Two tasks were active during the ninth quarter of the CNG acid gas removal project: Subtask 1.4, calibration of instruments and elimination of equipment difficulties for the process development-scale triple-point crystallizer; and Subtask 2.1, acquisition of crystallizer rate and mechanical slurry handling data. Within Subtask 1.4, slurry pumping difficulties were resolved by extending the flash zone (longer flash vessel), and by placing a coarse filter over the slurry outlet port to exclude large particles from the slurry pump suction line. The slurry pump is a 0.5-inch ECO gear pump. Successful slurry pumping permitted a solid bed several feet tall to accumulate in the washer-melter; the solid bed moved upward in a stick-slip mode rather than continuously. Crystal melting commenced when the solid emerged from the liquid, but lasted only briefly before the bottom of the solid bed collapsed and prevented further upward movement of solid. The causes of solid bed collapse, and crystallizer modifications to prevent collapse, are being studied. Within Subtask 2.1, the melt rate obtained in the 3-inch id drained bed melter was 0.5 lb melt gas/min (10.2 lb melt gas/square foot/min). The pressure driving force for melting was 2 psi or less, and no agitation was used. The drained bed melt rate compares with the original submerged bed melt rate of about 7.8 lb melt gas/square foot/min obtained with 5 psi pressure driving force and robust agitation. 2 figures, 2 tables.