Qatargas Flare Reduction Program

Effect of wettability of shale on CO2 sequestration with enhanced gas recovery in shale reservoir: Implications from molecular dynamics simulation

This paper quantitatively investigates the fractional condensate recovery and relative permeability following supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) injection, methane injection and the injection of their mixtures; and compositionally-sensitive reservoir gas relative permeability following SCCO2 injection. A high pressure high temperature experimental laboratory was established to simulate reservoir conditions and to perform relative permeability measurements on sandstone cores. All tests were made at measured miscible conditions of 5900psi, 95-160°C and constant flow velocity inside the cores of 10cm/h. Two sequences of coreflooding experiments were employed to replicate the displacement of reservoir gas by pure SCCO2 injection, and the displacement of condensate by injection of different SCCO2-methane concentrations. This work is part of an integrated enhanced gas and condensate recovery project conducted for a local reservoir in Western Australia. The results provide valuable insights into gas and condensate recovery following SCCO2 injection with various methane impurities. The results demonstrate that SCCO2 injection appears to offer less capillary instabilities and better mobility ratios resulting in a delayed breakthrough and favorable condensate sweep efficiency (79% recovery and 0.62 PV BT); as opposed to the injection of SCCO2-methane mixtures, or pure methane injection (45% recovery and 0.27 PV BT). Further, the relative permeability curves to condensate improve following SCCO2 injection due to decrease in condensate-to-gas viscosity ratio (curves cross at 58% gas saturation with SCCO2 injection compared to 24% gas saturation with methane injection). On the gas-gas side, experiments confirm that the greater the methane concentration in the reservoir gas (i.e. less CO2 contamination) the better relative permeability and sweep efficiency data become at the flooding temperatures and pressures (curves cross at 40% SCCO2 saturation when 90% methane is present in the reservoir compared to less than 5% SCCO2 saturation when only 25% methane is present in the porous medium). These data will help the operators develop operational and design strategies for their current and future EOR projects, as well as to input parameters for full-field simulation practices.

This paper is a critical review of the application of the apposite brownfield total equipment care (TEC) principles and concepts largely contributory to the higher rotating equipment reliability and availability figures in the Bonga Deepwater operation. The approach defines how the performance of an ageing fleet of rotating machinery susceptible to myriads of production challenges including changing production fluids chemistry, reservoir pressure decline, equipment obsolescence and reliability reduction of ancillary equipment, supply chain disruptions effect of COVID – 19 and its aftermath and others has been unlocked in a cost-effective manner to support the bottom-line business aspirations and achieve 1 billion barrels milestone. This paper is one of a series of Bonga themed papers proposed for OTC 2024. The Bonga field journey to One Billion Barrels started with the launch of the Bonga Business Improvement Plan (BBIP) in 2016 with keen focus on improving on four (4) critical systems per year through End-to-End system reliability improvement, Asset register update, Reliability centered maintenance, Critical Sparing reviews, Surveillance refresh and Preventive Maintenance Optimization. Key strategies deployed are: Embedding Proactive Technical Monitoring (PTM) to aid in early identification and mitigation of threats prior to becoming big issues, by leveraging on technology tools such as Exception Based Surveillance (EBS), SmartConnect, Plant Information, Solar InSight, and System-1 amongst others, Deepening Failure Investigations by deploying Causal Reasoning methodology across business (including HSSE type events) to understand root causes and systemic issues, and driving Maintenance Efficiency, capacity & capability building through strong collaboration with major rotating equipment manufacturers during planning and execution of major overhauls, utilizing onsite workshop and corporate workshop onshore for major maintenance activities not limited to valve overhauls, electric motor repairs, and pumps, and improved execution strategies resulting in optimized maintenance costs. With our Proactive Threat Management approach, daily surveillance, strong collaboration with equipment OEMs during planning of major equipment overhauls, improved execution strategies and execution efficiencies, Bonga FPSO have been able to achieve significant improvement in plant availability of >95%, reliability >96%, and significant reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions through reduction of flares and fuel emissions, which has overall contributed to the 1 billion barrels export milestone achieved. This paper presents the benefit of digitalization, robust Asset Management processes and competence development as key enablers to improved plant and equipment Reliability, Availability & Utilization in any production facility.

