An Approximate Practical Correlation of the Effect of Pressure on the Dew
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An App..o~itnate P ..actical Co....elation of tlte Effect of P ..essu..e on tlte Dew Point T etnpe..atu..e of Pipeline Natu..al Gases By G. W. GOVIER* and K. AZIZ** (13th Annual Technical MeeNng, Calgary, May, 1962) Downloaded from http://onepetro.org/JCPT/article-pdf/1/01/14/2165694/petsoc-62-01-03.pdf by guest on 25 September 2021 ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION normal pipeline gases are influenced not only by the hydrocarbon com The contracts for the pipeline The dew point temperatures of position of the gas but also by the normal pipeline gases are influenced transportation of natural gas usu presence of traces of contaminants not only by the hydrocarbon com ally limit the higher hydrocarbon such as hydrate depressants and position of the gas but also by the content of the gas by specifying a compressor oil. For this reason, presence of traces of contaminants maximum hydrocarbon dew point. such as hydrate depressants and dew point temperatures calculated compressor oil. For this reason In Alberta contracts specify that from gas analyses are frequently dew point temperatures calculated the hydrocarbon dew point be lim lower than the observed dew points from gas analyses are frequently ited to 15°F. up to the max lower than observed dew points and and the effect of pressure on the imum operating pressure of the dew point temperature is not the the effect of pressure on dew point pipeline. In order strictly to comply temperature is not the same as for same as for a natural gas composed with this specification the dew point a pure hydrocarbon gas. entirely of hydrocarbons. temperature must be measured Actual dew point measurements It seems desirable then to base on 16 gases were compared with cal directly at the maximum operating culated dew points and differences pressure. Usually, however, the the estimation of the actual dew up to 50°F were observed. Not· gases are available only at pressures point at the maximum operating withstanding these serious differ· below the maximum pipeline oper pressure on measurement at some ences the shape of the actual and lower pressure and the general the calculated dew point tempera ating pressure and a direct measure ture-pressure curves were similar. ment is not practical. Under these shape of the dew point curves. This similarity has permitted the conditions the engineer must either The work reported in Reference development of a practical correla tion of the effect of pressure on the (a) calculate the dew point at the (1) was extended to check the semi dew point temperature of the gases. desired higher pressure dir theoretical correlation against the The correlation permits the esti ectly from the avaliable gas actual measured dew points of a mation of the dew point tempera analysis, or number of Alberta pipeline gases, ture at any pressure within the (b) estimate the dew point at the and to develop a method which range of 100 to 800 psi from its would allow the prediction of actual knowledge at anyone pressure higher pressure from dew within this range. The accuracy is point measurements at somf' clew point temperatures at any about -t-5°F for pressures in the lower pressure. pressure from a measurement at range of 400 to 800 psi. The corre some other pressure. lation, along with calculations of the A companion paper by Aziz and theoretical dew point, may also be Govier (1) has presented a semi used to estimate the degree of con theoretical correlation which facili FIELD MEASUREMENTS tamination of pipeline gases. tates the calculation, from gas A standard Bureau of Mines Dew analysis, of hydrocarbon dew points Point Tester, equipped with a dead of clean pipeline gases. The mea weight tester for pressure measure sured dew point temperatures of ments, was used for all dew point measurements. Dew point data for all gases were .. Professor of Ohemical Engineer (1) K. Aziz and G. W. Govier, "A ing, Dean of Faculty of Engineer Rapid Approximate Method for obtained, over a period of approxi ing, University of Alberta, Ed the Estimation of Hydrocarbon mately four months during the monton. Dew Points of Clean Pipeline summer of 1961, at the Alberta Gas Natural Gases," 13th Annual Trunk Line meter stations. Table 1 Technical Meeting, P. & N.G. ** Assistant Professor of Petroleum is a list of the meter stations where Engineering, University of Al Division, C.I.M., Calgary, May berta, Edmonton. 