Process Optimization of the Flaring Gas for Field Applications
Luisa Fernanda Ibañez-Gómez,
Sebastian Albarracín-Quintero,
Santiago Céspedes-Zuluaga,
Erik Montes-Páez,
Oswaldo Hideo Ando Junior,
João Paulo Carmo,
João Eduardo Ribeiro,
Melkzedekue Moraes Alcântara Moreira,
Adriano Almeida Goncalves Siqueira,
Camilo Andrés Guerrero-Martin
Affiliations
Luisa Fernanda Ibañez-Gómez
Energy Department, Fundación Universidad de América, Ak. 1 #20-53, Bogotá 110911, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Sebastian Albarracín-Quintero
Energy Department, Fundación Universidad de América, Ak. 1 #20-53, Bogotá 110911, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Santiago Céspedes-Zuluaga
Grupo de Investigación en Fénomenos de Superficie-Michael Polanyi, Department of Processes and Energy, Faculty of Mines, Universidad Nacional de Colombia—Sede Medellín, Medellín 050034, Bogotá, Colombia
Erik Montes-Páez
Petroleum Engineering School, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Escuela de Ingeniería de Petróleos, Cra 27 Cll 9 (Edificio Jorge Bautista Vesga)—UIS, Bucaramanga 680002, Santander, Colombia
Oswaldo Hideo Ando Junior
Academic Unit of Cabo do Santo Agostinho, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife 54518-530, PE, Brazil
João Paulo Carmo
Group of Metamaterials Microwaves and Optics (GMeta), Department of Electrical Engineering (SEL), University of São Paulo (USP), Avenida Trabalhador São-Carlense, Nr. 400, Parque Industrial Arnold Schimidt, São Carlos 13566-590, SP, Brazil
João Eduardo Ribeiro
Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB), 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Melkzedekue Moraes Alcântara Moreira
Department of Mechancial Engineering (SEM), University of São Paulo (USP), Avenida Trabalhador São-Carlense, Nr. 400, Parque Industrial Arnold Schimidt, São Carlos 13566-590, SP, Brazil
Adriano Almeida Goncalves Siqueira
Department of Mechancial Engineering (SEM), University of São Paulo (USP), Avenida Trabalhador São-Carlense, Nr. 400, Parque Industrial Arnold Schimidt, São Carlos 13566-590, SP, Brazil
Camilo Andrés Guerrero-Martin
Centre for Energy and Environmental Economics (CENERGIA), Energy Planning Programme, PPE/COPPE, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, 149—Edifício do Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco A, 2º Andar—Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro 21941-630, RJ, Brazil
During petroleum industry operations, burning flammable gas components in the flaring stacks is common, normally a symbol for stable production, but flaring these components creates harmful emissions for the environment. This flaring gas has components with a high quantity of heating power, an important measurement that quantifies the energy that can potentially be obtained from this wasted resource. This paper aims to evaluate the energy usage of the flaring gas, estimating the possible energy produced with this usable resource by modeling a treatment and energy generation process employing the Aspen HYSYS® simulator. The flaring gas is characterized using different models and compositional ranges of natural gas to know what kind of gas it is and identify what type of equipment could be used for treatment and energy generation from this resource. After the gas characterization, the selection of the equipment of treatment and energy generation is necessary; this is done using a multicriteria analysis by taking into consideration the variables of gas composition, electrical efficiency, economic performance, and GHG emissions, ensuring to generate the greatest amount of energy possible to be produced with this flaring gas. By increasing the LHV, 0.95 MMSCF of flared gas of an oilfield in the VMM basin produced 5133 kW, enough energy to supply gas treatment and power generation facilities and four times the total gross consumption energy of a model oilfield in the basin, while the CO2 emissions were reduced 11.4%, and cost savings using this resource instead of diesel were obtained. In conclusion, to minimize flaring and to recover and reuse these waste components, looking for alternatives for the use of this gas-like power generation is an important option that reduces pollutants emission, gives a new source of fuel, and gives an energy usefulness to this wasted resource.
