Gas Industry Courses by Ed Wichert,
Sogapro Services Inc.
Below are course outlines for four core courses in the natural gas industry that I have offered over many years to the industry. Click a course title on the left for details.
Below are course outlines for four core courses in the natural gas industry that I have offered over many years to the industry. Click a course title above for details.
After 2023, these courses will no longer be offered to the industry in general; they will be available as “in-house” courses when requested.
Sour Gas Treating
Course Overview
This one-day course is designed for engineers, technologists, plant supervisors, and plant operators wanting to broaden their understanding of sour gas treating. The session includes a review of the evolution of sour gas sweetening solvents, and the problems associated with the operation of sour gas treating, such as corrosion and foaming. Design and operational considerations for the process train equipment are presented. Scavenger methods of treating sour gas are also discussed. A comprehensive set of notes is provided.
Participants will learn to:
- Describe the typical process equipment in a sweetening train
- Appreciate the function of each piece of equipment in a sweetening train
- Select the appropriate sweetening solvent for a sour gas mixture
- Calculate mole loading of acid gas-to-solvent for a circulation rate
- Select the appropriate operating range for solvent concentration
- Describe the basic process equipment design considerations
- Reduce the potential causes of foaming
- Select scavenger sweetening chemical
Course Outline
- Review of types of sulfur-containing compounds in sour natural gas
- Occurrence of sour gas in the world
- Typical process equipment in a sweetening train
- Regenerative chemical sweetening solvents
- Proprietary solvents
- Physical solvents
- Mixed solvents
- Selective removal of H2S
- Design considerations for components of sweetening train
- Types of operating problems and solutions
- Causes of corrosion
- Scavenger chemical sweetening process
A comprehensive set of notes is provided.
Sulfur Recovery
Course Overview
This one-day course will provide participants with a thorough review of the design, operation and optimization of the modified Claus sulfur recovery process, including a review of process chemistry, process equipment, operating problems, catalyst deactivation, tail gas technologies, and technologies related to the sulfur recovery industry, such as degassing and pelletizing. The presentation is designed for personnel involved in the design or operation of sour natural gas processing plants and sulfur recovery facilities.
Participants will learn to:
- Describe the different pieces of equipment in a modified Claus sulfur recovery train.
- Select the mode of operation between straight through or split flow.
- Identify the factors affecting the recovery efficiency of sulfur.
- Discuss the different methods of reheating the process gas stream between catalytic stages.
- Understand the processes of deactivation of the catalyst.
- Review the different methods of process enhancements.
- Describe the different tail gas clean-up methods.
- Determine the density of liquid sulfur
- Calculate the recovery efficiency of sulfur of the sulfur plant.
Course Outline
- Sulfur conversion chemistry
- Modified Claus Plant process equipment
- Mode of operation related to H2S in feed gas
- Factors affecting sulfur recovery
- Process gas reheat methods
- Sulfur plant enhancements
- Tail gas cleanup methods
- Sulfur property estimation
- Sulfur degassing methods
- Sulfur pelletizing methods
- Sulfur purity specifications
A comprehensive set of notes is provided.
Acid Gas Compression and Injection
Course Overview
This one-day course provides a comprehensive overview of the design and operational aspects of acid gas compression and injection projects. The presentation includes a detailed discussion of the phase behavior of acid gas and outlines the methods for estimating the properties of acid gas for the design of the compression and injection facilities. It also addresses the methods for controlling corrosion and prevention of the formation of hydrates. Design considerations of compression and cooling equipment, injection line, well completion, and reservoir selection are also discussed. Technical and operations persons involved in the design or operation of acid gas injection projects would greatly benefit from this course. A comprehensive set of course notes is included.
NOTE:This is not a course on compressor machinery. It is a course on the properties of acid gas (H2S and/or CO2) and design considerations for facilities and operation of equipment for acid gas disposal by compression and injection into deep underground zones.
Participants will learn to:
- Discuss acid gas extraction from sour gas.
- Review options for disposal of acid gas.
- Determine properties of acid gas.
- Predict conditions for the formation of hydrates and methods of prevention.
- Select method for dehydration of acid gas.
- Predict the dewpoint temperature of acid gas.
- Prevent corrosion in acid gas process equipment.
- Estimate required pressure for acid gas injection.
- Determine number of compression stages.
- Understand relationship among hydrate temperature, acid gas dewpoint temperature and water dewpoint temperature at the injection pressure.
- Understand design considerations for after-cooler.
- Design and operate the acid gas injection line and wellsite facilities.
Course Outline:
- Brief review of sweetening process to show source of acid gas
- Properties of individual acid gas compounds
- Water content of individual acid gas compounds with pressure and temperature
- Review of properties of acid gas mixtures
- Effect of substantial amount of hydrocarbon content in acid gas mixtures
- Problems with hydrate formation and corrosion, and solution of problems
- Different methods of acid gas dehydration
- Water content reduction by interstage cooling
- Determining required injection pressure
- Determining the number of compression stages
- Materials selection for compression equipment and injection pipeline
A comprehensive set of notes is provided.
Who Should Attend?
This course is intended for engineers and technologists involved in the specification and design of acid gas compression facilities, and for foremen and operators responsible for the daily operation of such facilities.
Metering of Natural Gas and Associated Liquids
Course Overview
Natural gas is metered about four times between the wellhead and the gas transmission system. In the past, virtually all metering of natural gas in the field and in the plants was done with the orifice meter. Nowadays there is a great variety of meters to choose from for gas and liquid flow measurement, although the orifice meter still dominates this application. The standards that are followed for the installation of meters, the recording of the flow parameters and the calculation of the flow rates are explained. The latest issue of the AGA 3 report is covered. A method for multiphase metering by orifice meter is presented.
Accurate metering is the foundation for equitable plant products and revenue allocation.
Participants will learn to:
- Estimate basic properties of produced fluids for metering.
- Select meter for specific measurement application.
- Check orifice meter installation, operation, maintenance.
- Calculate flow rate with orifice meter.
- Calculate gas flow rate with turbine meter.
- Identify potential sources of error.
- Verify measurement testing for multiphase metering with orifice meter.
- Apply AER requirements.
- Estimate water vapour content of low pressure acid gas.
- Select turbine meter for gas or liquid measurement.
The operation and application of new types of meters are explained:
- Coriolis meter.
- Vortex shedding meter.
- Ultrasonic meter.
- V-Cone meter.
Course Outline:
- Review of PVT behaviour of natural gas.
- Useful formulas in natural gas calculations.
- Estimating water vapour content in natural gas and acid gas.
- Standards for meters used in natural gas metering.
- Typical applications of various meters in gas and liquid flow measurement.
- Overview of field and plant metering points.
- Description of orifice meter.
- Installation, calibration, operation and maintenance of orifice meter.
- Calculation of flow rate with orifice meter.
- Sources of error.
- Program for liquid-gas ratio testing.
- Special application in shale gas projects.
- Acid gas measurement.
- Installation and operation of turbine meters.
- New meters used in field and plant flow measurement.
A comprehensive set of notes is provided.