduction are observed in gas sweetening unit. Heat stable salt (HSS) accumulations were found to be one of the main reasons for corrosions. Since there are no MDEA purification facilities in phase#2&3, it was decided to replace old MDEA solution with fresh MDEA. However, there are some problems that many plants have experienced after amine replacing or construction. In this paper, practical strategies with experimental data were proposed to overcome these problems.