Distributor tray with compartments and gas risers of the same shape for an offshore gas/liquid contact column

Abstract

A distributor tray (100) for a column for contact between a gas (G) and a liquid (L) is provided wherein the distributor tray has a plurality of compartments defined on one face of the tray by secant partitions (104) which are perforated (105) to allow the flow of liquid between adjacent compartments. Each compartment includes at least one passage of the liquid through the tray or a chimney (102) projecting from the tray for the exclusive passage of the gas (G) through the tray. The shape of the chimney is identical to the shape of the compartment containing it, and the chimney has an internal volume at least equal to the volume of the compartment containing it.

Claims

1. A distributor tray for a column (100, 200, 300) for heat and/or material exchange between a gas (G) and a liquid (L), comprising: secant partitions (104, 204, 304) delimiting a plurality of compartments (103, 203, 303) on a face of the tray (100, 200, 300), said partitions (104, 204, 304) having perforations (105) to permit the flow of some liquid between adjacent compartments, each compartment (103, 203, 303) comprising at least a means for the passage of the liquid through said tray (100, 200, 300) or a chimney (102, 202, 302), or a portion of a chimney, projecting from said face of said tray (100, 200, 300) for the exclusive passage of said gas (G) through said tray (100, 200, 300), said tray having a plurality of means for the passage of the liquid and a plurality of chimneys (102, 202, 302), and wherein the shape of said chimney (102, 202, 302), or the portion of the chimney, is identical to the shape of the compartment (103, 203, 303) containing said chimney or the portion of the chimney, and said chimney (102, 202, 302) has an internal volume at least equal to the volume of the compartment (103, 203, 303) containing said chimney or portion thereof.

2. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein each chimney (102, 202) occupies a single compartment (103, 203).

3. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein each chimney (302) occupies a plurality of adjacent compartments (303).

4. The tray as claimed in claim 3, wherein each chimney (302) occupies four adjacent compartments (303).

5. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compartments (103, 203, 303) are of the same size and the same shape.

6. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein each chimney (102, 202, 302) is surrounded by at least three compartments (103, 203, 303) adjacent to said chimney (102, 202, 302) between which the liquid (L) flows via the perforated partitions (104, 204, 304).

7. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein each chimney (202, 302) is surrounded on all sides by compartments adjacent to said chimney (202, 302) between which the liquid (L) flows via the perforated partitions (204, 304).

8. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein said partitions (104, 204, 304) are composed of two series of partitions, the partitions of each series being parallel to one another and secant to the partitions of the other series.

9. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chimneys (102, 202, 302) have a cross section of square, rectangular, diamond, hexagonal or trapezoidal shape.

10. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chimneys (102, 202, 203) are distributed regularly over the face of the tray (100, 200, 300) at a first given pitch.

11. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein said perforations (105) are located at the bases of said partitions (104, 204, 304).

12. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein said perforations (105) of two parallel partitions (104, 204, 304) delimiting the same compartment (103, 203, 303) are not aligned.

13. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for the passage of the liquid are orifices located on the tray (100, 200, 300).

14. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid passage means are chimneys for the passage of the liquid through the tray (100, 200, 300), equipped with at least one perforation, said liquid passage chimneys projecting from a face of said tray (100, 200, 300).

15. The tray as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a dispersion system located under the other face of said tray, said dispersion system comprising a set of sprinklers or perforated conduits placed parallel to one another.

16. An offshore column (1) for heat and/or material exchange between a gas and a liquid, comprising at least one gas/liquid contactor (7) bringing the gas and the liquid into contact, at least a first inlet for the liquid (L.sub.SP), at least a second inlet for the gas (G.sub.FA), at least a first outlet for a gaseous fluid (G.sub.FT) and at least a second outlet for a liquid fluid (L.sub.SR), said column (1) comprising a distributor tray (100, 200, 300) as claimed in claim 1 to allow the distribution of the liquid over said gas/liquid contactor (7) and the distribution of the gas.

17. A unit for gas processing or CO.sub.2 capture by scrubbing the gas using an absorbent solution, said absorbent solution containing, notably, amines, said unit comprising at least one offshore column (1) as claimed in claim 16, to allow the exchanges between the gas and the absorbent solution.

