Numerical Simulation of Asphaltene Precipitation and Deposition during Natural Gas and CO_(2) Injection

Asphaltene deposition is a significant problem during gas injection processes,as it can block the porous medium,the wellbore,and the involved facilities,significantly impacting reservoir productivity and ultimate oil recovery.Only a few studies have investigated the numerical modeling of this potential effect in porous media.This study focuses on asphaltene deposition due to natural gas and CO_(2) injection.Predictions of the effect of gas injection on asphaltene deposition behavior have been made using a 3D numerical simulation model.The results indicate that the injection of natural gas exacerbates asphaltene deposition,leading to a significant reduction in permeability near the injection well and throughout the reservoir.This reduction in permeability strongly affects the ability of gas toflow through the reservoir,resulting in an improvement of the displacement front.The displacement effi-ciency of the injection gas process increases by up to 1.40%when gas is injected at 5500 psi,compared to the scenario where the asphaltene model is not considered.CO_(2) injection leads to a miscible process with crude oil,extracting light and intermediate components,which intensifies asphaltene precipitation and increases the viscosity of the remaining crude oil,ultimately reducing the recovery rate.

Are Ni/and Ni5Fe1/biochar catalysts suitable for synthetic natural gas production?A comparison with g-Al2O3 supported catalysts

Among challenges implicit in the transition to the post-fossil fuel energetic model,the finite amount of resources available for the technological implementation of CO_(2) revalorizing processes arises as a central issue.The development of fully renewable catalytic systems with easier metal recovery strategies would promote the viability and sustainability of synthetic natural gas production circular routes.Taking Ni and NiFe catalysts supported over g-Al_(2)O_(3) oxide as reference materials,this work evaluates the potentiality of Ni and NiFe supported biochar catalysts for CO_(2) methanation.The development of competitive biochar catalysts was found dependent on the creation of basic sites on the catalyst surface.Displaying lower Turn Over Frequencies than Ni/Al catalyst,the absence of basic sites achieved over Ni/C catalyst was related to the depleted catalyst performances.For NiFe catalysts,analogous Ni_(5)Fe_(1) alloys were constituted over both alumina and biochar supports.The highest specific activity of the catalyst series,exhibited by the NiFe/C catalyst,was related to the development of surface basic sites along with weaker NiFe-C interactions,which resulted in increased Ni0:NiO surface populations under reaction conditions.In summary,the present work establishes biochar supports as a competitive material to consider within the future low-carbon energetic panorama.

CeO_2-ZrO_2-La_2O_3-Al_2O_3 composite oxide and its supported palladium catalyst for the treatment of exhaust of natural gas engined vehicles

Composite supports CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3（CZA） and CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3-La2O3（CZALa） were prepared by co-precipitation method. Palladium catalysts were prepared by impregnation and their purification ability for CH4, CO and NOx in the mixture gas simulated the exhaust from natural gas vehicles （NGVs） operated under stoichiometric condition was investigated. The effect of La2O3 on the physicochemical properties of supports and catalysts was characterized by various techniques. The characterizations with X-ray diffraction （XRD） and Raman spectroscopy revealed that the doping of La2O3 restrained effectively the sintering of crystallite particles, maintained the crystallite particles in nanoscale and stabilized the crystal phase after calcination at 1000 ℃. The results of N2-adsorption, H2-temperatnre-programmed reduction （H2-TPR） and oxygen storage capacity （OSC） measurements indicated that La2O3 improved the textural properties, reducibility and OSC of composite supports. Activity testing results showed that the catalysts exhibit excellent activities for the simultaneous removal of methane, CO and NOx in the simulated exhaust gas. The catalysts supported on CZALa showed remarkable thermal stability and catalytic activity for the three pollutants, especially for NOx. The prepared palladium catalysts have high ability to remove NOx, CH4 and CO, and they can be used as excellent catalysts for the purification of exhaust from NGVs operated under stoichiometric condition. The catalysts reported in this work also have significant potential in industrial application because of their high performance and low cost.

