Enhancing Conversion Of Flared Natural Gas Into Liquefied Petroleum Gas For Industrial And Domestic Energy Use

Godloves Tondie  Nonju; Hezekiah-Braye  Oritom

doi:10.51903/jtie.v5i2.551

Authors

Godloves Tondie Nonju Department of Petroleum Engineering, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2363-4471
Hezekiah-Braye Oritom Department of Petroleum Engineering, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4856-2323

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51903/jtie.v5i2.551

Keywords:

Aspen HYSYS, Economic Analysis, Gas Flaring, Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Natural Gas Liquid Recovery, Niger Delta

Abstract

Gas flaring remains a major environmental and economic challenge in Nigeria, resulting in the loss of valuable hydrocarbon resources and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This study evaluates the technical and economic feasibility of converting flared natural gas into Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for domestic and industrial energy utilization in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Process simulation was carried out using Aspen HYSYS Version 3.2 with the Peng–Robinson Equation of State to model gas dehydration, cryogenic Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) recovery, and hydrocarbon fractionation processes. A flare gas feed stream of 34.83 million standard cubic feet per day (MMScfd) was subjected to Triethylene Glycol (TEG) dehydration, cryogenic cooling, and separation through demethanizer, deethanizer, and depropanizer columns. Simulation results indicated that the proposed process could recover approximately 3.87 MMScfd of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, 4.01 MMScfd of ethane, and 25.10 MMScfd of methane. The recovered LPG contained propane and butane predominantly and corresponded to an annual production of approximately 74.96 million kilograms. Economic analysis showed an estimated annual revenue of ₦18.74 billion at an LPG selling price of ₦250 per kilogram. The results demonstrate that flare gas can be effectively converted into commercially valuable products while reducing environmental pollution associated with routine gas flaring. Although profitability depends on assumptions regarding market conditions and operating costs, the study confirms that LPG recovery from flared gas represents a technically feasible and economically attractive option for enhancing energy utilization and supporting sustainable development in Nigeria.

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