#20 Weekly application: Natural Gas Liquids

Ensuring the quality of Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) is crucial for the petrochemical industry. Impurities can damage refining equipment and lead to costly clean-ups.

When natural gas is first recovered from a well it is a mixture of C1 through C6+ hydrocarbons, water, sulfur compounds, and carbon dioxide. The separation process contains many steps. First acid gases such as CO2 and H2S are removed, then water. Lastly methane (C1) is separated by reducing the temperature and increasing the pressure.

The remaining C2+ liquid mixture is commonly referred to as natural gas liquid (NGL) and typically transported for further fractionation to other facilities such as refineries. It is important for the supplier and receiver of the NGL to know the quality of the fluid. A great deal of impurities can be damaging to refining equipment (compressors, seals, and valves) and costly to clean up.

The color scale Saybolt can be applied to measure the quality. The Kemtrak Saybolt analyzer can ensure the highest quality of NGL, protecting your equipment and optimizing your operations. With over 100 successful installations around the world, Kemtrak helps suppliers and receivers assure the liquid is within specification.

Kemtrak, the leader of LED-based photometers.