Experimental determination and prediction of the compressibility factor of high CO_2 content natural gas with and without water vapor

In order to study the effect of different CO2 contents on gas compressibility factor（Z-factor）,the JEFRI-PVT apparatus has been used to measure the Z-factor of dry natural gas with CO2 content range from 10.74 to 70.42 mol%at the temperature range from 301.2 to 407.3 K and pressure range from 7 to 44 MPa.The results show that Z-factor decreases with increasing CO2 content in natural gas at constant temperature and increases with increasing temperature for natural gas with the same CO2 content.In addition,the Z-factor of water-saturated natural gas with high CO2 content has been measured.A comparison of the Z-factor between natural gas with and without saturated water vapor indicates that the former shows a higher Z-factor than the latter.Furthermore,Peng-Robinson,Hall-Yarborough,and Soave-Benedict-Webb- Rubin equations of state（EoS）are used for the calculation of Z-factor of high CO2 content natural gas with and without water vapor.The optimal binary interaction parameters（BIP）for PR EoS are presented.The measured Z-factor is compared with the calculated Z-factor based on three models,which shows that PR EoS combined with van der Waals mixing rule for gas without water and Huron-Vidal mixing rule for water-saturated gas,are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Simulation and energy performance assessment of CO_2 removal from crude synthetic natural gas via physical absorption process

The paper presents an energy performance assessment of CO2 removal for crude synthetic natural gas （SNG） upgrade by Selexol absorption process. A simplified process simulation of the Selexol process concerning power requirement and separation performance was developed. The assessment indicates that less pressure difference between crude SNG and absorption pressure favors the energy performance of CO2 removal process. When both crude SNG and absorption pressures are 20 bar, CO2 removal process has the best energy performance. The optimal specific power consumption of the CO2 removal process is 566 kJ/kgCO2. The sensitivity analysis shows that the CO2 removal efficiency would significantly influence the total power consumption of the removal process, as well as higher heating value （HHV） and CO2 content in SNG. However, the specific power consumption excluding crude SNG and SNG compressions changes little with the variance of CO2 removal efficiency. If by-product CO2 is compressed for CO2 capture, the process would turn into a CO2-sink for the atmosphere. Correspondingly, an increase of 281 kJ/kgCO2 in specific power consumption is required for compressing the separated CO2.

Study on Technology Clusters for Direct Utilization of CO2-Rich Natural Gas and Construction of Hybrid System for Energy and Chemicals Production

Based on industrial production with an annual capacity of million tons of methanol,ammonia/urea,etc.,a platform technology is developed for direct,green,efficient,and high-value mega-size utilization of the CO2-rich nature gas,which is the technology of CO2-rich natural gas dry reforming and hydrogen reaction.The following technologies are discussed,such as CO2-rich natural gas dry reforming integrated with the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to olefins(FTO)technology for producing high value-added linear alpha olefins(LAO);CO2-rich natural gas dry reforming integrated with low carbon olefin linear hydroformylation technology to produce higher carbon alcohols;direct methanol production from CO2 and hydrogen;and the new cutting edge technology of photo-catalytic process.In addition,simple techno-economic evaluations of two technologies mentioned above are discussed.The CO2-rich natural gas dry reforming integrated with FTO technology can achieve about 30%of internal rate return(IRR),while the low carbon olefin linear hydroformylation technology could have a static payback period of 2.57 years when the capacity of 2-propylhexanol(2-PH)reaches 100 kt/a.Based on the mega-size green and high-efficient CO2-rich natural gas direct utilization technology,a hybrid energy and chemical production system framework with good prospects is preliminarily designed.A modern industry zone with an annual capacity of more than 10 Mt of CO2 converted to high value-added products is underway.

First membrane unit for separating CO_2 from natural gas operational

After a more-than-two-week trial operation, a new membrane unit based on the technology developed by researchers from the CAS Dalian Institute of

The status of exploitation techniques of natural gas hydrate

Natural gas hydrate(NGH)has been widely considered as an alternative form of energy with huge potential,due to its tremendous reserves,cleanness and high energy density.Several countries involving Japan,Canada,India and China have launched national projects on the exploration and exploitation of gas hydrate resources.At the beginning of this century,an early trial production of hydrate resources was carried out in Mallik permafrost region,Canada.Japan has conducted the first field test from marine hydrates in 2013,followed by another trial in 2017.China also made its first trial production from marine hydrate sediments in 2017.Yet the low production efficiency,ice/hydrate regeneration,and sand problems are still commonly encountered;the worldwide progress is far before commercialization.Up to now,many gas production techniques have been proposed,and a few of them have been adopted in the field production tests.Nevertheless,hardly any method appears really promising;each of them shows limitations at certain conditions.Therefore,further efforts should be made on the economic efficiency as well as sustainability and environmental impacts.In this paper,the investigations on NGH exploitation techniques are comprehensively reviewed,involving depressurization,thermal stimulation,chemical inhibitor injection,CO2–CH4 exchange,their combinations,and some novel techniques.The behavior of each method and its further potential in the field test are discussed.The advantages and limitations of laboratory studies are also analyzed.The work could give some guidance in the future formulation of exploitation scheme and evaluation of gas production behavior from hydrate reservoirs.

