Natural gas quality enhancement: A review of the conventional treatment processes, and the industrial challenges facing emerging technologies

Beside the general review of the conventional and unconventional natural gas treatment technologies, this paper highlights the primary processes considered in industry along with an elaboration of their advantages and drawbacks from various perspectives. A qualitative approach for listing the required process units in a gas treatment plant and selecting the optimum process among the available options to meet a targeted gas specification is also provided. This paper also addresses the reluctance observed in industry in adopting emerging technologies, or even altering the conventional units' design significantly. Moreover, the paper highlights the challenges faced by some of the industries which are based on natural gas as a raw material. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.