Gas Processors Association Europe

J. Kittel, IFP-Lyon, M.R. Bonis, TOTAL,G. Perdu, PROSERNAT, France

A critical review is made of the experience on DEA and MDEA amine units covering 4 decades and more than 100 amine units (an up-date of the 2004 review). Recent inspection feed-back on sweet (no H2S) service units is incorporated. The main corrosion troubles for amine unit equipment are summarized. Based on this experience, the design and operating practices of gas treating units are constantly upgraded, including achieving cost savings through design and operation of gas sweetening units at high acid gas loadings.
Appropriate use of CRA's to achieve acid gas loadings of 0.85 are discussed as well as the key corrosion mitigating issues. The experience and know-how gathered from inspection is applied to improve operation of existing units, where carbon steel is used extensively