Conventional processes and membrane technology for carbon dioxide removal from natural gas:A review

Membrane technology is becoming more important for CO,_ separation from natural gas in the new era due to its process simplicity, relative ease of operation and control, compact, and easy to scale up as compared with conventional processes. Conventional processes such as absorption and adsorption for CO2 separation from natural gas are generally more energy demanding and costly for both operation and maintenance. Polymeric membranes are the current commercial membranes used for CO2 separation from natural gas. However, polymeric membranes possess drawbacks such as low permeability and selectivity, plasticization at high temperatures, as well as insufficient thermal and chemical stability. The shortcomings of commercial polymeric membranes have motivated researchers to opt for other alternatives, especially inorganic membranes due to their higher thermal stability, good chemical resistance to solvents, high mechanical strength and long lifetime. Surface modifications can be utilized in inorganic membranes to further enhance the selectivity, permeability or catalytic activities of the membrane. This paper is to provide a comprehensive review on gas separation, comparing membrane technology with other conventional methods of recovering CO2 from natural gas, challenges of current commercial polymeric membranes and inorganic membranes for CO2 removal and membrane surface modification for improved selectivity.

Natural gas purification by asymmetric membranes: An overview

Natural gas, as a very important source of energy and chemical feedstock, can be used in place of coal to lower net carbon dioxide emissions.Membrane separation technology is an attractive alternative for natural gas purification where the impurities represented by acid gases(CO_(2) and H_(2)S) as well as inert gases(N_(2)) must be removed to meet the transportation and usage specifications. From the economic benefits viewpoint,asymmetric membranes are required for industrial manufacture and applications. This paper aims to review the latest development of various kinds of asymmetric membranes for natural gas purification, mainly focusing on CO_(2) removal from CH_(4), including H_(2)S and N_(2) separation from CH_(4) as well. According to material types, polymeric, inorganic, mixed-matrix and carbon molecular sieve membranes are introduced. The associated fabrication approaches and transport properties are discussed for each kinds of asymmetric membranes. Towards the practical implementation, an emphasis is placed on hollow fiber asymmetric structure for these polymeric, mixed-matrix and carbon molecular sieve membranes.

Calculating densities and viscosities of natural gas with a high content of C_(2+) to predict two-phase liquid-gas flow pattern

The paper is devoted to the two-phase flow simulation.The gas-condensate mixture flow in a horizontal pipe under high pressure is considered.The influence of the equation of state(EOS)choice for mixture properties modelling on the flow regime calculation results is studied for gas with high content of methane homologues.An analytical overview of the methods to predict the flow pattern is provided.Based on this analysis,two techniques are selected.For these techniques,values of density and viscosity for each phase are required.Density calculation for the gas phase is performed with Van der Waals based EOS.The propriate EOS is selected based on studies of calculation errors for test mixtures.Calculation of liquid phase density is done by means of Patela-Teja and Guo-Du equations,two different models are considered for viscosity estimation.The flow patterns of gas-condensate mixture in a range of temperatures and pressures are calculated and verified via probability map.The results of study allow to recommend the Brusilovsky EOS for calculation of densities for similar gas mixtures and make more rigorous flow regime evaluation.The probability map shows that for the chosen composition and parameters of media the flow pattern is mostly transitional between segregated and annular independent from EOS.

A new approach of CO_(2)separation by applying rapid expansion of supercritical CO_(2)rich natural gas

The previous methods for CO_(2)separation from CO_(2)rich natural gas led to expensive production costs.This work was implemented to overcome the problems utilizing a new approach economically.The cooling and rapid expansion processes were integrated for the CO_(2)separation from CO_(2)rich natural gas on the supercritical condition.The experimental apparatus was newly constructed to perform the experiments,and the results were simulated using a various equation of state.The result reveals that the inlet temperature of supercritical expansion diminished the outlet temperature and the gas condensed easily.The simulation indicated that the 70%CO_(2)in natural gas was condensed easier than 45%CO_(2).We found that the outlet temperature of
42C and the vapor fraction of 0.69 was attained at the CO_(2)composition of 70%.Besides,the pressure drop change influences the vapor fraction at various CO_(2)compositions.The vapor fraction under supercritical diminished significantly compared with the nonsupercritical condition.The expansion coefficient determined utilizing the equation of state escalates by the enhancement of expansion inlet temperature based on CO_(2)composition in natural gas.The acid gas equation of state was the perfect equation to estimate the expansion coefficient with the absolute average error of 4.83%.This work suggests that the CO_(2)separation from CO_(2)rich natural gas with the cooling and rapid expansion method promotes the new approach to overcome the disadvantages of previous methods.

