Exploration and production success in the deep-water, eastern Gulf of
Mexico region has created the need for an additional gas transmission
and processing infrastructure.
The Destin Pipeline and the Pascagoula gas processing plant have been
built to serve this need.
The Destin 36" main trunkline originates as a junction platform located
in Main Pass Block 260 and, after coming ashore near Pascagoula, Miss.,
connects with six major interstate natural gas pipelines, by-passing
capacity-constrained systems in Louisiana.
The Pascagoula Gas Processing Plant has been built near the point the
pipeline comes ashore, in between the liquid removal facility (slug
catcher) and the first compressor station. The Pascagoula plant
straddles the Destin Pipeline immediately downstream of the liquid
removal facility, which is designed to remove retro-grade condensate
that may form in the pipeline.
The liquid removal facility has a design capacity of 10,000 barrels
per day (bbl/d). Gas processing capacity is 1.5 bcf/d. Liquid from the
slug catcher feeds into the condensate stabilizer portion of the
processing plant. The stabilizer began operations Sept. 1, 1998, along
with the Destin Pipeline.
Gas from the slug catcher is dehydrated, and then processed in three
trains: two cryogenic trains each with a capacity of 500 MMscf/d and a
refrigeration dewpoint train. Inlet gas cooling, dehydration, expansion,
refrigeration-NGL recovery, demethanization-NGL recovery and residue gas
compression are provided in the two cryogenic trains; inlet gas cooling,
dehydration, and refrigeration-NGL recovery are provided in the
refrigeration dewpoint train.
The Destin Pipeline, operated by BP Pipelines (North America), delivers
gas to the onshore facilities. The Pascagoula processing plant is owned
by BP America Corporation and Enterprise Gas Processing L.L.C. BP is
plant operator and also operates the liquid removal facility.
Design goals
The design team for the Pascagoula processing plant established the following goals to meet the needs of the deep-water producer:
- Provide reliable gas processing for shippers on Destin Pipeline.
- Provide value enhancement through NGL recovery.
- Achieve low life-cycle cost.
- Be safe and environmentally benign. Because the Pascagoula plant lies in the middle of an industrial park and near residential neighborhoods rather than at a rural site, special design requirements resulted.
Recently commissioned Train C significantly contributes to best in class
plant availability by allowing for flexible operations and reducing the
number of potential single point failures.
Project schedule
The project's condensate stabilizer is independent of the cryogenic
plant and began operating Sept. 1, 1998, in conjunction with start-up of
the Destin pipeline.
Train A of the cryogenic plant began operating in the first quarter
1999, less than two years after project kickoff. Train B began operation
in November 1999. The latest addition to the gas plant, Train C, began
operation in the first quarter of 2004.
Further Information
For more information regarding commercial or operation questions,
contact Doug Reynolds, Director, Gas Processing & Supply, BP America
Production Company at (281) 366-2615.
