US 12,460,145 B2
Natural gas sweetening methods and related systems
Priya Santhanam, Spring, TX (US); P. Scott Northrop, Spring, TX (US); Shwetha Ramkumar, Cypress, TX (US); John Timothy Cullinane, Montgomery, TX (US); and Sean T. Philbrook, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, Spring, TX (US)
Filed by ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, Spring, TX (US)
Filed on Apr. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/300,166.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/335,526, filed on Apr. 27, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0347281 A1, Nov. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. B01D 53/14 (2006.01); C10L 3/10 (2006.01); B01D 45/12 (2006.01); B01D 53/26 (2006.01)
CPC C10L 3/101 (2013.01) [B01D 53/1406 (2013.01); B01D 53/1462 (2013.01); B01D 53/1487 (2013.01); C10L 3/103 (2013.01); C10L 3/104 (2013.01); B01D 45/12 (2013.01); B01D 53/26 (2013.01); B01D 2252/103 (2013.01); B01D 2252/20489 (2013.01); B01D 2256/24 (2013.01); B01D 2257/302 (2013.01); B01D 2257/504 (2013.01); B01D 2257/7027 (2013.01); B01D 2257/708 (2013.01); C10L 2290/545 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
contacting a first natural gas stream with a first water stream in a co-current contacting system to produce a second natural gas stream and a second water stream, wherein the first natural gas stream comprises natural gas, an acid gas, and a contaminant, and wherein a concentration of the contaminant in the second natural gas stream is less than a concentration of the contaminant in the first natural gas stream;
removing at least a portion of the acid gas from the second natural gas stream, to produce a third natural gas stream; and
contacting the third natural gas stream with a third water stream in a second co-current contacting system to produce a fourth natural gas stream and a fourth water stream, wherein a concentration of an amine solvent in the fourth natural gas stream is less than a concentration of the amine solvent in the third natural gas stream.