18. A unit for distillation of a liquid or dehydration of a gas, comprising at least one offshore column (1) as claimed in claim 16, to allow the exchanges between the gas and the liquid.

19. An offshore floating barge, notably for the recovery of hydrocarbons, comprising a gas processing and/or CO.sub.2 capture unit as claimed in claim 17.

20. An offshore floating barge, notably for the recovery of hydrocarbons, comprising a distillation and/or dehydration unit as claimed in claim 18.

21. The tray as claimed in claim 13, wherein said orifices located on the tray (100, 200, 300) are distributed regularly in each compartment (103, 203, 303) at a second given pitch.

22. The tray as claimed in claim 21, wherein said second given pitch is a triangular or square pitch.

23. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein said perforations are present only between adjacent compartments having means for the passage of liquid through the tray.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1, described above, is a diagram illustrating a particular case of a gas/liquid contact column for the absorption of acid compounds contained in a gas by an aqueous amine solution, in the context of gas processing or CO.sub.2 capture, equipped with a tray according to the prior art or according to the invention.

(2) FIG. 2, described above, illustrates a chimney tray according to the prior art for distribution of the liquid and the gas.

(3) FIG. 3, described above, illustrates the chimney tray according to the prior art of FIG. 2, shown in a tilted position.

(4) FIG. 4, described above, illustrates an example of a liquid collecting and distribution system according to the prior art, for use between two packing beds of a gas/liquid contact column, comprising a liquid collector tray with gas chimneys connected to a liquid distributor formed by sprinklers.

(5) FIG. 5, described above, is a partial perspective view of an example of a compartmented chimney tray according to the prior art.

(6) FIG. 6, described above, illustrates an example of a tray according to the prior art, of the compartmented chimney tray type as illustrated in FIG. 5.

(7) FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a 3D view of a part of a tray according to another embodiment of the invention.

(8) FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a top view of a part of a tray according to an embodiment of the invention.

(9) FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of a top view of a part of a tray according to another embodiment of the invention.

(10) In the figures, the same references denote identical or analogous elements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) The following detailed specification of the tray according to the invention refers, notably, to FIGS. 7 to 9, which illustrate different nonlimiting embodiments.

(12) FIG. 7 illustrates in particular, in a schematic manner, a part of a tray according to an embodiment of the invention.

(13) The tray 100 according to the invention is a gas distributor tray for a column for heat and/or material exchange between a gas G and a liquid L. The tray according to the invention has a gas distribution function and a liquid distribution function. In this sense, reference will be made in the rest of the description to a “distributor” tray to denote a tray having these two functions of liquid and gas distribution.

(14) The distributor tray 100 comprises two faces, namely an upper face and a lower face. The face of the tray that is oriented toward the top of the exchange column is called the upper face of the tray 100. Conversely, the lower face of the tray is that which is oriented toward the bottom of the column, through which the gas enters, in a countercurrent operating mode of the column with an ascending gas and a descending liquid.

(15) In FIG. 7, the tray is shown in its position of use within a gas/liquid contact column, that is to say positioned horizontally with the upper face, in the plane (XY) coinciding with a horizontal plane, oriented toward the top of the column. Conventionally, the tray 100 is inscribed in a cylinder whose diameter ϕ is substantially equal to that of the gas/liquid contact column. For example, and in a nonlimiting manner, the diameter of the gas/liquid contact column may be between 1 m and 8 m, and is commonly between 2 m and 5 m.

(16) In the same way as the tray according to the prior art illustrated in FIG. 5, the tray 100 according to the invention comprises secant partitions 104 delimiting, on one face of the tray 100, namely the upper face, a plurality of compartments 103. Preferably, this is a plurality of compartments of the same size and shape, but this does not exclude the possibility that, on the periphery of the tray, and notably in the case of a cylindrical column, other compartments may be provided which are not of the same size and shape. The partitions 104 forming the compartments 103 have perforations 105 for allowing some of the liquid to flow between adjacent compartments 103. “Adjacent compartments” is taken to mean compartments having two partitions in common. Preferably, the partitions 104 are composed of two series of partitions, the partitions of each series being parallel to one another and secant to the partitions of the other series, as shown in FIG. 7.

