Eliminating smaller flares

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Eliminating smaller flares

• James BANISTER
• Process Technologist
• Heatric

2
Natural gas field sizesExploitation technologies
TCF
100
15
1000 mmscf/d

• LNG and Big GTL

10
150 mmscf/d
2

• Big methanol

0.8
1000
lt 50 mmscf/d
0.4

• Re-injection

or conversion
0.2
0.05
6000
Number of fields
3
Natural gas field sizesExploitation technologies
TCF
15
1000 mmscf/d

• LNG and Big GTL

150 mmscf/d

• Big methanol

1000
lt 50 mmscf/d

• Re-injection

6000
Total gas volume
Number of fields
4
Natural gas field sizesExploitation technologies
TCF

• 7 of fields lt0.4 TCF
• Approximately half would be considered stranded
• No viable gas market
• Associated gas requires alternatives to flaring

Total gas volume
5
The choice

• Re-injection or conversion?
• Conversion brings an additional revenue stream
• Recover capital cost of plant
• Methanol or GTL?

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Product Value and PricingExploitation
technologies

• GTL
• Product value linked to energy price
• A small price premium may be possible from
  refiners
• Economics of the process driven by cheap energy
  supply

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Product Value and PricingExploitation
technologies

• Methanol
• Product carries price premium
• Smaller unit fit with smaller chemicals market
• Up to 150mmscf/d
• Use of methanol offshore
• Hydrate suppression
• Process enhanced by carbon dioxide in feed gas

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Size and Weight offshore Methanol vs GTL reactors

• Reformer is common to both technologies
• GTL reactor is big
• 10m diameter reactor for 100mmscf/d
• Methanol is smaller
• 3m diameter reactor for 100mmscf/d

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Offshore gas conversion The technical challenges

• Minimise capital cost
• Minimise size and weight
• Designed for the operating environment

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Heatric compact methanol process Using diffusion
bonded exchanger technology (DBX)
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Heatric compact methanol process The reformer

• Process Simulation
• Proof-of-concept
• Component Analysis
• Laboratory Trial Facility
• Industrial Prototype

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Heatric compact methanol process The reformer
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Heatric compact methanol process Methanol
synthesis

• Process Simulation
• Demonstration and development unit
• Design of unit for a conventional plant

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Heatric compact methanol process Product
advantages

• Reformer
• Utilises Heatric multiple adiabatic bed concept
• Simplifies control
• Catalytic combustion
• Methanol
• No recycle compressor
• Reduced catalyst volume
• Advantages
• Compact packaged process
• No oxygen plant
• Cost-effective for 5-50 mmscf/d
• k140-k200 per tpd capacity
• Experience in manufacturing for off-shore

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Conclusion

• Methanol production can provide revenue to
  eliminate flaring
• Challenge in the offshore environment is size and
  weight reduction
• Heatric is developing the technology for the most
  cost-effective offshore gas conversion

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