HEA provides process/chemistry and materials of construction advice in the design of new and troubleshooting of existing amine systems used for sour gas treatment. Process Packages are prepared that can include such things as review of unusual contaminants in the feed gas and design of appropriate methods for handling or removing these contaminants.

Our Materials expert served for years as chairman of the API Subcommittee on Corrosion and Materials Engineering. During this period he also served as a member of a task group responsible for developing and issuing the recommended practice for design and materials concerns for amine containing systems.

An example of an extreme amine design is hydrocracker service at over 3000 psig. Expansion and debottlenecking required the installation of new equipment and changes in the piping system. To facilitate these modifications and prevent cracking of the weldments, specialized system treatments, including line neutralization, washes, heat treatment and welding procedure controls were required. Our expert was responsible for developing procedures and implementing the program.