(17) According to the invention, each compartment comprises at least one means for the passage of the liquid through the tray 100, as well as a chimney 102 projecting from the face of the tray 100 for the exclusive passage of said gas through said tray 100.

(18) The tray 100 according to the invention has a plurality of means for the passage of the liquid and a plurality of chimneys 102, in order to provide both a gas distribution function and a liquid distribution function.

(19) The partitions 104 generating the compartments 103 serve as “barriers” to the liquid contained in the compartments forming the liquid passage means, notably when the tray is tilted. Thus a relatively uniform liquid guard is maintained, even with a high degree of tilt. A good quality of distribution of the liquid over the gas/liquid contactor is thereby ensured. The interface between the gas and the liquid is called the liquid guard. The height of the liquid guard corresponds to the level of the liquid relative to the upper face of the tray. Additionally, the area on which the liquid flows is called the liquid flow area; it is the surface area formed by the compartments comprising the liquid passage means on the upper face of the tray, between which the liquid can flow because of the perforations 105 of the partitions 104. Because of these perforations 105, some of the liquid L can flow between adjacent compartments provided with the liquid passage means, and can preferably flow between said compartments distributed uniformly over the whole of the surface of the distributor tray 100, thus providing good radial dispersion of the liquid. The perforations 105 may be circular, oblong, rectangular or of other shape. However, the surface area of the perforations 105 may, preferably, remain small relative to the surface area of the partitions, so that the partitions 104 continue to perform their main function, namely to limit the quantity of fluid flowing over the tray, to ensure a good uniformity of the height of the liquid on the tray. Additionally, to prevent a linear flow of the liquid and ensure a good radial dispersion of the liquid, the perforations 105 of two parallel partitions of a compartment 103 are not aligned (or coaxial); that is to say, a straight line passing through the centres of the perforations of two parallel partitions is not parallel to one of the partitions of the compartment 103. Advantageously, the perforations 105 are placed at the bases of the partitions 104, that is to say in the lower part of the partitions 104 near the upper face of the tray from which the chimneys project, to facilitate the flow of the liquid; the perforations 105 are preferably arranged so as to be located below the height of the liquid guard.

(20) The perforations are present only between adjacent compartments having means for the passage of the liquid through the tray, and not between a compartment having a chimney adjacent to a compartment having liquid passage means.

(21) The number of compartments (and therefore the number of partitions) may be dependent on the diameter of the tray. Preferably, a large tray is more compartmented than a smaller tray. By way of nonlimiting example, the tray may have between 4 and 150 compartments.

(22) Preferably, each chimney 102 is surrounded by at least three compartments adjacent to said chimney 102, between which the liquid flows via the perforated partitions. More preferably, each chimney 102 is surrounded on all sides by compartments adjacent to said chimney 102, between which the liquid flows via the perforated partitions. In this way it is possible to provide a flow of the liquid over the whole of the face of the tray that is not occupied by the chimneys.

(23) The means for the passage of the liquid through the tray are not shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. They may be orifices, such as the orifices 51 shown in the prior art tray of FIG. 5. In this case, the orifices are preferably distributed regularly in each compartment at a given pitch, preferably a triangular or square pitch. There may also be chimneys for the passage of the liquid, each equipped with at least one perforation (or at least a row of perforations), the liquid passage chimneys projecting from one of the faces of the tray 100.

(24) The chimneys 102 allow the exclusive passage of the gas G through the tray 100. Plurality of chimneys is understood to mean at least two chimneys. The number of chimneys is variable and depends on the design of the tray, particularly on parameters such as the size of the tray, the desired aperture ratio, the volume of the collecting area, etc. Purely for guidance, without any limitation, the tray 100 according to the invention may have between 2 and 100 chimneys 102.

(25) An axis Z passes through the chimneys 102 in the direction of their height, this axis coinciding with the vertical when the tray is in a horizontal position in the column. The gas G passes through the chimney 102 in the direction of its height, along this axis Z. The other dimensions of the chimney, for example its length l and its width L in the case of a chimney of right-angle parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG. 7, are defined in the plane (XY) orthogonal to the axis Z, formed by a portion of the tray supporting the chimneys 102. This plane is a horizontal plane when the tray is in position in a column.

