Technical paper
Optimization Of Natural Gas Gathering Systems And Gas Plants
Due to the increase in natural gas prices in the past few years, the benefits of optimizing natural gas gathering and processing systems have become substantially greater. These benefits can be observed from an analysis of the operating conditions, updating gas contracts, and adding gas to existing systems when excellent opportunities exist. A new technique has been developed to accurately model gas processing systems to incorporate an economic simulation with the process simulation. This new technique utilizes an Excel interface with process simulation software to include economic factors with the simulation results. As a result, an extended analysis of the operating conditions of the facility as well as the economic conditions can be simultaneously combined to provide a complete model of the system. This methodology can be extended to include a parametric study of the available process and economic variables. Excel solvers may also be used to generate the economic optimum set operating conditions.
Due to the increase in natural gas prices in the past few years, the benefits of optimizing natural gas gathering and processing systems have become substantially greater. These benefits can be observed from an analysis of the operating conditions, updating gas contracts, and adding gas to existing systems when excellent opportunities exist. A new technique has been developed to accurately model gas processing systems to incorporate an economic simulation with the process simulation. This new technique utilizes an Excel interface with process simulation software to include economic factors with the simulation results. As a result, an extended analysis of the operating conditions of the facility as well as the economic conditions can be simultaneously combined to provide a complete model of the system. This methodology can be extended to include a parametric study of the available process and economic variables. Excel solvers may also be used to generate the economic optimum set operating conditions.