CB&I designs and builds nitrogen rejection/helium recovery units that can accommodate a variety of feed gas compositions and operating conditions. These units remove nitrogen from natural gas streams, increasing the heating value of the gas to meet pipeline specifications; they also capture valuable helium for use in industrial applications.

Our nitrogen rejection units (NRUs) utilize cryogenic distillation technology – the most effective technology for nitrogen rejection and helium recovery. Customers can choose from several configurations, depending on their plant size, the feed gas composition and other specifications. All our systems are constructed of high-quality materials and are designed to provide reliable service, minimal maintenance and ease of operation.

Our solutions include single high-pressure towers, heat-coupled double towers, three-stage columns and single towers. Our UniTower^® can be used for a wide range of N₂ concentrations; this single-tower unit features a thermodynamically efficient design that fits well in small plants. In addition to nitrogen rejection and helium recovery units, we can provide purifying facilities to produce Grade-A helium.

We’ve pioneered a number of innovations in nitrogen rejection and helium recovery over the past 25 years. We developed proprietary rapid cooling technology and innovative insulation methods to reduce cool-down times. We built the first gas-plant-style, non-coldbox nitrogen rejection unit and the first system for handling feeds with less than 8 percent nitrogen. Our other innovations include the first commercially viable NRUs for inlet flow rates of less than 10 million standard cubic feet per day and the first double-column non-coldbox NRUs with integrated LPG and helium recovery.