Natural gas hydrates-Insights into a paradigm-shifting energy resource

Experts have identified natural gas hydrates,which are found in the shallow seabed and beneath permafrost regions,as an energy source(mostly methane)that is greener than other petroleum fuel resources.With their worldwide distribution and abundance,gas hydrates have vast potential to become the next pillar of the energy industry.Although no entity has established methane extraction from hydrates at a commercial scale yet,extensive laboratory experiments have introduced several extraction strategies.Methods such as depressurization,thermal stimulation,and inhibitor injection are likely to disturb seabed integrity,which may result in catastrophic consequences.However,the CO_(2)replacement method is inferred to be preserving the seabed stability,offering an opportunity to reduce anthropogenic CO_(2)emissions safely.In this paper,we provide a comprehensive review of the progress of experimental work in developing methane-extraction methods for gas hydrate reservoirs.Depressurization combined with thermal stimulation can be proposed as a viable methane extraction method based on laboratory-scale experiments,however,a sustainable extraction method is yet to be developed to fieldscale when both economic and environmental perspectives are considered.A handful of field production runs have delivered positive outcomes to establish the exploitability of natural hydrate reservoirs,but thorough investigations and scientific collaborations are needed to develop hydrate accumulations as a commercially viable energy source.

Reliability Assessment of Integrated Electricity and Natural Gas Transmission Systems in Presence of Power-to-gas and Combined Heat and Power Technologies

Assessing the reliability of integrated electricity and gas systems has become an important issue due to the strong dependence of these energy networks through the power-to-gas(P2G)and combined heat and power(CHP)technologies.The current work,initially,presents a detailed energy flow model for the integrated power and natural gas system in light of the P2G and CHP technologies.Considering the simultaneous load flow of networks,a contingency analysis procedure is proposed,and reliability is assessed through sequential Monte Carlo simulations.The current study examines the effect of independent and dependent operation of energy networks on the reliability of the systems.In particular,the effect of employing both P2G and CHP technologies on reliability criteria is evaluated.In addition,a series of sensitivity analysis are performed on the size and site of these technologies to investigate their effects on system reliability.The proposed method is implemented on an integrated IEEE 24-bus electrical power system and 20-node Belgian natural gas system.The simulation procedure certifies the proposed method for reliability assessment is practical and applicable.In addition,the results prove connection between energy networks through P2G and CHP technologies can improve reliability of networks if the site and size of technologies are properly determined.

Geochemical characteristics and formation process of natural gas in Kela 2 gas field

On the basis of a large amount of natural gascomponents and the carbon isotope as well as some otheranalysis data in Kela 2 gas field, the geochemical character-istics, source, origin, and formation process of natural gashave been discussed. The components of gas in the field tendto be 'dry', and the drying coefficient is close to 1.0. Thecarbon isotope tends to be heavier, for instance, the averageof δ13C1 is -27.36‰ and that ofδ13C2 is -18.5‰. Compre-hensive analysis shows that humic natural gas in the Kuqapetroleum system comes mainly from Triassic and Jurassicsource rocks, and the contribution of Jurassic source rocks tothe pool maybe is more than that of Triassic rocks. The maincause that the gas tends to be dry and bears heavier isotopecomposition lies in the fact that Kela 2 natural gas is the ac-cumulation of late production of humic source rocks, and itis affected by the abnormal high pressure as well. Consider-ing the hydrocarbon generating and structural history, wecan regard the gas pool formation processes as twice fillingand twice adjusting （destroying）, that is, the filling anddestroying process in the early Himalayan movement and thefilling and adjusting in the late Himalayan movement.

Migration and accumulation of natural gas in Kela-2 gas field

With the guidance of petroleum system theory,the dynamic filling history of natural gas in the Kela-2 gasfield is analyzed by using a large suite of oil and gas geo-chemistry evidence in combination with the tectonic evolu-tion history and reservoir evolution history. It concludes thatthe Kela-2 gas field was formed by capturing the gas gener-ated during the main gas generation period, while the latekerogen cracking gas contributed a little to the gas field. Itsuggests that the gas generated during the main gas genera-tion accumulated in the early-formed wide-gentle anticline,which is the necessary condition for natural gas to re-migrateand enrich late to form the large-scale gas reservoir. Thenewest research shows that the filling history of gas in theDabei-1, Yinan-2, Tuziluoke and Dina-2 gas fields was re-lated with the natural gas accumulation in the early wide-gentle anticline as well as late re-migration and enrichmentof natural gas.

