ENDULZAMIENTO DE GAS NATURAL CON AMINAS. SIMULACIÓN DEL PROCESO Y ANÁLISIS DE SENSIBILIDAD PARAMÉTRICO NATURAL GAS SWEETENING WITH AMINES. PROCESS SIMULATION AND PARAMETRIC SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS

In this study, an amine sweetening plant to a typical natural gas of the northern region of Argentina was simulated, using the regular operating conditions of this type of plant. The simulation was performed with the commercial simulator Aspen-Hysys® V7.1, used in oil and gas industry. The sweetening is carried out in a system mainly composed by an absorber and a regeneration towers. The aim of this paper is to present a sensitivity analysis to identify key operational variables of the sweetening process; these variables will be considered in a next optimization study. Identified variables are: temperature and CO2 concentration, in the regenerated amine stream and, flow and gas flow to be treated, in the absorber tower the amine.