A Look Into Flare Gas Recovery Systems

Flare Gas Recovery System

Flare gas is one of the major contributors of greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas production facilities. Flare systems, which are used to burn off natural gas during unplanned shutdowns or maintenance activities at these facilities, release harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. To minimize these emissions, many companies have started adopting flare gas recovery systems. In this article, we will take a closer look at flare gas recovery systems, their working, benefits and the need for wider adoption.

What is a Flare Gas Recovery System?

A Flare Gas Recovery Systems is an equipment used to capture flare gas from oil and gas facilities instead of directly burning it off through flare stacks. The recovered gas is then compressed and either recycled for utilization in the production process, converted to liquid for storage and transport, or injected into pipelines for sale. It involves using recovery compressors, condensation equipment, scrubbers and storage tanks to treat the flare gas before reuse or safe disposal.

The key components of a typical flare gas recovery system include:

- Flare knockout drum - It separates liquids, condensate and solids from the gas stream before recovery.

- Compressors - They are used to increase the pressure of recovered gases so it can be transported through pipelines. Multiple stages of compression may be required.

- Condensate recovery units - These cool down and condense heavier hydrocarbon liquids from the gas stream.

- Sand/particle filters - They remove solids like sand that could damage compressors and pipelines.

- Dehydrators - They dry the gas to very low water content to meet pipeline quality specifications.

- Storage tanks - Recovered gas, condensate and water are temporarily stored in these tanks before reuse or disposal.

Once treated, the recovered gas is compressed and either used within the facility, sold to pipelines or converted to liquefied natural gas (LNG) for transport via ships or trucks if pipeline access is unavailable. This eliminates the need to flare significant volumes of gas.

Need for Flare Gas Recovery

Flaring is one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas operations worldwide. Some key issues associated with uncontrolled flaring include:

- Wastage of valuable energy resources - Flared gas contains methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as well as other hydrocarbon compounds that can be profitably utilized.

- High carbon footprint - Flaring releases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane directly into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Methane has a higher global warming potential than CO2.

- Air pollution - Toxic chemicals like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulphur dioxide, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides are also emitted during flaring, causing pollution.

- Noise and light pollution - Continuous burning of flare produces loud noise and bright flames, creating nuisance for surrounding communities.

- Loss of revenue - Sales from recovered gas could boost profits, but flaring leads to loss of this revenue.

With rising concerns over energy conservation and carbon emissions, most countries have instituted regulations limiting routine flaring. Installation of flare gas recovery systems allows companies to comply with such limits and minimize environmental impacts.

Benefits of Flare Gas Recovery

The key benefits of investing in flare gas recovery systems for oil and gas facilities include:

- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions - Capturing previously flared gas eliminates methane and other emissions into the atmosphere. This significantly lowers installation carbon footprint.

- Energy conservation - Recovered gases can be put to productive use within refineries, exported via pipelines or converted to LNG for transport and monetization. This conserves fossil fuels.

- Improved safety - Eliminating open flames from continuous flaring increases safety near oil/gas installations and surrounding areas.

- Regulatory compliance - Systems help comply with flaring limits imposed by environment protection agencies, avoiding penalties.

- Revenue generation - Excess treated gas can be sold commercially through pipelines or as LNG, generating additional profits.

- Noise control - Silent operation with recovery compressors reduces noise pollution compared to loud continuous flaring.

- Brand reputation - Adopting sustainable technologies like recovery systems boosts company image as an environmentally responsible corporate.

Wider Adoption of Flare Gas Recovery Needed

While a number of major oil and gas companies have already installed flare gas recovery infrastructure globally, wider adoption is still needed across the industry. Some key actions required include:

- Stronger regulatory push - Stricter flaring limits and penalties by regulators can motivate broader compliance through recovery systems.

- Financial incentives - Tax credits, subsidies for capital expenditure may encourage small producers to invest who cannot afford large capital costs.

- Technology improvements - R&D can develop cheaper, portable modular systems suitable for remote locations and optimize recovered gas utilization.

- Cross-industry collaboration - Knowledge sharing platforms allow learning from successful case studies and pilots to facilitate large scale deployments.

- Investor awareness - Highlighting environmental/profit benefits to banking/investment firms could channel more funding into sustainable flare elimination projects.

Conclusion
As oil and gas production continues to grow to meet rising global energy needs, it is imperative that operations transition to low-carbon models. Flare gas recovery systems are a proven technology to capture previously wasted resources, curb pollution as well as generate incremental revenues. With a collaborative approach, the industry can work towards eliminating routine flaring at all installations worldwide in the coming decades through widespread adoption of these systems.

 

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