Gigapan of compression and processing facilities including pig receiver, various gas/liquid separators, scrubbers, liquid tanks, and dehydration equipment.
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Processing “Pipeline Quality” Natural Gas
The natural gas we use is composed almost entirely of methane. While the gas that flows from the wellhead is composed primarily of methane, it also contains numerous impurities like water vapor, carbon dioxide, helium, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and other substances. These must be removed.
The methane is also mixed with other hydrocarbons commonly referred to as natural gas liquids (NGLs). These include propane, butane, ethane and pentanes. Once separated from the gas, NGLs can be further processed and sold.
All of these substances must be separated and removed before the gas can be transmitted to the end user. Some processing can be done right at the wellhead, but most of the more complicated separation is accomplished at natural gas processing plants.
The diagram below, courtesy of the EIA, depicts the flow of raw wellhead gas through a typical processing flow. Excerpted: Investment U
Shale Gas Processing Diagram
Wet Gas Production Diagram
