David Farchy presented Agar Corp.’s multi-phase metering solutions (MPFM). Today, the separator is still the standard equipment for assessing gas/oil/water composition. Agar wants to change this such that every well has a low cost MPFM. Agar’s systems have been deployed in the Eagle Ford shale, the Permian basin and in and Venezuela. MPFMs are networked, via the cloud, where ‘semi empirical self-learning AI algorithms’ correct and calibrate MPFM data continuously. Agar’s digital platform provides a visualization dashboard to web and mobile endpoints, enabling surveillance at the well, well-pad, field or reservoir level.
Jeff Voorhis, from Cimmaron Energy unit Hy-Bon EDI, advocated the use of vapor recovery units/towers (VRU/VRT) to eliminate flaring, mitigate volatile emissions and provide an additional revenue source. A site currently flaring 55MSCFD could be earning $132,000 per year (at a possibly optimistic $4/MSCF) and providing a 9 month payback on a $100,000 capex. VRTs need to be engineered for proper retention time to allow gas to separate and to avoid liquid traps in gas vapor piping to the VRU. Voorhis warned that the Texas regulator’s stance on flaring is shifting against the practice*. The Texas commission on environmental quality is also upping its inspection régime, with flyovers of oil and gas production sites with FLIR Cameras to spot fugitive emissions. Back in 21015, Noble Energy’s DJ Basin unit was fined some $13.5 million in civil penalties and another $60 million ‘to support environmental mitigation projects’. Noble agreed to upgrade its equipment to reduce emissions, with the work expected to be complete in 2019.
* See also the New York Times article ‘Despite their promises, giant energy companies burn away vast amounts of natural gas.
Next year’s Wellsite Facilities event is scheduled for 15-17 September 2020 in Houston.
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