Did you know that Americans used roughly $135 billion of gas last year? Even though we all use gas on a daily basis, many people are unfamiliar with the gas conditioning process.
For example, did you know that gas dehydration is essential to creating fuel? If you did not, then you are in the right place.
In this guide, we will be exploring why gas dehydration is important, as well as the different techniques used to do it. That way, you get a better understanding of its role in the gas conditioning process. Let us get started!
Why Is Dehydrating Gas Important?
Dehydrating gas is important because it removes the water vapor from the raw natural gas. Water vapor can cause the formation of hydrates which is a combination of hydrocarbons and water.
This combination creates a freezing effect during good high-pressure streams. The high pressure is responsible for creating both more water vapor and a higher amount of saturation.
This is true even when the temperature is above freezing. When the hydrate from water vapor freezes, it can block crucial pipelines and other types of equipment. On top of that, it can also cause corrosion in the equipment.
And you cannot sell gas that has a percentage of water in it. This oversaturated gas is not safe.
So, it is important to dehydrate gas both so production does not halt and to improve the life of the processing equipment. You also need to do it to ensure that you can make a profit off of the gas.
Different Gas Dehydration Techniques Used
There are two main types of gas dehydration techniques: glycol dehydration and desiccant dehydration. Glycol dehydration separates water from the NGLs and natural gas using a liquid chemical system.
Most gas processing companies use this type of system. The other method, desiccant dehydration, inserts a hygroscopic substance into the gas. This substance causes a state of extended dryness.
The benefit of this technique is that its better for the environment and safer than glycol dehydration.
How Can You Dehydrate Gas?
In order to dehydrate gas, you will first need a gas dehydrator. You can usually find these on niche websites like Fuelled. However, keep in mind that they can be expensive.
If your operations cannot afford it, instead, you can schedule a visit with a specialist who will provide some gas dehydration fluids. It is not as convenient as having a gas dehydrator, but it is more affordable.
Appreciate Learning About the Gas Conditioning Process? Keep Exploring
We hope this guide helped you learn why gas dehydration is so important for fuel. As you can see, this process is vital for extending the life of processing equipment.
Otherwise, you would need to replace it constantly due to corrosion. So, if you are drilling for raw natural gas, it is vital that you invest in equipment to dehydrate your gas.
Appreciate learning about this niche subject? We have plenty of similar topics on our website so keep exploring to find them all.
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