(26) Each chimney 102 comprises an internal volume opening on either side of the tray 100, said volume being delimited by a plurality of walls forming the chimney 102. Exhaust aperture and inlet aperture denote, respectively, the aperture of the chimney through which the gas, having passed through the chimney, escapes, this aperture being located typically at the top of the chimney projecting from the upper face of the tray for a column operating in countercurrent (ascending gas) mode, and the aperture of the chimney through which the gas enters, typically located at the base of the chimney projecting from the upper face of the tray for a column operating in countercurrent (ascending gas) mode.

(27) Each chimney 102 may be surmounted by a cap (not shown) to prevent the liquid from entering the chimney 102. The cap is then raised above the top of the chimney so as to leave space for the passage of the gas G.

(28) Preferably, the chimneys 102 are distributed over the tray 100 in a regular manner, at a given pitch, to provide uniform distribution of the gas. For example, the chimneys are distributed over the upper face of the tray at a triangular or square pitch.

(29) Preferably, the number of chimneys on the tray is less than the number of compartments comprising the liquid passage means.

(30) The height of the chimneys 102 may be greater than that of the partitions forming the compartments. Thus the chimneys may be higher than the compartments containing the liquid passage means.

(31) According to the invention, the shape of the chimney 102 is identical to the shape of the compartment 103 containing it, and the internal volume of the chimney is at least equal to that of the compartment containing it.

(32) Since the chimneys match the shape of the compartments in this way, it becomes easier to design their installation on the tray and to construct the latter, with allowance for other design and manufacturing constraints, notably the arrangement of the liquid passage means, which must allow a good quality of distribution of the liquid.

(33) This makes it possible, notably, to avoid the problems of connection between chimneys and compartments encountered in the prior art, and therefore facilitates the manufacture of the tray.

(34) This also facilitates the design of the tray, in that it is possible to optimize the uniformity of the velocity profile of the gas at the outlet of the chimneys, using an additional flexibility in the installation of the chimneys on the tray provided by the identity of shape between the compartments and the chimneys, without affecting the distribution of liquid in the compartments. It should be borne in mind that the velocity profile of the gas at the outlet of the gas chimneys of the tray is an essential parameter for the correct operation of the gas/liquid contactor, for example a packing bed, over which the gas is distributed. Thus the present invention makes it possible to produce a tray with high performance in terms of the quality of gas and liquid distribution.

(35) The compartments of the distributor tray 100 are in the shape of right-angle parallelepipeds. The chimneys 102 are also in the shape of right-angle parallelepipeds. The cross section of said chimneys 102 is therefore rectangular, as is that of the compartments 103. The chimneys 102 are, for example, elongated along a longitudinal axis Y orthogonal to the axis Z. The parallelepipedal, preferably right-angle parallelepipedal, shape allows a large aperture for the passage of the gas, notably by comparison with known cylindrical chimneys, making it possible to limit pressure drops.

(36) The distributor tray according to the invention may comprise compartments having a shape other than that shown in FIG. 7. In particular, the distributor tray according to the invention may comprise compartments, and therefore chimneys, having a cross section of square, rectangular, diamond, hexagonal or trapezoidal shape. Preferably, the chimneys of the distributor tray according to the invention have a cross section of square shape, as in the embodiments of the tray according to the invention shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

(37) By way of nonlimiting example, the height of the chimneys may, for example, be between 0.15 m and 1.00 m, and preferably between 0.3 m and 0.6 m.

(38) To manufacture the tray, and particularly to determine the size of the compartments 103, the following steps may be taken:

(39) a) an imbalance index IQ for said tray 100 is defined:

(40) $\mathrm{IQ}\left(\%\right)=\frac{U_{L1}-U_{L2}}{\left(U_{L1}+U_{L2}\right)\text{/}2}100$

(41) Where U.sub.L1 and U.sub.L2 are the velocities of the liquid leaving the tray at two diametrically opposite ends of the tray;

(42) b) a maximum imbalance index of said tray and a maximum tilt angle θ of the tray 100 relative to the horizontal are chosen;

(43) c) a distance L1 between two consecutive parallel partitions and a length L2 of a diagonal of a compartment are determined, enabling the maximum imbalance index to be found; and

(44) d) the partitions are positioned to conform to the lengths L1 and L2.

