Amine System Degreasing for Rio Grande LNG
How B&W Energy Services degreased the amine treating system behind one of the largest privately funded LNG projects in Texas
The Challenge: A Gas Stream With No Room for Contamination
Amine systems are the part of an LNG facility that scrub CO2 and other acid gases from the raw natural gas feed before it’s cooled into liquid form. Amine solvent is chemically sensitive, and grease, mill scale or construction residue left in the system can cause foaming and fouling, degrading gas-treating performance before the plant ever starts up.
On a facility the scale of Rio Grande LNG, with multiple liquefaction trains coming online in sequence, that’s not a one-time risk. It’s a standard that the cleaning program has to hit every time.
Key Challenges
- Amine solution is highly sensitive to hydrocarbon and particulate contamination, and residue left behind can cause foaming and reduced acid-gas removal downstream
- The gas-treating train sits upstream of every liquefaction train, and contamination not caught here carries forward into the entire facility
- A multi-train build means the cleaning protocol has to be repeatable, not a one-off engagement
B&W’s Role: Chemical Degreasing for Amine Service
The project’s EPC contractor chose B&W Energy Services to perform chemical degreasing of the facility’s amine treating system due to our team’s:
- Chemical cleaning expertise built specifically for gas-treating and amine systems, not generic industrial piping
- Low-risk chemical formulations engineered to protect sensitive amine solvent from residual contamination
- Prior LNG project experience, including work at Calcasieu Pass LNG
- Track record delivering specialized cleaning scopes through EPC/GC contracting structures, not just direct-owner engagements
- Cleaning protocols engineered to scale across sequential train startups as the facility grows
Project Quick Facts
Location:
Port of Brownsville, Texas
Project Type:
LNG Export Terminal
Phase 1 Capacity:
17.6 MTPA
B&W Services:
Chemical Cleaning (Amine System Degreasing)
Phase 1 Financing:
$18.4 Billion
Our Process: Built for Repeat Train Startups
1. Engineering & Protocol Development
2. Pre-Cleaning Assessment
3. Chemical Degreasing
4. Validation & Documentation
Custom degreasing protocol developed for the amine system’s specific metallurgy, configuration and contamination profile
Baseline inspection to confirm system condition before cleaning begins
Circulation of engineered chemical solution to strip grease, mill scale and construction residue from the system
Post-cleaning inspection and documentation confirming the system is ready for amine service
Rio Grande LNG’s Significance
Rio Grande LNG is one of the largest privately funded LNG developments in Texas, which created about 5,000 jobs at peak construction. Its Phase 1 financing package ranks among the largest ever assembled for a U.S. energy facility. At full capacity, the five-train facility is estimated to be capable of producing 27 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
Scaling Clean Startups Across Every New LNG Train
From gas-treating systems to critical piping, B&W Energy Services delivers pre-commissioning cleaning built to scale across multi-train, multi-phase LNG and gas processing projects. Talk to B&W about your next LNG or gas processing project.
Call Us Directly: 281-336-9903
Email: [email protected]
Photo courtesy of Bechtel