1962. tests were conducted; their locations 14 Journal of Canadian Petroleum PROVOST • 2 Downloaded from http://onepetro.org/JCPT/article-pdf/1/01/14/2165694/petsoc-62-01-03.pdf by guest on 25 September 2021 ...J ...J <t t CALGARY (f) 0:: • ::> CD II 10 MEDICINE• HAT FT: MACLEOD• LETHBRIDGE• PINCHER CREEK ~7 NUMBERS IDENTIFY METER STATIONS. Figure 1 Technology, Spring, 1962, Calgary 15 TABLE 1. VENT THE ALBERTA GAS TRUNK LINE __DEW POINT COMPANY LIMITED METER STATIONS METER APPARATUS 1 Provost North 2 Provost South 3 Sedalia North UPSTREAM DOWNSTREAM 4 Sedalia South ISOLATING ISOLATING 5 Oyen VALVE VALVE 6 Sibbald 7 Bindloss North # 2 8 Bindloss North #1 DEAD WEIGHT 9 Bindloss South PRESSURE GAUGE-- 10 Medicine Hat South 11 Medicine Hat North / 12 Atlee Buffalo 13 Princess Denhart Figure 2 14 Princess Iddesleigh 15 Princess 16 Enchant gary. In some cases a gas sample these gases but they were probably 17 Pincher Creek was analyzed by both laboratories. the glycol-hydrocarbon type of dew 18 Cessford Wardlow In the first stage of the field points. In these cases the calcu 19 Cessford East Downloaded from http://onepetro.org/JCPT/article-pdf/1/01/14/2165694/petsoc-62-01-03.pdf by guest on 25 September 2021 20 Cessford West measurements gases from sixteen lated dew points were as much as 21 Cessford Carolside different meter stations (Numbers 140°F lower than the measured 22 Cessford Burfield 14, 22, 36, 33, 18, 24, 1, 23, 15, 31, results. These gases were con 23 Countess Duchess 20, 6, 7, 8, 17 and 10) were investi sidered to be seriously contaminated 24 Hussar Makepeace gated. For some of these gases 25 Hussar Chancellor by extraneous materials such as 26 Wayne North several analyses were obtained and gycol or compressor oil which are 27 Three Hills Creek used for calculation of the dew not determined in the gas analysis. 28 Innisfail points. The total number of ana Because of the high degree of con 29 Prevo lyses considered from the sixteen tamination these four gases were 30 Gilby 31 Rimbey gases were twenty-eight. not used in the development of the 32 Nevis South The second stage of the experi final correlation. 33 Nevis North 34 Chigwell mental work included gases from The measued dew point tempera 35 Wood River eleven meter stations (Numbers 26, tures for the remaining twenty-one 36 Carstairs 27, 29, 30, 27, 31, 13, 10, 19, 25 and gases are presented in Figure 3. 37 Burstall 21). Two of the gases investigated, The data points have been omitted Numbers 10 and 31, were also in in the interest of clarity. At 800 vestigated in the first stage of the psia the range of dew points for are shown in Figure 1. The names operation. One analysis for each these gases is -13°F to +26°F. and numbers of the meter stations gas was obtained. No dew point are those used by the Alberta Gas calculations were performed for Trunk Line Company Limited. For CALCULATED DEW POINTS these gases. field measurements of dew points a Calculated dew point tempera section of the pipeline containing RESULTS OF DEW POINT tures for a few of the gases were the orifice meter (meter-run) was MEASUREMENTS determined both by manual calcula isolated in each case by two valves. Reference (1) contains thirteen tion and with the aid of an LGP-30 Gas samples were taken from this analyses of the ten gases considered. computer. Typical results appear isolated meter-run in carefully The measured and calculated dew in Figure 4. Full details are given purged sample containers. Figure point data for each gas are pre in the report to the Alberta Gas 2 shows a typical field installation sented in full detail in tabular and Trunk Line Company (2). The con for dew point determination. graphical form in a report submit vergence pressures for the gases considered were calculated to be Dew point data were obtained for ted to the Alberta Gas Trunk Line between 2,000 and 3,000 psi. The the gas in the meter-run at approxi Company (2). dew point calculations were per mately 100 psi intervals, from line No dew points were observed for formed for some of these gases for pressure down to about 100 psig. gases from meter stations 17 and these two convergence pressures To do this, the gas was vented to 21 down to a temperature of -30°F. and also for a convergence pressure the atmosphere thereby dropping This is to be expected of gases of of 5,000 psi. The results for the the pressure in the isolated meter this type which contain about 95% convergence pressure of 5,000 psi run at the required intervals. This methane were usually closer to the measured procedure for determining hydro For gases from meter stations 6, data than the other calculated re carbon dew points was found to be 7, 8 and 10 the dew points should sults. This does not mean, however, very satisfactory. Sufficient quan also be below -30°F as these gases that the effective convergence pres tities of gas were available to obtain contain about 95% methane.