Block 18 – Petrobras
Petrobras recognized the health and environmental risks associated with gas flaring. At the same time, it was seeking a new power generation strategy for its oil production facilities.
- CLIENT
Ecopetrol
- LOCATION
Ecuador - Amazon (Palo Azul Site)
- APPLICATION
Gas Flare Capture, Oil & Gas
- FUEL TYPE
Flare Gas
- CAPACITY
17.5
Challenges
A blend of hydrocarbons, flared gas is released when crude oil is brought to the surface. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from flaring and methane from venting both contribute to climate change, creating environmental and health issues for nearby communities. Methane is 21 times more potent a greenhouse gas than CO2. However, the composition and amount of associated gases varies greatly from one oilfield to another, and this gas often lacks the composition and quality for commercial exploitation. Petrobras recognized the health and environmental risks associated with gas flaring. At the same time, it was seeking a new power generation strategy for its oil production facilities. Diesel power plants and the fuel they required were becoming more difficult to manage. The company was struggling to manage the logistics of its jungle location, which required transportation along poor-quality roads and even barges to get fuel to the site. Add in the environmental costs of flaring, and Petrobras knew it needed a more efficient, lower cost power generation solution. This solution would need to burn a poor-quality gas, producing fuel that met the stringent requirements of burning in a power plant: 75% to 80% CO2; no sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide; 450 Btu per standard cubic foot LHV; and a minimum pressure of 30 psig.
SoEnergy Solution
SoEnergy delivered an environmentally-friendly power generation solution that transformed flared gas into power and steam for the company's oil pumping and processing, water injection and camps. We did so under a medium- to long-term contract in which our team designed, built, operated and maintained the Petrobras' customized gas flare capture solution. This solution not only provided the producer with reliable, cost-effective power, but delivered benefits for both productivity and the planet. With our gas flare capture solution, Petrobras qualified for CO2 credits and crude oil savings stemming from steam cogeneration. The solution also resolved pollution issues for the communities surrounding the plant. By replacing costly diesel with no-cost flared gas fuel, the company optimized its power generation costs. SoEnergy also provided an integrated power solution with 100% redundancy. This hybrid power plant features crude reciprocate engine generator sets, which are on standby should the volume of the flared gas reduce in the oil wells.
Results
SoEnergy's customized, turnkey gas flare capture solution helped Petrobras optimize its power generation—reducing costs, enhancing efficiency and eliminating the environmental hazards of flared gas. Thanks to this innovative solution, Petrobras received an environmental award from the Government of Brazil for reducing contamination in the Amazon rainforest. It achieved this benefit without sacrificing its bottom line and without CapEx.
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