25-01-2018

Honeywell introduces gas processing retrofit unit for ultra high ethane recovery

Honeywell today announced that its UOP Russell business has introduced a new high recovery retrofit unit to upgrade existing cryogenic units to extract more than 99 percent of high-value ethane from natural gas. The retrofit technology will go into commercial service early this year.

The high recovery retrofit unit uses an advanced cycle process to extract high-value ethane from residue gas and can be easily deployed on any 200 million standard cubic foot per day standard technology gas plant. Ethane is used almost exclusively as a petrochemical feedstock to produce ethylene, which is a primary component of plastics.

“Many gas processing plants today use the gas subcooled process – or GSP – to recover about 85 percent of the ethane in the gas stream,” said Craig Ranta, business director, UOP Russell. “The new high-recovery retrofit unit can improve that recovery to more than 99 percent.”

The UOP Russell retrofit solution is designed to upgrade GSP-type cryogenic units, allowing gas processors to provide more value for gas producers. It also will help them prepare for the predicted surge in ethane demand resulting from new ethane crackers in the U.S., and continued export growth.

The unit incorporates high-performance retrofit technology from Ortloff Engineers, Ltd., a global leader in ultra-high NGL and LPG recovery technology development. With the support of Ortloff’s technology and expertise, UOP Russell offers its GSP retrofit customers guaranteed ultra-high NGL and LPG recoveries.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. production of ethane is forecast to increase from an average of 1.25 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2016 to 1.7 million b/d in 2018. The EIA predicts that increased ethane production will be consumed in the petrochemical industry domestically, in addition to exports to other countries, particularly in Europe and Asia.

UOP Russell’s high recovery retrofit units can readily be customized to customer specifications and equipment. In addition, the retrofit can be achieved without significant changes to existing equipment. It is a low-cost alternative to other solutions and is easily designed and installed.

UOP Russell, a subsidiary of Honeywell UOP, provides skid-mounted, pre-engineered and customized modular equipment. The equipment is easily delivered to remote locations and then assembled on-site, significantly reducing construction time and expense and improving operational reliability. This modular approach enables customers to begin processing gas and earning revenue more quickly versus conventional field-erected execution methods.