Tarija (Bolivia)
Gran Chaco Plant,
C. Villegas
Client
YPFB
Plant
Cryogenic turboexpansion for LPG recovery, fractionation, and storage.
Capacity
332 MMSM3D (1130 MMSCFD) of natural gas for the production and fractionation of:
Ethane (3200 TPD), Propane (1400 TPD), Butane (900 TPD), Isopentane (1100 TPD), and Gasoline (1700 TPD).
Recoveries
Ethane 95%, Propane and higher 100%
Investment amount
USD 1B
The Gran Chaco Plant processes up to 32.2 MMm³/day of gas, producing over 2,200 TPD of LPG with the goal of supplying the domestic market and exporting 80% of its production to neighboring countries.
Hytech carried out the process selection and design, Extended Basic and Detailed Engineering, as well as financial and regional market analysis, LPG export logistics, project planning, cost estimation, among other activities.
This included the design of LPG and gasoline storage stations, multiphase gas and oil pipelines, as well as the mechanical design of pressure vessels and heat exchangers
The plant can operate in either ethane recovery mode (99% C2) or ethane rejection mode (99% C3), adapting the process in real time to market conditions and product demand.
Additionally, it features three turboexpansion trains and a single fractionation train, enabling flexible operation at reduced flow rates (25% turndown) without compromising performance. To support these developments, topographic, geotechnical, and hydrological studies were conducted, which were key to defining the plant’s microlocation at its final site.