Sweetening natural gas

A more effective way of removing contaminants and CO2 from natural gas streams has been developed at Curtin by the Clean Gas Technologies group.

Led by Associate Professor Ahmed Barifcani, this innovative process which is based on cryogenic methods results in minimal loss of hydrocarbons in the separation process and is versatile enough to adapt to a wide range of gas compositions. Both hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide can be captured individually with 99 per cent purity and can be used in other processes or stored.The process, could significantly benefit the gas processing industry and help in the ever increasing global demand for energy.

Forty per cent of the world's natural gas reserves are contaminated with hydrogen sulphide and/or carbon dioxide that must be removed before the gas can be used. As a result the world's energy companies are constantly seeking new and more efficient ways to extract the most from limited reserves of hydrocarbons.

Curtin Clean Gas Technologies and the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies are now working with a number of commercial groups and research centres around the world to develop pilot plants to bring the technology to market.