pyResToolbox MCP Server

Calculate water content of natural gas.

CRITICAL GAS PROCESSING TOOL - Computes the amount of water vapor that natural gas can hold at given pressure and temperature conditions. Essential for hydrate prevention, dehydration unit design, and pipeline operation. Water content decreases with increasing pressure and decreasing temperature.

Parameters:

• sg (float, required): Gas specific gravity (air=1.0). Valid: 0.55-3.0. Typical: 0.6-1.2. Example: 0.7.

• degf (float, required): Temperature in °F. Valid: -460 to 1000. Typical: 40-200°F. Example: 100.0.

• p (float or list, required): Pressure(s) in psia. Must be > 0. Can be scalar or array. Example: 1000.0 or [500, 1000, 2000].

Water Content Behavior:

• Decreases with increasing pressure (less water can dissolve)

• Decreases with decreasing temperature (less water vapor)

• Typical range: 5-200 lb/MMSCF at pipeline conditions

• At high pressure/low temperature: <10 lb/MMSCF

Hydrate Formation: Gas-water systems form solid hydrates (ice-like structures) at certain P-T conditions. Hydrates can block pipelines and equipment. Gas must be dehydrated below:

• Hydrate formation temperature at operating pressure

• Typical target: <7 lb/MMSCF for pipeline operation

• Typical target: <0.1 lb/MMSCF for LNG/cryogenic processes

Correlation: Uses McCain correlation (1990) based on experimental data for sweet natural gas. Valid for typical pipeline and processing conditions.

Applications:

• Hydrate Prevention: Determine minimum dehydration requirement

• Dehydration Unit Design: Size glycol contactors and regenerators

• Pipeline Corrosion: Assess water-related corrosion risk

• Gas Processing: Design dehydration systems for sales gas

• Sales Gas Specs: Ensure compliance with water content limits

Returns: Dictionary with:

• value (float or list): Water content in lb/MMSCF (matches input p shape)

• method (str): "McCain (1990) correlation"

• units (str): "lb/MMSCF"

• inputs (dict): Echo of input parameters

• note (str): Hydrate prevention guidance

Common Mistakes:

• Using separator temperature instead of pipeline/processing temperature

• Pressure in barg/psig instead of psia (must be absolute)

• Not understanding hydrate formation conditions

• Confusing water content (lb/MMSCF) with water dew point (°F)

• Temperature in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit

Example Usage:

Result: Water content decreases from ~50 lb/MMSCF at 500 psia to ~20 lb/MMSCF at 2000 psia.

Note: Water content is critical for pipeline operation. Always check against hydrate formation curve. For hydrate prevention, compare to hydrate formation temperature at operating pressure. Typical pipeline requirement: <7 lb/MMSCF.