Associated Stranded Natural Gas Monetized in Real-Time Via Conversion to Petrochemical and Other Useful End Products
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Abstract
The chemical industry which is solely responsible for converting various chemical substances to useful products started as early as 7,000 BC by combining alkali and limestone to make glass. During the industrial revolution (1736 to 1918), the raw materials for the chemical industry came from coal, molasses, fats, oils, water and the atmosphere. Production of chemicals from petroleum started in the United States in 1918 with the manufacture of alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) from surplus refinery gas, and up until the 1950's the only type of polyethylene was low density granules (pellets or resins). Presently, more than 95% of the total world production of organic chemicals comes from petroleum (crude oil, shale oil, natural asphalts, condensate gas and natural gas) with endless variety of chemical compounds formed by either replacing the hydrogen atoms of the benzene with other functional groups or replacing the hydrogen atoms in any of the basic structure/non-benzene rings with other functional groups et cetera. This study on associated stranded natural gas monetized in real-time via conversion to petrochemical and other useful end products, is focused on the comprehensive analysis of the various process techniques for converting natural gas to diversity of valuable products options, and highlight their multiple utility in details. The flare stream is completely separated into its hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon pure liquid components (through successive cooling and fractionation steps) and subsequently the different liquid components are converted to petrochemicals of all descriptions, either used directly as end products or indirectly as raw material for other products. The paper contains the overview of the various processes for obtaining petrochemicals from the separate components via conversion to either olefins, acetylenes, aromatics, synthetic gas (syngas), carbon black, organometallic, functional group hydrocarbons such as oxidation derivatives- alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carbohydrates, esters, fats and oils; nitrogen derivatives-amines, amides, amino acids, nitriles; sulfur derivatives-thiols, disulfides; and polymerization. It also provided examples of the numerous petrochemicals and other end products obtained from the chemical reactions(on the separate hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon components), and stated their various everyday uses, in the households- foods, flavors, fragrances, toiletries, detergents, cosmetics, medicines, cloths, furniture; as feedstock to both petrochemical and chemical industries such as foam, textile, paint, plastic, fiber, printing, building, electrical and electronics, laboratory, industrial, agricultural, pharmaceutical, biological, etc., for manufacturing various intermediate chemicals and finished products like ammonia (synthetic nitrogen fertilizer), methanol, chloromethane, ox alcohols, polythene, synthetic drugs, toys, solvents, adhesives, glues, varnishes, fuels, lubricants, car tires, explosives, soles of shoes et cetera. The modular design involves 5 categories of petrochemical plants based on their end products: mini gas processing, olefins/acetylene/aromatics, polymer, chemicals and manufacturing. The customized skid mounted mini gas processing module convert all the components of the flare stream into their separate liquid quantities in real-time (i.e. water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and hydrocarbons) whereas the 4 other varieties of specialty modules are used for the subsequent production of various petrochemicals from the separate hydrocarbon liquid components. The modular approach allows flexibility for upgrading/downgrading as well as encourages more entrepreneurs, to engage in both small and medium scale petrochemicals related ventures, depending on their available resources. Two or more enterprises can share the flare stream from one flare line, each targeting different products. Nigeria spends over $10 billion (about N3 trillion at the current CBN exchange rate of N300 to a dollar) annually to import, about 80% petrochemicals of all descriptions used by various chemical processing industries. Converting the 40% to 50%, associated natural gas that is still being flared to petrochemicals, would satisfy all the domestic requirement for petrochemicals at reduced retail prices, create numerous job opportunities, increase foreign earning from export, bring gas flaring to extinction and stimulate infrastructural development to various petroleum producing areas in Nigeria.