Largest gas separation columns installed on process line of the Amur GPP
The largest equipment, that is, a methane extraction column (demethanizer) and two nitrogen rejection columns, have been installed on the fifth process line of the Amur Gas Processing Plant (GPP).
Demethanizer weight is 870 tons, the length is 88 m. The first nitrogen rejection unit with a length of over 58 meters weighs 883 tons. The length of the second one is 63 meters, and it weighs over 400 tons. The installed columns are the key equipment of the gas separation unit which will extract valuable fractions from the multicomponent natural gas received via the Power of Siberia gas pipeline from Chayanda and later Kovykta fields.
The columns were delivered from the jetty on the Zeya river to the construction site of the Amur GPP using self-propelled modular transporters. In order not to interfere with the traffic to ensure proper safety, transportation was carried out mainly at night at a speed of 5 km/h. Cranes with a lifting capacity of 600 and 1600 tons were involved in installation of the columns on the fifth process line of the Amur GPP.
Background
Amur GPP is going to be one of the world's largest natural gas processing plants with annual capacity of 42 BCMA.
The products of Amur GPP are commercial gas (methane) and other components in demand in the gas chemical and other industries, and they are produced from commercial gas. Due to usage of the state-of-the-art equipment and advanced cryogenic technologies, the plant will be able to produce under full load around 2.4 mln tons of ethane, 1.5 mln tons of LPG and 200 thous. tons of pentane-hexane fraction. The main consumer of ethane and LPG from the Amur GPP is going to be Amur Gas Chemical Complex (joint SIBUR and Sinopec project).
One of the main products of the Amur GPP is helium. Helium is extremely demanded by high-tech industries. Amur GPP is going to be the world's leader of helium production with its annual capacity of 60 mln cubic meters of helium.
On June 9, 2021, the first train of the plant was put into operation.
Gazprom Pererabotka Blagoveshchensk LLC (member of Gazprom Group) is the investor, the owner and the operator of the Amur GPP. Construction is managed by JSC NIPIGAS.