Associated gas is now a valuable energy resource that offers significant benefits
Depending on volume, pressure, constituents and caloric value, associated oil-produced gases can have considerable value as a fuel for a clean-burning microturbine. For many oil and production operations, economical and high-quality microturbine electricity can provide all the power needed onsite to run pumps, blowers, compressors and lift systems. Excess electric generation can often be exported for profit to a nearby power consumer looking for an economical, reliable, and price-stable source of energy. And heat recovered from the microturbine can offset energy costs in the oil/water separation process or other field processes requiring heat.
Oil and gas recovery and processing operations are frequently under scrutiny from community groups and local regulators to eliminate hydrocarbon emissions and noxious odors. The Ingersoll Rand onsite microturbine energy system helps oil producers gain community acceptance by accomplishing those emission objectives, while simultaneously producing economical electric power and useful thermal energy.
The Ingersoll Rand microturbine provides economical, reliable and price-stable electric power to either offset the unpredictable cost of utility power or provide prime power for sites without utility power. The thermal energy produced by the microturbine can also provide significant energy-cost savings.
One independent oil producer uses overhead vapor to fuel the microturbines that power 80% of the operation’s electrical load for lift systems and pumps, as well as compressors in the gas plant. At current savings projections, full payback is anticipated in less than two years of operation for each system.
Oil recovery from offshore fields employing electric submersible pumps can use microturbines to power the pumps and other platform loads. Small enough to be placed directly on the wellhead platform itself, microturbines replace traditional diesel or gas-fired reciprocating engines which demonstrate relatively poor availability due to their frequent need for maintenance. In addition, operators can avoid the safety, logistics, and cost issues associated with the periodic supply of diesel fuel for engines.
Download microturbine offshore associated gas value proposition