The generation and accumulation of natural gas from Yinan 2 gas pool in Kuqa Depression

By using the methods of hydrocarbon generation kinetics and carbon isotope kinetics, combined with geological background of natural gas pool formation, the generation and accumulation of natural gas from Yinan 2 gas pool was studied in Kuqa Depression of the Tarim Basin. Natural gas of Yinan 2 gas pool is mainly derived from Middle and Lower Jurassic coal-bearing source rocks, and generally belongs to long time-accumulated gas. It is suggested that Yinan 2 gas is chiefly accumulated in the last 5 Ma, its Ro ranges from 1.25% to 1.95%, and the loss rate of natural gas is about 25%-30%. This work not only complements and reduces the deficiency of formation model of natural gas pools which traditionally depends on the matching relationships between source rock, reservoir, cap rock, and trap, but also is a useful reference in the study of other gas pools.

Recent advances on the membrane processes for CO_2 separation

Membrane separation technology has popularized rapidly and attracts much interest in gas industry as a promising sort of newly chemical separation unit operation. In this paper, recent advances on membrane processes for CO_2 separation are reviewed. The researches indicate that the optimization of operating process designs could improve the separation performance, reduce the energy consumption and decrease the cost of membrane separation systems. With the improvement of membrane materials recently,membrane processes are beginning to be competitive enough for CO_2 separation, especially for postcombustion CO_2 capture, biogas upgrading and natural gas carbon dioxide removal, compared with the traditional separation methods. We summarize the needs and most promising research directions for membrane processes for CO_2 separation in current and future membrane applications. As the time goes by, novel membrane materials developed according to the requirement proposed by process optimization with increased selectivity and/or permeance will accelerate the industrialization of membrane process in the near future. Based on the data collected in a pilot scale test, more effort could be made on the optimization of membrane separation processes. This work would open up a new horizon for CO_2 separation/Capture on Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage(CCUS).

Coordinated optimal dispatch and market equilibrium of integrated electric power and natural gas networks with P2G embedded

As power to gas(P2 G) technology gradually matures, the coupling between electricity networks and natural gas networks should ideally evolve synergistically.With the intent of characterizing market behaviors of integrated electric power and natural gas networks(IPGNs)with P2 G facilities, this paper establishes a steady-state model of P2 G and constructs optimal dispatch models of an electricity network and a natural gas network separately. In addition, a concept of slack energy flow(SEF) is proposed as a tool for coordinated optimal dispatch between the two networks. To study how the market pricing mechanism affects coordinated optimal dispatch in an IPGN, a market equilibrium-solving model for an IPGN is constructed according to game theory, with a solution based on the Nikaido-Isoda function. Case studies are conducted on a joint model that combines the modified IEEE 118-node electricity network and the Belgian 20-node gas network.The results show that if the game between an electric power company and a natural gas company reaches market equilibrium, not only can both companies maximize their profits, but also the coordinated operation of the coupling units, i.e., gas turbines and P2 G facilities, will contribute more to renewable energy utilization and carbon emission reduction.

Conversion of natural gas to C_2 hydrocarbons through dielectric-barrier discharge plasma catalysis

The experiments are carried out in the system of continuous flow reactors with dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) for studies on the conversion of natural gas to C2 hydrocarbons through plasma catalysis under the atmosphere pressure and room temperature. The influence of discharge frequency, structure of electrode, discharge voltage, number of electrode, ratio of H2/CH4, flow rate and catalyst on conversion of methane and selectivity of C2 hydrocarbons are investigated. At the same time, the reaction process is investigated. Higher conversion of methane and selectivity of C2 hydrocarbons are achieved and deposited carbons are eliminated by proper choice of parameters. The appropriate operation parameters in dielectric-barrier discharge plasma field are that the supply voltage is 20-40 kV (8.4-40 W), the frequency of power supply is 20 kHz, the structure of (b) electrode is suitable, and the flow of methane is 20-60 ml · min-1. The conversion of methane can reach 45%, the selectivity of C2 hydrocarbons is 76%, and the total selectivity of C2 hydrocarbons and C3 hydrocarbons is nearly 100%. The conversion of methane increases with the increase of voltage and decreases with the flow of methane increase; the selectivity of C2 hydrocarbons decreases with the increase of voltage and increases with the flow of methane increase. The selectivity of C2 hydrocarbons is improved with catalyst for conversion of natural gas to C2 hydrocarbons in plasma field. Methane molecule collision with radicals is mainly responsible for product formation.