Onsite Testing, Troubleshooting & Diagnostics

  Nexo Solutions provides technical services for diagnosing and optimizing performance in gas treating and liquid processing systems. These services focus on identifying root causes of operational issues through a combination of onsite testing, laboratory analysis, and process engineering evaluation. Core capabilities include filtration, coalescing, and adsorption system design and optimization, spent filter and coalescer evaluation, vessel inspection, equipment reconfiguration, and inlet gas and liquid contamination sampling.

A primary focus of these services is understanding how contaminants enter and move through process systems. Inlet contamination, inadequate separation, and solids or liquid carryover are common drivers of downstream issues such as amine unit foaming, fouling, corrosion, and off-spec product. Nexo Solutions evaluates filter and coalescer performance, contaminant loading, media condition, and vessel configuration to determine whether existing systems are operating effectively. These evaluations are particularly important for facilities experiencing high filtration costs, recurring foaming, hydrocarbon contamination, or reduced treating capacity.

Corrosion and fouling analysis is a critical component of gas treating troubleshooting and reliability improvement. These mechanisms can significantly reduce equipment life, increase maintenance costs, and impact overall process performance. Nexo Solutions performs corrosion and fouling root cause analysis to determine whether the issue is related to process chemistry, oxygen ingress, acid gases such as CO₂ and H₂S, chlorides, solids loading, microbiologically influenced corrosion, or materials selection.

Testing programs include deposit analysis, liquid contaminant analysis, corrosion testing, fouling tendency evaluation, and field inspection of affected equipment. Deposits are characterized to determine whether they consist of iron sulfides, iron oxides, salts, mineral scale, organic material, or process-related contaminants. In amine units, particular attention is given to solvent degradation products and heat stable salts, which contribute to corrosion, fouling, and amine unit instability. Accurate identification of these materials is essential for selecting effective mitigation strategies such as filtration upgrades, chemical treatment, or materials changes.

Nexo Solutions also provides contaminant removal consulting to improve separation efficiency and system performance. This includes evaluation of solids removal, liquid-liquid separation, and the effectiveness of filtration, coalescing, and carbon adsorption systems. Onsite gas treating and liquid sampling is used to quantify contaminant levels and validate performance under real operating conditions.

Equipment performance assessment is conducted as part of unit audits and process troubleshooting services. Critical equipment in amine units and TEG dehydration systems—including contactors, regenerators, separators, flash tanks, heat exchangers, filters, coalescers, and carbon beds—is evaluated for performance degradation. Over time, these systems can be impacted by fouling, hydraulic issues, maldistribution, mechanical damage, or changes in feed composition.

Evaluations include review of design parameters, operating conditions, and field observations. Contactor and regenerator performance is assessed in terms of mass transfer efficiency, temperature profiles, and hydraulic loading. Flash tank performance is evaluated based on hydrocarbon separation efficiency and vapor-liquid disengagement. Filtration and coalescer systems are reviewed for solids removal efficiency and liquid carryover. Carbon beds are evaluated for contaminant removal efficiency and breakthrough behavior. Heat exchangers are assessed for fouling, thermal performance, and flow distribution, with thermal imaging used where appropriate to identify inefficiencies. These equipment performance evaluations help identify bottlenecks and support gas treating optimization efforts that improve capacity, reliability, and operating cost.

A common application of these services is amine unit troubleshooting, particularly in cases involving amine foaming and solvent losses. Facilities often rely on antifoam injection or operational adjustments, but these approaches typically address symptoms rather than root causes. Nexo Solutions performs comprehensive amine unit evaluations that include inlet gas contamination testing, amine solvent analysis, foaming tendency testing, and review of filtration and separation performance.

A gas treating facility experiencing chronic amine foaming and significant in solvent losses. Root cause analysis identified hydrocarbon carryover, surfactant  contamination, and oversized separator. Corrective actions included improved inlet  separation, larger coalescer, and solvent treatment. Result: 85% reduction in  solvent losses, improved gas treating efficiency, and increased throughput. 

Foaming in amine units is commonly associated with hydrocarbon carryover, surfactants, fine solids, solvent degradation products, and heat stable salts. These contaminants can originate upstream or develop within the system, and their combined effects often drive persistent foaming and reduced efficiency. Based on the results of testing and analysis, corrective actions may include improving inlet separation, upgrading filters and coalescers, optimizing carbon bed operation, implementing solvent cleanup strategies, adjusting operating conditions, or modifying equipment. These solutions are designed to reduce foaming, minimize amine losses, and stabilize unit performance.

Nexo Solutions also provides TEG dehydration troubleshooting and optimization services for glycol dehydration systems that are not meeting water removal specifications. Poor dehydration performance may be caused by glycol contamination, inadequate regeneration, improper temperature control, poor flash tank performance, or upstream hydrocarbon carryover.

Onsite evaluation of TEG dehydration units includes glycol sampling and analysis, review of operating parameters, and process performance assessment. This allows identification of efficiency losses within the system. Corrective actions may include adjusting regeneration conditions, improving separation upstream of the contactor, replacing degraded glycol, modifying equipment, or updating operating procedures. These targeted improvements help restore dehydration performance without unnecessary capital replacement.

Onsite testing and field diagnostics are central to Nexo Solutions’ technical services approach. Collecting real-time data from operating systems enables faster and more accurate root cause identification compared to trial-and-error troubleshooting. Inlet gas analysis, liquid sampling, and field measurements provide a clear understanding of contaminant sources and system behavior under actual operating conditions.

This data-driven approach supports both troubleshooting and cost reduction. Common issues such as solvent losses, excessive chemical usage, high filtration costs, energy inefficiency, and off-spec product quality can create ongoing operational expenses. By identifying and eliminating root causes, Nexo Solutions helps facilities reduce these costs and improve long-term performance.

In addition to resolving existing issues, onsite diagnostics support proactive maintenance and process optimization. Early detection of corrosion, fouling, and separation inefficiencies allows facilities to plan maintenance, avoid unplanned downtime, and extend equipment life. Process optimization efforts may focus on increasing treating capacity, improving energy efficiency, enhancing separation performance, and maintaining product specifications.

Nexo Solutions supports a wide range of applications, including amine units, TEG dehydration systems, gas processing, liquid processing, LPG, NGL, LNG, condensate systems, sour water treating, caustic systems, and cryogenic processes. Services include process consulting, onsite troubleshooting and testing, feed gas and liquid analysis, unit audits, vessel inspections, laboratory chemical analysis, filtration and coalescer evaluation, technical training, and process simulation support.

Each project is tailored to the specific operating conditions, contamination profile, and performance objectives of the facility. By integrating field data, laboratory results, and engineering analysis, Nexo Solutions delivers practical, technically sound solutions for gas treating optimization, amine unit performance improvement, and dehydration system reliability.