DOes anyone know of other technologies for mercury removal other than adsorption. We are looking to install mercury removal equipment after an NGL liquid feed dehydrator and before the de-ethaniser tower. The design conditions are roughly:

Flow = 300m3/h
Pressure= 30-35barg
Temperature= 25-38deg.C
Mercury load= 400ppb (w)
Water content= dew point -40deg.C (<1ppm)
H2S content = 35-50ppm

I have no previous knowledge of mercury removal techniques so really need to find
1. What is industry practice
2. Any proven novel designs.
3. Which companies have proven track record (ideally UK based)

Many thanks in anticipation of your help.

Why do you need a different method of mercury removal than adsorption? I beleive this is the most common technique and there are basically two european companies who can supply the catalyst bed (at least I only know 2)

We are supplying the Mercury Removal package for the Buzzard Field Offshore UK we are also UK based and manufacture in the UK (one of few) so if you would like to contact me maybe we can help

Basically the system works like this, you have a big vessel (or duty standby) filled with catalyst/adsorpant followed by duty/standby filter vessels (to catch any rubbish (bits of catalyst, nuts and bolts etc) that make it through)

You size the mercury vessels so that they will take out enough mercury until you can shut down and change the catalyst or change over vessels if you have two, this will depend on the make of catalyst you select loading in gas etc

website www.ogsl.com

I am out of the office on Monday but will return on Tuesday

Regards

MB

Combine mercury removal unit with the molecular sieve unit using the new UOP HgSIV molecular sieve which has enhanced mercury removal capability to less than 0.01µg/m3. This technology is installed in more than 15 natural gas dryers and six natural gas liquid dryers.  This alternative will limit you to one molecular sieve supplier as this technology is licensed by UOP. During the regeneration of mole sieve the weak bond between Hg-Ag will be broken and the mercury will go with regeneration gas. the advantage of the HgSIV it is regenerative while the disadvantage is environmental  

Another option to adsorption by fixed bed is to use filtration with a filter aid that is designed to adsorb mercury.  I have found the filtration process with the filter aid to be effective in removing total mercury from crude oil to well below the inlet feed conditions indicated (400 ppb).The filter aid can be disposed, or recycled to a mercury reclaimer.

Web site www.pnl.gov
  

Hey while reading through this topic I found it interesting as I am presently doing an Environmental Impact Assessment study for a NGL extraction plant which involves mercury removal. Can you tell me how you dispose off the adsorbed mercury?