Natural gas has two faces. On one side, it is an important part of the energy-transformation toolkit. On the other side, it is a potent greenhouse gas. Technology can bring the two sides together.
The three papers selected for this Tech Focus feature describe technologies that can make natural gas safer to move and store.
The first paper, OTC 30655, describes an effort to eliminate flaring during offloading from a floating liquefied natural gas facility (FLNG) and an LNG carrier. Managing the balance of fuel gas and boiled-off gas between the FLNG and the carrier is vital to maintaining equilibrium and eliminating flaring. The paper looks at carriers with spherical tanks and presents a process study to identify potential causes of flaring during offtake and corrections that could eliminate it without capital modifications.
The second paper, OTC 30871, considers the benefits of barges over ship-type LNG carriers. Ship-type LNG carriers are designed to operate offshore over fields, which does not necessarily provide optimal opportunity for monetization. The paper argues that near-shore barges holding liquefaction facilities linked to the rest of the system elsewhere could be a more-viable gas-monetization concept.
The third paper, SPE 204787, describes a characterization and monitoring approach for underground gas storage. The approach involves close integration of subsurface understanding with the optimization of surface facilities. It also addresses sustainable operations through an asset-integrity-management plan.
To learn more about the advancement of technology in the natural gas space, check out the suggested additional reading and visit the OnePetro online library.
This Month’s Technical Papers
System Equilibrium Results in Zero Flaring During Offloading
Barge LNG Offers Benefits in Deepwater and Onshore Developments
Subsurface Characterization, Monitoring Play Role in Development of Gas-Storage Facilities
Recommended Additional Reading
IPTC 19783 Hybrid System—An Emerging Solution to Sour Gas Treatment by Siddharth Parekh, Schlumberger
SPE 202984 Sour Gas Has a Sweeter Future—Bulk H2S Removal Using Polymeric Cellulose Triacetate-Based Membranes by Pinkesh Sanghani, Schlumberger, et al.
SPE 208134 Inventory Verification in Underground Gas Storage Rebuilt From Depleted Gas Reservoir: A Case Study From China by Lina Song, PetroChina, et al.
SPE 207956 Unconventional Waste and Flare Gas Recovery System in New Circular Economy by Mohamed Ahmed Soliman, Saudi Aramco, et al.
Adam Wilson is SPE’s special publications editor, responsible for SPE’s online publications HSE Now and Data Science and Digital Engineering in Upstream Oil and Gas. He has been editing for SPE for more than 12 years, starting his tenure there working with peer-reviewed technical journals. Before joining SPE, Wilson spent more than a decade working for daily newspapers. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Texas and can be reached at awilson@spe.org.