Question

How is natural gas processed?

Answer 1

Hint: Wet natural gas is extracted from natural gas or crude oil wells and includes methane, NGL (ethane, propane, butanes, and pentanes), and water vapour in addition to methane. Non Hydrocarbons such as sulphur, helium, nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide, and carbon dioxide may be present in wellhead natural gas, and must be extracted before it is sold to customers.

Complete answer:
Natural gas processing -
Natural-gas processing is a collection of industrial processes for purifying raw natural gas and producing pipeline-quality dry natural gas by extracting impurities, pollutants, and higher molecular mass hydrocarbons.

The refining of natural gas starts at the wellhead. The form, depth, and location of the underground deposit, as well as the geology of the field, influence the composition of raw natural gas extracted from producing wells. Natural gas and oil are often contained in the same reservoir. Natural gas extracted from oil wells is known as associated-dissolved gas, which means it has been mixed with or dissolved in crude oil.

Solids, water, carbon dioxide $(CO_2)$, hydrogen sulphide $(H_2S)$, arsenic, and higher molecular mass hydrocarbons are removed from raw natural gas at natural-gas production plants. Any of the contaminants contained in natural gas have monetary value and are processed or sold. A fully operating natural gas plant produces pipeline-quality dry natural gas for residential, commercial, and industrial customers, as well as a feedstock for chemical synthesis.

In other words, Natural gas is transported to processing plants from the wellhead, where water vapour and non hydrocarbon compounds are extracted, and NGL is isolated from wet gas and sold separately. Ethane is frequently left in refined natural gas. Natural gas plant liquids (NGPL) are the isolated NGLs, while dry, consumer-grade, or pipeline standard natural gas is the refined natural gas. Any natural gas from wellheads is sufficiently dry to pass pipeline transportation requirements without being processed.

The addition of odorants to natural gas allows leakage in natural gas pipelines to be detected. Dry natural gas is delivered to consumers through pipelines from underground storage fields or distribution companies.

Note:
-Associated gas is natural gas that is generated from crude oil wells.
-Non-associated gas is natural gas that comes from gas fields and condensate wells that contain little to no crude oil.
-The majority of natural gas consumed in the United States is generated here. Natural gas is supplied by pipelines from Canada and Mexico. Liquefied natural gas is used to import a limited volume of natural gas.