Monoethylene Glycol Reclamation and Regeneration Unit | SLB

PureMEG

Monoethylene glycol (MEG) reclamation and regeneration system

Image of PureMEG monoethylene glycol (MEG) reclamation and regeneration system aboard a vessel.
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Minimize MEG deterioration and losses and reduce operating and environmental costs

MEG is one of the most commonly used hydrate inhibitors in production pipelines. It is recovered and reinjected to minimize the operating and environmental costs associated with MEG replacement and disposal.

The cost of MEG replacement can surpass millions of dollars per year. Our PureMEG™ MEG reclamation and regeneration systems use proprietary brine displacement and divalent salt removal technologies that minimize both MEG deterioration and losses, significantly reducing MEG replacement requirements compared with competing systems.

Process flow schematic for PureMEG MEG reclamation and regeneration system.

You have the option to integrate our mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) technology, reducing energy demand by up to 75% and cutting CO2e emissions by approximately 30%.

PureMEG systems not only regenerate the MEG by boiling off the pipeline water, they also remove salts and other solids to achieve the required outlet glycol purity. Dissolved salts in formation water, pipeline production chemicals, and pipe scale all have the potential to scale or foul both subsea and topside processing equipment. This MEG recovery system is an essential component of pipeline flow assurance.

Improve operational efficiency, increase plant availability, and maintain asset integrity

The system provides effective and proven salt removal. A wash step is included as part of the divalent salt removal system, enabling MEG recovery and reducing opex; the salt discharge can be dried for easier handling and disposal.

Low solids levels in the recycle loop protect the most expensive and vulnerable parts of the system from abrasion, erosion, and fouling, which reduces maintenance and increases plant availability.

Salt separation at ambient temperatures improves safety and avoids the need for specialized equipment.

The technology significantly reduces MEG losses and produces a waste stream suitable for marine disposal by separating salt from brine.

It lowers capex and opex because solids removal is achieved without the use of centrifuges, unlike other systems on the market. This avoids use of expensive, high-maintenance equipment and prevents oxygen contamination of the MEG. Oxygen is a main contributor to MEG degradation and material corrosion within reclamation systems, affecting both opex and the life of the plant.

In addition to our reclamation technology, we provide comprehensive services, from customized site support contracts covering training, installation, commissioning, and startup to long-term operational assistance, data acquisition, conditional monitoring, and predictive maintenance services.

  • MEG reboiler is designed to avoid hydrocarbon foaming and the fouling of packing associated with conventional systems.
  • Proprietary divalent salt removal system is capable of handling a diverse range of water chemistries, solids loadings, and particle-size distributions.
  • Dedicated reaction vessel optimizes crystal growth in the precipitation of divalent salts. Crystal size and shape directly influence the performance of downstream separation and drying processes.
  • PureMEG system is configured with either a full-stream or slipstream process. Full stream both regenerates and removes salts from the rich MEG feed. Slipstream has full-feed MEG regeneration, with a portion of the lean MEG sent for reclamation. Our experts can advise you which option best suits your process requirements. In either case, the process comprises five steps: pretreatment, MEG regeneration, flash separation, salt management, and divalent salt removal. Refer to the PureMEG system brochure for details.