Gas Sweetening

Contaminants like CO₂, H₂S, Mercaptans and COS are often found in natural gas. The removal of these impurities is critical not only because they are responsible for toxicity, corrosion, and freezing issues, but also in order to meet transport, sales gas and liquefaction specifications and comply with environmental regulations.

Axens Offer

Axens’ gas sweetening technologies rely on a unique and long-term cooperation between a recognized licensor, Axens; an innovative R&D center, IFP Energies Nouvelles; and TOTAL, a world-leading operator with more than 60 years of gas sweetening experience.

Axens’ portfolio through HySWEET™ and AdvAmine™ processes provides tailor-made solutions for the removal of natural gas contaminants, meeting the strictest environmental regulations and market specifications while minimizing capital expenditure and operating costs.

The deep dehydration and purification of gas & liquid streams from Natural Gas processing may require fixed bed operation of regenerable adsorbents depending on the required specifications. In some cases, the removal of heavy metals and of sulfur compounds is performed using fixed bed operation of non-regenerable adsorbents also referred to as guard beds. Axens offers tailor-made solutions for both on-shore and off-shore facilities.

Modular Units

A modularization strategy offers superior benefits versus on-site manufacturing. During the last 40 years, Axens has supplied over 500 modular units, both onshore and offshore, providing tailor-made designs according to client project specifications.

HySWEET™

HySWEET™ has been developed based on the selection of the most suitable physical solvent for blending with a variety of amines (DEA, MDEA, formulated MDEA).

It enables to maximize mercaptan removal together with the absorption of the acidic species while minimizing the usual drawback of hybrid solvents: an increased hydrocarbon co-adsorption potentially harmful for the downstream Claus unit, treating the recovered acid gas stream.

Low Hydrocarbon co-absorption < 1% vol. no impact on SRU operation

High energy efficiency up to 15% savings on reboiling energy

Easy retrofit by simple addition of the physical compound to an existing amine solvent inventory without modification of existing equipment and without impact on existing downstream SRU unit

Commercial Bulletin

Related Offer

Modular Unit

AdvAmine™

AdvAmine™ solutions rely on a unique and long-term cooperation between:

TOTAL, the initial developer of the AdvAmine™ technology portfolio
IFP Energies nouvelles, an innovative R&I center
Axens, a recognized licensor.

The Advamine™ series of processes, designed to be suitable for all applications: gas plants, LNG plants, refineries, shale gas, syngas, etc.., enables to treat any type of feed gas composition and to achieve the most stringent specifications. Process configurations are adapted to operator specific cases with tailor-made solvent composition formulation, using open market chemicals in order to reduce solvent costs.

Over 200 licensed units with a total cumulative capacity of 34,000 MMSCFD

Implemented in 25 countries

Significant solvent cost savings

Commercial Bulletin

Related Offer

Modular Unit

Consulting

Axens offers a customized approach, including tailored studies, audits and consulting services, covering technical and operational challenges.

Unit Revamps & Retrofits

You face many challenges, which include operating in a safe, reliable and environmentally sound manner while responding to changing markets dynamics.

Modular Units

Customer Training

Designed for all Axens technologies, dedicated to operators & engineers, Axens offers customized training solutions to all our licensees, covering the whole range of Axens technologies.

Technical Support & Performance Management

Axens is fully committed to be your partner and provide assistance and support during your project lifecycle, from conception to start-up & running operations.

Digital Applications

Innovative approach leveraging digital solutions leading to improved asset operation and performance.

SPREX®

SPREX® is a process developed for bulk H₂S removal from highly sour gas. SPREX® offers economic alternatives for the development of highly sour gas reserves with acid gas reinjection, which allows CAPEX and energy consumption reduction and limits sulfur production.

SPREX® has been developed to meet the challenges of the development of very sour (> 10% acid gases) natural gases.

The process principle is as follow: highly sour gases are split in a cryogenic distillation, producing partially sweetened gas at the overhead and liquid acid gas mixture at the bottom, which is suitable for reinjection.

Bulk H2S removal from highly sour gas by high-pressure cryogenic distillation

Capital cost and energy consumption reduction

Limitation of sulfur production

Related Offer

Modular Unit

Consulting

Axens offers a customized approach, including tailored studies, audits and consulting services, covering technical and operational challenges.

Unit Revamps & Retrofits

You face many challenges, which include operating in a safe, reliable and environmentally sound manner while responding to changing markets dynamics.

Customer Training

Designed for all Axens technologies, dedicated to operators & engineers, Axens offers customized training solutions to all our licensees, covering the whole range of Axens technologies.

Technical Support & Performance Management

Axens is fully committed to be your partner and provide assistance and support during your project lifecycle, from conception to start-up & running operations.

Digital Applications

Innovative approach leveraging digital solutions leading to improved asset operation and performance.

COSWEET™

COSWEET™ is a process for carbonyl sulfide (COS) removal from sour natural gas streams associated with amine-based sweetening processes that allow for the simultaneous removal of COS, H₂S and/or CO₂.

By combining amine absorption with catalytic COS hydrolysis, COSWEET™ allows gas sweetening, either total (removal of both H₂S & CO₂) or selective (removal of H₂S mainly), with complete COS removal. This process is applicable to any type of absorption solvent.

