System transforms sour field gas into energy surplus
Problem: In a field application in a remote part of west Texas, an operator had limited access to electric grid power, which curtailed expansion plans and presented challenges in maintaining production from existing wells. They needed a temporary power solution, but fuel options including diesel, LPG, LNG and CNG were considered uneconomic. Field gas was readily available, although it was in the form of wet sour gas containing greater than 300 ppm of H2S. A permanent solution to cleaning this gas was also considered cost prohibitive, and with a utility upgrade still six months away, the operator needed an alternative.
Solution: The operator consulted with Aggreko technical specialists, who worked with the operator’s field operations team to engineer a strategy to scrub the toxic sour gas out of the stranded field gas supply and turn it into a viable fuel source to power a temporary natural gas generation station. The solution was able to reduce the H2S levels in the supply gas to 0 ppm by passing through a tower equipped with SulfaBate pelletized H2S scavenger, and included multiple gas-liquid separators to reduce the liquids content prior to introducing it to the generators, and a temporary flare to purge test gas. The dry, desoured gas then entered 2 x 1 MW natural gas generators, which provided parallel and base load with the utility grid at 12.4 kV.
Result: This solution was able to power a fully operational well site in less than one week after startup and generated a greater than 10-to-1 payback. With the additional electricity supply, eight wells were able to convert from rod pump to electrical submersible pump as the lift method. This conversion increased the operational capacity of the field crew, who immediately began drilling new wells to continue toward the goal of 100 percent operation of available production. 877/798-5579; www.us.aggreko.com.
Solar-powered leak detection system installed at gold mine
Problem: A gold mine operator needed a leak detection system at a tailings pond in a high U.S. desert environment at approximately 5,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level. The gold mine operator needed to monitor a 6,000-foot-long, 8-inch-diameter plastic pipe that ran from the main mine processing area to a tailings pond alongside the access road and buried at the entrance to the causeway. At the bottom of the causeway was a large gasoline-powered pump on wheels with a suction line into the tailings pond. There was no direct visibility from the main processing area if the plastic pipe ruptured. After the pump was manually started, it had to be monitored at the pump location. There was no power available along the pipe route to the pond except at the main processing end.
Solution: PCE Pacific Inc. and SunWize Power & Battery partnered to provide a solution. A complete solar-powered leak detection system using three DP sensors and a radio based I/O SCADA system powered by two SunWize power stations was installed.
Result: The placement of three sensors allowed the entire pipe to be monitored for pump output and sectionalized quickly for any rupture or leak problems. The solar array and battery is mounted on the same antenna support structure that supports the NEMA-4 radio enclosure housing the radio equipment. 303/604-1125; www.sunwizepower.com.
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