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Nnadikwe Johnson
Petroleum Engineering Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
Civil Engineering, Building, Construction & Architecture Computer Science & IT Engineering Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Mechanical Engineering

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Application of Steam Distillation in Natural Gas Liquid Recovery and Stripping Nnadikwe Johnson; Samuel Kwelle; Okpala Blessing Chiamaka; Amaefula Chibunma Vivan; Momoh Abdulazeez Adeyemi; Ezechukwu Chioma Mary-Jane
Journal Majelis Paspama Vol. 4 No. 02 (2026): Journal Majelis Paspama, 2026
Publisher : Journal Majelis Paspama

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Natural Gas Liquid, NGL, recovery is energy intensive due to the high reboiler duties required in multi-column fractionation trains. Conventional distillation accounts for over 50% of plant energy consumption, posing economic and environmental challenges especially for utility-limited and marginal fields. This study investigates the technical and energetic feasibility of integrating direct steam-assisted distillation with inter-column heat integration for NGL recovery. Process simulation was conducted using Aspen HYS V12.1 with Peng-Robinson Equation of State for a 10,000 BPD lean NGL feed. Two cases were evaluated: a conventional 4-column base case and a proposed steam-assisted case with steam strippers S-101 and S-102, and an inter-column heat exchanger E-101. The effect of steam-to-feed ratio, S/F, ranging from 0.00 to 0.10 lb/lb on product recovery and energy performance was analyzed. Two new performance metrics, Specific Energy Consumption, SEC, and Steam Utilization Index, SUI, were introduced. Results show that steam addition significantly improved C3+ recovery from 92.1% in the base case to 97.3% at an optimum S/F of 0.08 lb/lb. At this optimum, total reboiler duty was reduced by 14.2% from 142.3 to 122.1 MM Btu/hr, and SEC decreased by 12.4% from 1.85 to 1.62 MM Btu/GPM. Beyond S/F = 0.08, diminishing returns and increased SEC were observed due to excess steam cost. The study concludes that steam-assisted distillation with heat integration is a viable strategy for energy-efficient NGL recovery.
Low-Cost Empirical Methods for Predicting Water Content in Natural Gas System Nnadikwe Johnson; Samuel Kwelle; Okpala Blessing Chiamaka; Amaefula Chibunma Vivan; Momoh Abdulazeez Adeyemi; Ezechukwu Chioma Mary-Jane
Journal Majelis Paspama Vol. 4 No. 02 (2026): Journal Majelis Paspama, 2026
Publisher : Journal Majelis Paspama

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Accurate estimation of water content in natural gas is essential to prevent hydrate formation, internal corrosion, and to meet pipeline sales gas specifications. Direct measurement is often costly and not feasible for marginal fields, while rigorous thermodynamic models require licensed software and detailed composition. This study evaluates six low-cost empirical correlations for predicting water content in natural gas systems: McKetta-Wehe, Bukacek, Bahadori, Campbell, Towler-Mokhatab, and Katz models. The models, implemented in Microsoft Excel, were benchmarked against Aspen HYS V12.1 Peng-Robinson EOS predictions and published experimental data over pressure ranges of 200-3000 psia and temperature ranges of 60-160°F. Performance was assessed using Average Absolute Relative Deviation, Maximum Absolute Error, and R². Results show that the Bukacek correlation gave the best overall accuracy with AARD of 2.1%, followed by Towler-Mokhatab with 2.3% AARD, especially for sour gas containing CO2 and H2S. Bahadori’s model, though simplest, had the highest deviation of 5.6%. The study concludes that low-cost empirical correlations can provide sufficient accuracy for field design and operational decisions without dependence on expensive instrumentation or proprietary software. Recommendations are made on the appropriate selection of models based on pressure, temperature, and gas composition.
Fractional Distillation in Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) Fractionation Nnadikwe Johnson; Ezechukwu Chioma Mary-Jane; Samuel Kwelle; Okpala Blessing Chiamaka; Amaefula Chibunma Vivan; Momoh Abdulazeez Adeyemi
Journal Majelis Paspama Vol. 4 No. 02 (2026): Journal Majelis Paspama, 2026
Publisher : Journal Majelis Paspama

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Abstract

Natural Gas Liquid fractionation is an energy-intensive process critical for producing high-purity ethane, propane, butane, and natural gasoline. Conventional 4-column fractionation trains operate with high reboiler and condenser duties, leading to increased operating costs and carbon emissions. This study presents the simulation, optimization, and energy analysis of a heat-integrated NGL fractionation process using Aspen HYS with Peng-Robinson equation of state. A base-case design was developed and validated against published plant data. Inter-column heat integration was implemented by using overhead vapor from the de-ethanizer to partially reboil the de-propanizer. Sensitivity analysis was conducted on reflux ratio, feed composition, and operating pressure to determine optimal operating conditions. Equipment sizing was performed using standard correlations from GPSA and Perry’s Handbook. of quantify heat recovery potential, a novel metric termed Thermal Coupling Index was introduced. Results show that the optimized design achieved 98.9% total NGL recovery with all products meeting GPA 2140 specifications. Total reboiler duty was reduced by 8.5%, and specific energy consumption decreased to 4.99 MM Btu/GPM, which is 11% lower than industry benchmarks. A TCI greater than 20% correlated with more than 6.8% energy savings, making it suitable for utility-limited and marginal field application.
Co-Authors Amaefula Chibunma Vivan Amaefula Chibunma Vivan Ezechukwu Chioma Mary-Jane Momoh Abdulazeez Adeyemi Okpala Blessing Chiamaka Samuel Kwelle