The natural stream to be treated is sent to the acid gas removal unit (AGRU), where H₂S and/or CO₂ are removed by the amine solvent. COS is then decomposed into CO₂ and H₂S on the COSWEET™ reactor, using an Axens proprietary catalyst. Different options can be foreseen for H₂S polishing:

Gas is contacted in an amine absorber with the regenerated solvent from AGRU to achieve the required treated gas specifications in the outlet stream, or
Gas is sent to a polishing reactor filled with Axens AxTrap™ catalyst for complete H₂S removal in the outlet stream.

Up to 99%+ COS conversion

COS destruction integrated with any type of absortion solvent

COSWEET™ combined with AdvAmine™ allows CAPEX and OPEX savings as compared with an amine process allowing identical COS removal

Related Offer

Modular Unit

Catalysts

Sweetening Catalysts

For the sweetening of liquid hydrocarbons Axens offers catalysts using sulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine as the active material.

Consulting

Axens offers a customized approach, including tailored studies, audits and consulting services, covering technical and operational challenges.

Unit Revamps & Retrofits

You face many challenges, which include operating in a safe, reliable and environmentally sound manner while responding to changing markets dynamics.

Customer Training

Designed for all Axens technologies, dedicated to operators & engineers, Axens offers customized training solutions to all our licensees, covering the whole range of Axens technologies.

Technical Support & Performance Management

Axens is fully committed to be your partner and provide assistance and support during your project lifecycle, from conception to start-up & running operations.

Digital Applications

Innovative approach leveraging digital solutions leading to improved asset operation and performance.

Adsorbents

Purification Series Adsorbents

Material specially developed to achieve your feedstock’s specification requirements.

Adsorbents

Sulfur Removal Adsorbents for Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), COS, mercaptans or sulfides are common contaminants that must be removed from various gases and liquids such as natural gas, NGLs, LPGs, cracked gases, olefins or biogas.

Consulting

Axens offers a customized approach, including tailored studies, audits and consulting services, covering technical and operational challenges.

Technical Support & Performance Management

Axens is fully committed to be your partner and provide assistance and support during your project lifecycle, from conception to start-up & running operations.

Events

All events

¹⁷ Sep - ²⁰ Sep

Houston, United States - UTC-5

4 days

Conference

Carbon Capture & Storage + 15

Low Carbon Hydrogen picto

Natural Gas Syngas CO₂ Capture CO₂ Gas Drying Adsorbents Gas Sweetening MEG Recovery NGL Recovery & Treatment Syngas Production & Upgrading / Hydrogen Production Sulfur Recovery Process Technologies Drying Series Adsorbent Sulfur Removal for Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals Adsorbent Americas

Gastech 2024

Gastech takes place in Houston, United States, from 17 to 20 September. This conference is the world’s leading forum dedicated to delivering a more sustainable energy future by bringing together the collective knowledge and expertise of strategic visionaries and technical experts to create pathways towards global energy security and a vision for lasting climate impact.

Learn more

⁰⁴ Nov - ⁰⁶ Nov

Barcelona, Spain - CET

3 days

Conference

Natural Gas + 15

Gas Dehydration & Purification Gas Sweetening LNG MEG Recovery Sulfur Recovery Sub-dewpointing Claus Claus Tail Gas Treatment Redox Process Catalysts Process Technologies Claus Catalysts Sulfur Removal for Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals Adsorbent Tail Gas Treatment Catalysts Europe

CRU Sulphur + Sulphuric Acid Conference & Exhibition 2024

CRU Sulphur + Sulphuric Acid Conference & Exhibition 2024 takes place in Barcelona, from 4 to 6 November and will cover technical updates on the production and processing of sulphur and sulphuric acid, will feature industry-leading presentations covering new innovations in process, technology, materials and equipment developments, as well as practical case studies highlighting operational experience and improvement.

Learn more

Resources you might be interested in

Technical article 30 April 2024

Technical Article - Decarbonising the Aviation Industry

Insight 13 March 2024

Purifying Low-Carbon Hydrogen: Techniques for Impurity Removal Across Applications

Written by Richard Truong

Technical article 16 January 2024

Technical Article - Decarbonisation of transport fuels to reduce emissions

Press release 11 May 2023

Axens to provide technologies for the complete gas treatment chain at CSV Albright Sour Gas Processing Plant in Canada

Press release 29 March 2023

Axens HySWEET™ Technology selected by SPETCO International Petroleum Co. Kuwait and Jereh for the acid Gas Removal Units of two new Gas Treatment plants in Kuwait

Renewable Fuels & Bio-Based Chemicals

Case Study - Producing Renewable Liquid Products From Different Lipid Feedstocks Through a Revamp

Natural Gas

Case Study - Successful start-up of a Sub-dewpointing Sulfur Removal Technology

White Paper - Carbon Capture & Storage

Insight 1 June 2020

Modules: the Solution for a Successful Offshore Natural Gas Project

Written by Audrey Jouan

Technical article 1 June 2021

Technical Article - Mercaptans removal: How to simplify the overall has plant design and operation with HySWEET®?

Technical article 1 June 2021

Technical Article - Improving hybrid-solvent formilations for energy effiency and optimal gas treating

Technical article 30 May 2021

Technical Article - Cos Removal from natural gases by absorption in ALKANOLAMINE solutions

FAQ

Solids in the feed are causing corrosion and erosion problems in our amine system. How do we remove them effectively and economically?

Press release 11 May 2023

Axens to provide technologies for the complete gas treatment chain at CSV Albright Sour Gas Processing Plant in Canada

Press release 29 March 2023

Axens HySWEET™ Technology selected by SPETCO International Petroleum Co. Kuwait and Jereh for the acid Gas Removal Units of two new Gas Treatment plants in Kuwait

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