What is Drip-Gas?

Where does drip-gas condensate fit in the mix of
NGLs? Tried to search it on here and couldn't find a straight answer.

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Permalink Reply by Tony Yurina on January 6, 2013 at 11:53am

Drip gas is formed when the high btu gas passes through a colder drip vessel (gas velocity slows also) and a gaseous phase to liquid phase change occurs for some of the components in the composition.  Probably C5, C6 and heavier hydrocarbons most likely for drip gas.

The liquid collected was called drip gas.  Most likely the C5's and higher carbon components.

The NGL extraction process collects C2 Ethane, C3 Propane, C4's, Butanes, C5's Pentanes, C6, Hexane, C7 Heptane, C8 Octane, C9+ .  

C1, Methane, N2 Nitrogen, and CO2 are not removed, however their percentage of the whole gas stream increases when the other mentioned components are extracted.

This NGL liquid mix is sent to a factorization plant and each component is further separated into a pure "ideal gas".  (Ethane) (Propane)  (Butane)  etc.

The exact drip gas collected can only be identified by laboratory analysis.

 

Permalink Reply by Brian Powers on January 7, 2013 at 4:44am

Anthony -

You are correct that any time a mixture of gas/liquids passes through a restriction and then expands, the subsequent cooling (Joule-Thompson effect) causes liquid hydrocarbon to condense and drop out. It's a similar thermodynamic process as how an air conditioning unit works. On a well, the restriction may be a choke or partially closed valve.

 

In the gas processing plants, a turbo- expander is often used to create sub-zero cryogenic conditions to maximize liquid recovery. The dropped out liquids are then run through a distillation tower to further stabilize the product for transport or shipping

 

The raw gas can be anayzed with a chromatograph to estimate the liquid yield attainable.

 

Brian  

Permalink Reply by JK on January 7, 2013 at 1:13pm

There are huge tanks beside our wells that catch and contain the liquids.

I have also seen oil in these tanks.

I've heard they truck the oil out of there and we do not get paid for it nor are we notified of even having oil.

Mon county, WV

Permalink Reply by Tony Yurina on January 7, 2013 at 2:05pm

A Joule-Thompson (JT) restriction ahead of an old fashioned post hole drip as Billy Park Whyde described below would be the berries in the old days.    

015334grltd9mPermalink Reply by 015334grltd9m on January 6, 2013 at 12:31pm

When I was in the Navy long ago, they warned us about the "drip."

Permalink Reply by JR on January 6, 2013 at 12:46pm
Very funny Ron! So I've heard about that "drip"...Anthony, putting your assessment into lay terms, is the presence of drip gas generally a positive thing?
Permalink Reply by Tony Yurina on January 6, 2013 at 5:00pm

In lay mans terms, yes the presence of drip gas would be a positive thing.  
This means there are a lot of goodies in the natural gas composition, at saturated conditions, some drop out of the gas stream as drip gas.

Permalink Reply by Neal Franks on January 6, 2013 at 2:16pm

My grandfather had a Clinton NG well on his farm in Summit County that came in in 1942 - '43.  He would tap the condenser at the head of the well and derive several 5 gallon cans of what he called "head" gas.  It was then mixed with high lead gas so it didn't ping so badly and served to extend his gas ration cards during the time that gas was rationed.  I am assuming that  this was what is called drip-gas here, and that it does contain the higher boiling fractions beginning around C-5.

Neal Franks

Permalink Reply by Billy Park Whyde on January 6, 2013 at 11:42pm

 At my place and area we made at our expense a drip tank. Usually for the purpose of removing any moisture from the gas at either the well head or tank battery when we got free gas or limited gas from a oil well by leases terms. I built mine out of  4" well casing 6' in length  and 3/8" plate inserts welded to the ends, put in the top a inlet a 1" black iron pipe that went into the top and protruded about 3" inside another about a inch for a outlet at just about flush with the inside surface  1/2 " pip[e that went to about 1" off the bottom, and inserted a pressure gauge in the top  using a T and shut off valve. We used a post hole digger and put it about 4' into the ground. Any condensate would settle at the bottom and our gas wouldn't freeze up in the winter. To remove the moisture (drip gas) we simply opened the 1/2' valve. Mine is still there and the Clinton well still produces some although the pressure is not high enough to use for free gas heating any more. Of course the moisture amounts generally were produced upon the oil output as a rule. 

 

Permalink Reply by Sarah Violet on January 6, 2013 at 2:31pm

Can someone tell me what these mean?  Gas  R1, Gas R6,   PPRO R6,   COND R1.

Permalink Reply by PennCrude/NatGas Go! on January 6, 2013 at 3:06pm
Sounds like their in relations to a tank battery, where what tanks will be holding what types of fluid the wells will be producing once online and flowing. Referring to what I've seen on several locations. Could be incorrect.
Permalink Reply by Dick Bonnet on January 10, 2013 at 4:33am

I used to run drip gas in a van 50-50 with gasoline. Pings a little.

Anthony is correct this is the easily condensed fractions of the natural gas and tend to be liquid at room temp.

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