There is a growing uneasiness in the oil and gas industry.
With the world eyeing ways to shift away from fossil fuels, an uncertain future is on the horizon for well operators. Attention is on what can turn profits now and how operations can take advantage of this new era of green energy. Powering an ORC system with co-produced fluids can increase efficiency and reduce costs, it may just be the cost-effective and simple solution operators are looking for.
The Problem
Along with the extraction of oil and gases comes hot water, this mixture is commonly known as co-produced fluids. This hot water is either pumped back into the ground to maintain well pressure or is removed, the two costing the oil and gas industry billions each year. Experts estimate that an average of 7 barrels of water are produced for every 1 barrel of oil. As wells age, they also tend to have significantly increased output ratios of hot water versus oil or gas, decreasing their economic viability. This hot water can be used as a geothermal heat source, providing renewable power. If there is such an abundance of hot water, why is there not infrastructure in place to take advantage of this resource?
The Solution
Co-produced fluids were, up until recently, considered a nuisance and uneconomical for power generation. This is because co-produced fluids are not at a high enough temperature to be used in traditional steam power production and the infrastructure required left a complex footprint. However, thanks to advancements in Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology this low-temperature heat can now be utilized with heat to power systems such as the ElectraTherm Power+ Generator or Active Cooler.
ElectraTherm’s ORC heat to power technology can utilize the thermal energy in fluid heat sources as low as 70°C and generate clean electricity, providing a baseload power supply or additional revenue stream. Our solutions are designed for remote operation, require minimal maintenance, and contain an advanced set of automatic controls that allow the system to power on/off as needed while running continuously at varying loads.
This opens opportunities across the oil and gas industry to…
// repurpose abandoned oil and gas infrastructure.
// extend the economic viability of existing oil and gas operations.
// provide emission-free electricity to offset energy costs or be sold to the grid.
// reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
// add renewable power to energy portfolio.
The Future
With the world favoring renewable energy and eyeing ways to shift away from fossil fuels – it is crucial the industry recognizes the immense potential under their feet. The best part about using co-produced fluids for power generation? While traditional geothermal energy production requires extensive drilling and infrastructure, the oil and gas industry already has access to their water source, significantly offsetting capital costs. With ElectraTherm, operators can benefit from a baseload power supply that improves their bottom line and is both mobile and scalable, allowing for future implementation.
To learn more and to see if ElectraTherm’s products are right for you, visit our product pages or contact us. To stay up to date with ElectraTherm and the latest waste heat news, subscribe to our newsletter here.
About ElectraTherm
ElectraTherm by BITZER Group provides world-class waste heat recovery solutions by utilizing the Organic Rankine Cycle along with proprietary technologies to convert low-temperature heat into clean power. ElectraTherm’s simple and effective solutions generate clean electricity, boost efficiency, reduce energy costs, and decrease emissions – with no additional fuel consumption. Having shipped over 100 ORC units to over 13 countries clocking over 2,000,000 hours of operations, ElectraTherm is a global leader in small-scale waste heat recovery.
The combined advantage of ElectraTherm’s engineering along with the value of being supported by BITZER, the world’s largest independent manufacturer of refrigeration compressors which boasts close to 3,500 global employees and average annual sales approaching $1 billion, allows the ElectraTherm team to dedicate their energy to the advancement of waste heat recovery technology in the marketplace.
ElectraTherm’s Power+ Generator is a heat to power generator, converting waste heat into clean electricity and usable thermal while offsetting the cooling load. The Active Cooler acts as a cooling to power generator, using the same cycle to provide self-powered cooling while generating electricity. Both of ElectraTherm’s solutions reduce emissions and energy costs while providing a baseload power / cooling supply. Taking advantage of waste heat is not only profitable, but practical. Allowing companies to benefit from a more circular economy while achieving sustainability goals.
To learn more about ElectraTherm, click here.