Firms' digitalization in manufacturing and the structure and direction of green innovation

A comprehensive review of formation damage during enhanced oil recovery

In the first two decades of the 21st century, the problem of waste disposal has surfaced with much severity due to the ever-increasing population, rapid urbanization, continuing industrialization, and change in lifestyle, and also to some extent through universal digitalization. These factors have collectively amounted to the generation of enormous volumes of toxic/non-toxic wastes, domestic, agricultural, medical, commercial, industrial, mining, electronic, radioactive, etc. Waste management specifies the sum total of activities and actions essential to handle waste from its origin to its ultimate clearance. In a broader approach, it targets the collection, transportation and disposal of garbage, sewage, and other waste products, simultaneously taking care of its generation, characterization, and minimization too. Though source reduction and reuse, animal feeding, recycling, composting, fermentation, landfills, incineration, and land application are the eight key groups of traditional waste management practices, the modern approach can encompass other aspects like waste management policies with the legal and regulatory framework. Moreover, in recent years, many sophisticated methods are employed to successfully manage these wastes, including biological reprocessing, recovery and recycling, dumping in a sanitary landfill, waste to energy, bioremediation, plasma gasification, and disposal in ocean or sea etc. The advancement that is being made in waste disposal methods is still not adequate. Both developing as well as the least developed countries still have many important issues that need to be resolved related to waste disposal wherein some of the most critical ones include lack of political will to tackle the problem, absence of a planned national policy related to solid waste management, feeble implementation of rules and regulations, paucity of funds dedicated to mitigating the problem, lack of mass awareness and or educational programmes at all levels, and ignorance about a ‘circular economy. Needless to say, even the developed countries continue to grapple with the problem of a speedy and secure mode of waste management. As the waste load increases incessantly, it becomes more and more challenging for humans to find a wholesome method of waste disposal that can help maintain a cleaner environment and support sustainable development. Therefore, the need of the hour is an integrated waste management approach with ‘All for Environment’ attitude. <br>

Problem Criminal activity attributed to substance misuse is a tremendous challenge to public health and public safety. Over 80% of Alaska's incarcerated population has an addiction disorder. These individuals are 129 times more likely to die of a drug overdose within two weeks after reentry. Nearly 83% will likely be rearrested. This complex problem has a costly impact. In 2017, 25,450 Alaskans were victims of crimes directly attributed to substance misuse for a total cost of over $2.3 billion. Description The Alaska Recidivism Reduction and Recovery Project is a comprehensive intervention addressing the primary risk factors of ongoing criminal activity and substance misuse within an innovative therapeutic campus model and a mobile health platform. The intervention uses a conceptual framework derived from the European Union's Triple-R Model and the Norway Model of Restorative Justice. Living on a therapeutic campus for an average of 6-18 months, formerly incarcerated adults engage in a suite of services designed to transform criminogenic needs. Services also employ an innovative mobile health platform using Oracle's Intelligent Advisor technology. The project aims to increase access to critical community care, improve participants' quality of life, and improve public health and safety by reducing crime related to substance misuse. Results Preliminary results suggest the intervention may significantly improve access to care upon reentry while creating meaningful changes in criminogenic needs. Early indications also suggest substantial cost savings may be achieved. For every 80 successful participants in Alaska, data suggests cost savings and net economic benefits may reach $20 million. Lessons European concepts can be successfully replicated in Alaska to create an impactful intervention addressing criminal recidivism and addiction. Given the correlation between crime and addiction, this practice may provide a critical pathway for improving public health and safety. Key messages European conceptual frameworks can be successfully replicated in Alaska to create a meaningful community-based intervention for reducing criminal recidivism and substance misuse. An innovative intervention in Alaska addressing the primary risk factors of criminal activity and substance misuse demonstrates the potential to achieve significant social impact and cost savings.

Methane gas (coal mine gas) emitted into the atmosphere due to coal mining is not only a problem for mine safety but also an undesired effect on global warming. Therefore, we will accelerate to diffuse technologies for coal mine gas recovery and its effective use through demonstration project at operating coal mines. The demonstration project for effective recovery and utilization of coal mine gas has been conducted for five years, from fiscal 1998 to 2002, at Tiefa Coal Mining Company, Liaoning Province in P.R.C. The purposes of the project are to prevent global warming, to improve mine safety and to use the coal mine gas effectively as a clean energy resource with its efficient recovery and effective use. The advanced gas drainage and utilization system have been introduced and at the same time the technology transfer has been conducted. Through the project, the coal mine gas has been recovered stably in high concentration and supplied as town gas.

Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESPs) are widely deployed means of artificial lift methods as they are versatile and adaptable to various well conditions. However, ESP completions have significant installation and operational costs. This paper will address an in-house developed ESP Operational Excellence (OE) initiative that translated into longer run life, increased reliability, and sustained oil production. The objective of this initiative is to unleash the ESPs’ full potentials, and provide structured approach to measure its performance and sustain improvements. The Operational Excellence model is based on asset management cycle of Plan, Do, Check, and Adjust. Production Engineering Team with the support of Artificial Lift Specialty identified two major focus areas; ESP turnaround, and premature failure, as OE candidates. Each focus area was examined in two parts: 1) review of current performance, and 2) review of processes implementation. The current performance was thoroughly reviewed and immediate actions were incorporated and tracked by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and driven by results and improvements. In parallel, review of processes implementation was conducted to fine tune current procedure and enforce Best Practices (BPs). ESP turnaround time was significantly reduced through planning ahead required activities, desings, and equipement. This was achieved by setting agenda and streamlined communication with all concerned orginizations. ESP turnaround was done in 20% less days before OE. With the implementation of OE model, oil production was ensured in timely efficient manner without comprising quality as well HSE. The other focus area is premature failure. Once an ESP is properly designed, installed, and operated, the ESP performance is continuously monitored and maintained. The check part of the OE cycle comes into place when the ESP is confirmed failure. Then, the equipment is thoroughly checked using data collected from Dismantle &amp; Inspection Failure Analysis (DIFA) process, with the aim of enhancing performance and deliverability. Based on the detailed investigation, the factors that affected the pump health are integrated and adjusted for the next ESP application. Through DIFA process management, quality assurance activities were conducted to ensure that lessons learned during operation and maintenance, as well as improvements to existing ESP designs are incorporated in new designs; to continuously improve ESP asset integrity and reliability. Therefore, corrective and preventive actions were implemented to resolve common factors that affect ESP performance, such as downhole electrical components including motors and pumps, seals, well conditions and human error during pump installations. By refining these factors, the ESP performance curve was improved and operational excellence was achieved. The implemented Operational Excellence model has shown its significance in optimizing process details from ESP design until operation, which consequently improved ESP run life, increased reliability and sustained oil production.

Capture of carbon dioxide emissions from industry and their subsequent storage deep below the Earth's surface in porous rocks has great potential for reducing the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) could provide humankind with a plausible transition to a low carbon economy without having to suddenly stop use of fossil fuels.A prerequisite for geostorage of carbon dioxide is determination of storage capacity, of a potential site, a geological province or indeed for a whole country. The approach to calculation of the resource (available pore space) for carbon dioxide storage shares much in common with the process used to estimate oil, gas, or indeed aquifer water volume. The calculation involves the following stages: measurement of gross rock volume, calculation of net (porous) rock volume, calculation of void space, and finally determination of how much of the void space could be filled with carbon dioxide. The accuracy with which the first three calculations can be made is determined by the quantity and quality of the data available. Typically, gross rock volume is not measured directly but instead combines geographic location data with time domain information from seismic reflection surveys then subject to interpretation of the horizons of interest. Net to gross and porosity tend to be measured very accurately for individual wells or parts of wells but as formation architecture is both heterogeneous and anisotropic, further uncertainties are introduced in the upscaling process from single or multiple wells to field (storage site). However, the most difficult step in the calculation is the final one; what proportion of the void space can be occupied byCO2? Theoretically, the whole of the pore space could be occupied byCO2, but in practice, it will not be possible to remove all of the water or petroleum from a system used for carbon storage. Some of the existing fluids (water or petroleum) will not be displaced.For a regional assessment of storage capacity, here has been a tendency to use an “efficiency factor”—that is a very small number which when applied to the large pore volume calculated gives a plausible storage volume! The calculation may also be subject to numerical simulation in an adaptation of the same approach used by (petroleum) reservoir engineers. Efficiency factors of a small percentage or less are the norm. For an individual, well‐characterized site, it is likely to be possible to fill a much greater portion of the pore space. Observations inCO2‐enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects have indicated that it may be possible to displace 40% or more of the pore fluids. Indeed, it is the potential for enhanced oil (and gas) recovery which may drive our understanding of the displacement process. EOR projects are more likely to get funded in the short term because they generate a revenue stream.In addition to storage ofCO2in conventional reservoirs, options exist for storage and/or sequestration in unconventional reservoir systems (shales, coals, and fractured basement rocks).