(45) FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a part of a tray according to an embodiment of the invention, in a top view. This therefore concerns the upper face of the tray. For the sake of simplicity, certain elements such as the liquid passage means are not shown. The tray 200 according to this embodiment is identical in every way to that described with reference to FIG. 7, except in that the compartments 203 formed by the partitions 204, and therefore the chimneys 202, have a square cross section. The compartments of the tray thus form a checkerboard structure, having rows along the X and Y axes. Additionally, according to this embodiment, each chimney 202 occupies a single compartment 203. In other words, the internal volume of each chimney 202 is equal to the volume of the compartment 203 containing it. Preferably, according to this embodiment, the chimneys 202 are distributed uniformly over the upper face of the tray, for example in a regular pattern determined by a triangular pitch. Thus the tray 200 comprises one chimney 202 for every 4 compartments along the X axis and the Y axis, each chimney 202 being surrounded on all sides by compartments containing liquid passage means only, and communicating with one another via perforations in the partitions 204, so as to create a liquid flow area distributed uniformly over the face of the tray 200. The chimneys 202 are also spaced apart by a row without chimneys, that is to say a row formed only by liquid compartments, along the X axis and also along the Y axis.

(46) FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a part of a tray according to an embodiment of the invention, in a top view. This therefore concerns the upper face of the tray. The tray 300 according to this embodiment is identical in every way to that described with reference to FIG. 8, except in that each chimney 302 occupies a plurality of adjacent compartments 303, for example four adjacent compartments as shown. “4 adjacent compartments” is taken to mean that the compartments are adjacent in pairs. In other words, the internal volume of each chimney 302 is equal to the volume of the four compartments 303 containing it. As in the tray 200, the compartments of the tray 303 formed by the partitions 304, and therefore the chimneys 302, have a square cross section. A checkerboard structure is thus formed, having rows along the X and Y axes. Preferably, according to this embodiment, the chimneys 302 are distributed uniformly over the upper face of the tray, for example in a regular pattern determined by a triangular pitch. Only the full chimneys, that is to say those occupying 4 drawn compartments, are shown in FIG. 9. Thus the tray 300 comprises a chimney 302 occupying 4 adjacent compartments, forming a square, every

(47) 4 compartments along the X axis and every 6 compartments along the Y axis, each chimney 302 being surrounded on all sides by compartments containing liquid passage means only, and communicating with one another via perforations in the partitions 304, so as to create a liquid flow area distributed uniformly over the face of the tray 300. The chimneys 302 are also spaced apart by at least one row without chimneys, that is to say a row formed only by liquid compartments, along the X axis and also along the Y axis.

(48) The invention also relates to a column for material and/or heat exchange between a gas G and a liquid L, in which the two fluids are brought into contact by means of at least one gas/liquid contactor. Such a gas/liquid contactor is preferably a bed of structured or random packing, as defined above. It can also be any other means for bringing gas and liquid into contact which makes possible an exchange of material and/or of heat, such as trays.

(49) The column according to the invention may be a column as described with reference to FIG. 1, for example one suitable for a method of absorption of acid compounds such as CO.sub.2, H.sub.2S, COS, carbon disulfide (CS.sub.2), sulfur dioxide (SO.sub.2) and mercaptans (RSH) such as methyl mercaptan (CH.sub.3SH), ethyl mercaptan (CH.sub.3CH.sub.2SH) and propyl mercaptan (CH.sub.3CH.sub.2CH.sub.2SH), contained in a gas to be processed, by the liquid which is an aqueous solution of amine(s). The column can thus comprise, without exhaustively taking up again the description which has already been given above of such a column, at least one inlet for a liquid (known as “depleted solvent”) positioned at the top of the column, at least one inlet for a gas to be treated at the bottom of the column, at least one outlet for the treated gas at the top of the column and at least one outlet for the liquid enriched in contaminants which are initially present in the gas to be treated at the column bottom (known as “enriched solvent”). The column advantageously comprises at least one gas/liquid contactor 7, preferably a random or structured packing bed, and more preferably a structured packing bed, for bringing the gas to be processed into contact with the depleted solvent.

