Provided is a method for treating an oil gas, which can realize high-efficiency separation for and recovery of gasoline components, C.sub.2, C.sub.3, and C.sub.4 components. The method first conducts separation of light hydrocarbon components from gasoline components, and then performs subsequent treatment on a stream rich in the light hydrocarbon components, during which it is no longer necessary to use gasoline to circularly absorb liquefied gas components, which significantly reduces the amount of gasoline to be circulated and reduces energy consumption throughout the separation process. Besides, in this method, impurities, such as H.sub.2S and mercaptans, in the stream rich in the light hydrocarbon components are removed first before the separation for the components. This ensures that impurities will not be carried to a downstream light hydrocarbon recovery section, thus avoiding corrosion issues caused by hydrogen sulfide in the light hydrocarbon recovery section.

An absorbent for selective removal of hydrogen sulfide over carbon dioxide from a fluid stream comprises an aqueous solution of a) a tertiary amine, b) a sterically hindered secondary amine of the general formula (I) ##STR00001##
in which R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are each independently selected from C.sub.1-4-alkyl and C.sub.1-4-hydroxyalkyl; R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are each independently selected from hydrogen, C.sub.1-4-alkyl and C.sub.1-4-hydroxyalkyl, with the proviso that at least one R.sub.4 and/or R.sub.5 radical on the carbon atom bonded directly to the nitrogen atom is C.sub.1-4-alkyl or C.sub.1-4-hydroxyalkyl when R.sub.3 is hydrogen; x and y are integers from 2 to 4 and z is an integer from 1 to 4; where the molar ratio of b) to a) is in the range from 0.05 to 1.0, and c) an acid in an amount, calculated as neutralization equivalent relative to the protonatable nitrogen atoms in a) and b), of 0.05 to 15.0%. One preferred amine of the formula I is 2-(2-tert-butylaminoethoxy)ethanol. The absorbent allows a defined H.sub.2S selectivity to be set at pressures of the kind typical in natural gas processing.

The embodiments provide an acidic gas absorbent kept from deterioration, an acidic gas removal method using the absorbent, and an acidic gas removal apparatus using the same. The acidic gas absorbent contains an amine compound and water, and further contains superfine bubble containing inert gas wherein an average diameter of said superfine bubble is 150 nm or less. The acidic gas removal method provided here employs that absorbent. The acidic gas removal apparatus is equipped with a unit for introducing the superfine bubbles into the absorbent.

Disclosed is an absorbent containing an amine for absorption of an acid gas in a biogas, and a biogas purification system using the same.

Disclosed herein are scavenging compounds and compositions useful in applications relating to the production, transportation, storage, and separation of crude oil and natural gas. Also disclosed herein are methods of using the compounds and compositions as scavengers, particularly in applications relating to the production, transportation, storage, and separation of crude oil and natural gas.

Disclosed is an adsorbent containing a metal oxide for adsorption of hydrogen sulfide in biogas, and a biogas purification system using the same.

A natural gas pretreatment system includes: a carbon dioxide removal unit configured to remove carbon dioxide from the natural gas by bringing an absorption liquid and the natural gas into contact with each other; and a water removal unit configured to remove water by causing the natural gas to flow through a packed bed containing a water adsorbent. The packed bed contains a carbon dioxide adsorbent for adsorbing and removing the carbon dioxide that has not been completely removed in the carbon dioxide removal unit, and a concentration of the carbon dioxide contained in the natural gas is measured by an outlet-side carbon dioxide measurement unit on an outlet side of the water removal unit.

It has been discovered that mixed-alcohol production can utilize the waste tail gas stream from the pressure-swing adsorption section of an industrial hydrogen plant. Some variations provide a process for producing mixed alcohols, comprising: obtaining a tail-gas stream from a methane-to-syngas unit (e.g., a steam methane reforming reactor); compressing the tail-gas stream; separating the tail-gas stream into at least a syngas stream, a CO.sub.2-rich stream, and a CH.sub.4-rich stream; introducing the syngas stream into a mixed-alcohol reactor operated at effective alcohol synthesis conditions in the presence of an alcohol-synthesis catalyst, thereby generated mixed alcohols; and purifying the mixed alcohols to generate a mixed-alcohol product. Other variations provide a process for producing clean syngas, comprising: obtaining a tail-gas stream from a methane-to-syngas unit; compressing the tail-gas stream; separating the tail-gas stream into at least a syngas stream, a CO.sub.2-rich stream, and a CH.sub.4-rich stream; and recovering a clean syngas product.

A process for recovering sulfur and carbon dioxide from a sour gas stream, the process comprising the steps of: providing a sour gas stream to a membrane separation unit, the sour gas stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide; separating the hydrogen sulfide from the carbon dioxide in the membrane separation unit to obtain a retentate stream and a first permeate stream, wherein the retentate stream comprises hydrogen sulfide, wherein the permeate stream comprises carbon dioxide; introducing the retentate stream to a sulfur recovery unit; processing the retentate stream in the sulfur recovery unit to produce a sulfur stream and a tail gas stream, wherein the sulfur stream comprises liquid sulfur; introducing the permeate stream to an amine absorption unit; and processing the permeate stream in the amine absorption unit to produce an enriched carbon dioxide stream.

A process for selectively separating H.sub.2S from a gas mixture which also comprises CO.sub.2is disclosed. A stream of the gas mixture is contacted with an absorbent solution comprising one or more amines, alkanolamines, hindered alkanolamines, capped alkanolamines, or mixtures thereof. The H.sub.2S/CO.sub.2 selectivity of the absorbent solution is preferably greater than about 4.0 for an acid gas loading [mol(CO.sub.2+H.sub.2S)/mol(amine)] between about 0.2 and about 0.6, and is achieved by reducing pH of the absorbent solution.