Innovation drivers in retail industry

Boil-Off Gas creation and usage has been a source of worry in Liquefied Natural Gas value supply chain. BOG is generated when there is temperature gradient between the environment and LNG temperature within the carrier tank, process lines or vessels. In this work, Computer Aided Design for the recovery of BOG from flare in an LNG Plant considered the dynamic nature of the BOG with minimized total energy consumption. A rigorous simulation based optimization model using HYSYS V8.8 was presented. Possible BOG scenarios were formulated in this report and considerations taken from the BOG scenarios to form the basic scope of this work. An Aspen HYSYS Software was used to develop a Process Flow Scheme (PFS) which was simulated using the BOG scenarios formulated. The BOG scenario temperatures considered were -15°C for Warm Ship analogy, -90°C for Cold Ship and -140°C for Normal Design Mode. Assumptions were also made on the feed into the developed PFS before quenching the various BOG temperatures. With HYSYS simulation at assumed constant inlet mass flow rate of 25,000 kg/s for BOG FEED, 6250 kg/s for LNG & LNG1 FEED, quenching at various BOG feed temperature -15°C, -90°C and -140°C, gave a meaningful output. The Mass flow rate recovered from Warm Ship at -15°C for Cold Product was 35,183 Kg/s and for Liquid Product 2317 Kg/s. For Cold ship at -90°C, the Cold Product recovered was 32,174 Kg/s and Liquid Product was 5326 Kg/s. Also, for -140°C, the Cold Product was 28,004 Kg/s and the Liquid Product was 9496 Kg/s. The Energy stream for the Compressor, Cooler and Pump in the Process Flow Stream (PFS) were observed in Table 5. At -15°C, the Compressor energy was 3.22E+07KJ/h, while the Pump energy was 3412KJ/h, and the Cooler gave 1.90E+07KJ/h. The results above showed that excessive BOG from Warm ship can be quenched and recovered for other end users rather than undue flaring of the gases. Extra work needs to be done to ensure minimal energy utilisation, optimal recovery and high efficiency of this developed model.

Coalbed methane is considered to be one of the major contributors to global warming. Geological prospecting of the rich-storage zone of methane is an important precondition for gas recovery projects. Shear zones along coal seams have long been considered as a major place where gas outbursts occur during mining, but they also have a positive aspect in coalbed methane prospecting and production because of their great quantity of fractures and high methane content. Mercury penetrating experiments on a series of variously sheared coal samples from the Pingdingshan coalfield, China, were performed. The results showed that tectonically sheared coals possess three to eight times more porosity and two to ten times more specific surface area than their normal counterparts. Moreover, brittlely deformed coals possess larger average fracture apertures representing a good condition for methane extraction, whereas ductilely deformed coals show a fracture aperture even smaller than normal coals, which can explain why intensely sheared coals become difficult for methane extraction. The occurrence of a large number of tectonic fractures in a shear zone will make it easier for an artificial fracture to increase the permeability of coals in methane production. Therefore, except for locally ductile deformation areas, shear zones along coal seams are the best source and reservoir for methane gas production and, if this methane is extracted, it will help not only the reservoir but also protect the earth against global warming.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated in enormous quantities, in India, causing environmental problems. It is collected primarily by sweeping in India and dumped on the outskirts of urban areas, which pollute the environment. Such MSWs also release methane and carbon dioxide, which are important greenhouse gases. MSW comprises biodegradable material. The MSW disposal methods in India mainly include land filling, separating waste and composting, biomethanation, incineration, and conversion to refuse derived fuel (RDF). MSW can be converted to non-conventional energy (WtE). Otherwise, the MSW disposal in India open dumping facilitates breeding of ensuing serious environmental health problems. The WtE conversion is going to become important in thickly populated cities. The biodegradable waste can be processed by aerobic composting including vermicomposting and by anaerobically, biomethanation. The non-biodegradable waste such as plastic can be processed for recovering energy. There are 16 such clean development mechanisms projects recovering energy from MSW in India, of which 11 are RDF-based and a few are biomethanation-based. However, landfill gas recovery projects were not successful in India. However, there are successful small projects in Tamil Nadu (India) deriving the CH4 gas from human-waste biomethanation units generating electricity lighting street lights.

The intricate behavior of carbon dioxide at supercritical conditions is considered to influence the ultimate recovery of additional hydrocarbon reserves through the application of CO2-enhanced gas recovery projects. Mixing in such a system is a diffusion-like process, which definitely depends on the physical properties of the displacing and displaced phases and the heterogeneity of the medium. The authors' aim was to experimentally investigate the consequence of pore pressure on the recovery efficiency and multiphase gas flow in a reservoirs porous medium. The displacement tests were carried out at five different pore pressures ranging from 10.34 to 40.68 MPa, temperature of 433.15 K, and displacement rate of 10 cm/hr. Results determined that improved recovery by approximately 40% can be obtained by applying the highest pore pressure in comparison with the test conducted at low pore pressure.