(50) The column 1 comprises at least a first inlet for the liquid L.sub.SP, at least a second inlet for the gas G.sub.FA, at least a first outlet for a gaseous fluid G.sub.FA and at least a second outlet for a liquid fluid L.sub.SR.

(51) The column 1 further comprises a distributor tray as described above, surmounting said gas/liquid contactor 7, to allow a distribution of the liquid over said contactor 7 and a distribution of the gas.

(52) Depending on the position of the tray in the column and the direction of flow of the fluids (of the co-current or countercurrent type), the gas may be distributed by the tray over said gas/liquid contactor (as in the case, for example, of a co-current descending gas/liquid flow), or may be distributed over another gas/liquid contactor surmounting the tray if the tray is positioned between two successive gas/liquid contactors in the column (as in the case, for example, of a countercurrent gas/liquid flow with the liquid descending in the column), or the gas may be distributed at the top of the column, above every section comprising a gas/liquid contactor, from where it may be discharged from the column.

(53) Preferably, the column according to the invention operates in countercurrent mode, with a gas ascending and a liquid descending in the column.

(54) The distributor tray according to the invention may be placed between two successive sections, namely a lower section and an upper section, each section comprising a gas/liquid contactor 7, typically a packing bed, thus allowing the distribution of the liquid L at the top of the gas/liquid contactor 7 of the lower section, and the distribution of the gas at the base of the gas/liquid contactor 7 of the upper section. It replaces the liquid collecting and redistribution system referenced (4,5) in FIG. 1.

(55) The distributor tray according to the invention may also be placed at the top of the column, downstream of any gas/liquid contactor 7 (in the direction of an ascending gas in a column operating in countercurrent mode). It thus allows the liquid entering through the first inlet of the liquid L.sub.SP at the top of the column to be distributed over the section containing the gas/liquid contactor 7 in the highest position in the column.

(56) Advantageously, the gas/liquid contactor 7 is a structured or random packing bed, and preferably a structured packing bed.

(57) The distributor tray according to the invention may be associated with a dispersion system placed under the distributor tray, this dispersion system possibly being a set of sprinklers or perforated conduits placed in parallel under the distributor tray. This dispersion system can provide an even better dispersion of the liquid in the gas/liquid contactor.

(58) Such an offshore column may be a column for the absorption or regeneration of a fluid, in which a gaseous fluid is brought into contact with a liquid fluid, used in a gas processing or CO.sub.2 capture unit.

(59) The absorption column brings a gas and a liquid into contact to absorb contaminants contained in the gas and produce a liquid enriched in said contaminants and a gaseous outflow depleted in said contaminants. The regeneration column brings a gas and a liquid into contact to regenerate a liquid containing contaminants and to produce a regenerated liquid depleted in contaminants and a gas enriched in said contaminants.

(60) The invention also relates to a unit for gas processing or for capturing the CO.sub.2 contained in the gas, by scrubbing the gas using an absorbent solution, containing amines for example. The unit comprises at least one offshore column 1 as defined above, for allowing exchanges between the gas and the absorbent solution.

(61) “Gas processing” is conventionally taken to mean the elimination of acid compounds in gaseous form such as CO.sub.2, H.sub.2S, COS, CS.sub.2, SO.sub.2 and mercaptans (RSH) contained in a gas, and particularly those contained in a natural gas in a context of use of an offshore column.

(62) “Capture of the CO.sub.2 contained in a gas” is usually taken to mean the elimination of the CO.sub.2 contained in a gas, for example that contained in a natural gas or combustion fumes in a context of use of an offshore column.

(63) The tray according to the invention may also advantageously be used in an offshore liquid distillation column or an offshore gas dehydration column.

(64) The invention thus also relates to a distillation or gas dehydration unit.

(65) “Gas dehydration” is taken to mean the elimination of the water contained in a gas (the gas is “dried”), for example that contained in a context of use of an offshore column, by bringing the gas into contact with a liquid solvent such as glycol.

(66) Finally, the invention relates to an offshore floating barge, of the FPSO or FLNG type for example, notably for hydrocarbon recovery. The barge comprises a gas processing and/or CO.sub.2 capture unit as described above, for cleaning gases produced during hydrocarbon recovery. The barge may also comprise a distillation and/or gas dehydration unit as described above.