Oil and Gas

Oil and Gas ORC Heat Recovery

The oil and gas industry stands to benefit greatly from integrating ElectraTherm’s fully-packaged Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems to convert waste heat into emission-free electricity. With the industry coming under increasing scrutiny, staying ahead of the curve and applying modern technologies to improve business processes is essential. Oil and gas ORC applications could be the differentiating factor for many operators seeking to…

//  achieve net-zero cooling, generate clean power.
//  increase efficiency, maximize revenue.
//  exceed air quality standards, reduce or eliminate gas flaring.
//  add geothermal co-production to active sites.
//  repurpose existing infrastructure for ORC geothermal power generation.

CASE STUDIES

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AC800 Pilot Installation - Gas Compression

At a natural gas compression site in Oklahoma an Active Cooler provides net-zero cooling while generating emission-free electricity for the site. This installation successfully demonstrates ElectraTherm's ability to serve as a radiator alternative at compression stations.

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Successful Demonstration in the Bakken

Sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE) and in collaboration with Gulf Coast Green Energy, ElectraTherm commissioned a Power+ Generator 4400B at a HESS North Dakota oil well to showcase the unit's ability to reduce flaring. Though the flare was not eliminated, the impressive reduction in emissions led to the DOE considering the project a successful demonstration of ElectraTherm's capabilities. A larger 6500B unit is ideal for complete flare elimination.

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First Gas Compression Application

ElectraTherm installed two Green Machines (now the Power+ Generator) at a natural gas compression station in Alberta, Canada. The ORC units run off the waste heat from a single Waukesha natural gas engine to generate up to 65 kW of clean electricity each. The net benefit of the complete system, minus the offset cooling load, is 90 kWe.

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Low Temperature Geothermal Brine

Installed at a gold mining operation in Nevada, ElectraTherm's ORC system successfully completed a demonstration in collaboration with the Department of Energy. The system, providing 65 kW gross, proved the unit's ability to reliably operate with minimal hands-on interaction through ElectraTherm's remote monitoring and operation controls.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Waste Heat Recovery’s Role In ESG Strategy

What is ESG? Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) refers to a company’s set of standards in relation to sustainability, human and social capital, leadership, and compliance. These factors play an increasingly large role in business decisions as shareholders are becoming more concerned with how an organization’s (primarily) eco-social practices will…

The Potential of ORC Flare Elimination

The Reality of Flaring. The flaring of methane is commonplace at many landfills, biogas and wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), and oil and gas well sites across the globe. Industries routinely flare to dispose of unwanted gases and to prevent pressure build up. Not only are these flares a waste of…

Co-Produced Fluids, How Geothermal Could Benefit Oil and Gas

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…

Good For The Environment

What Only 5 Power+ Generators Could Do For You…

By upcycling waste heat into usable power you generate 4.8 GW of clean electricity and offset the equivalent of 3,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

Your annual pollution offset is equal to taking 740 cars off the road, or reducing gasoline consumption by 385,000 gallons.

Your pollution offset is equivalent to the carbon sequestered by a 4,200 acre forest, or 160,000 mature trees.

The clean power generated is equivalent to the emission offset of 620 homes’ electricity use annually, or 140,000 cylinders of propane used for backyard barbeques.

Source: EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies
*Calculations based on (5) 6500B Power+ Generators generating 110 kWe net each.

Achieve Net-Zero Cooling
Generate Clean Power

By integrating an Active Cooler, ElectraTherm’s premier cooling to power solution, operators can benefit from the generation of electricity in addition to net-zero cooling. Compression stations routinely combust fuel in order to power their process, including the cooling system. Cooling at these sites will always be required, with an Active Cooler now you can benefit from the heat. The ORC process reduces the cooling load 70-100% while generating power, allowing the ElectraTherm system to prioritize the production of electricity asides for times of peak cooling demand. During these times the ORC will be bypassed and the system will provide solely cooling, this is the only time the system will use power not its own.

The offset capital cost by serving as a radiator alternative along with the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 offering a 26% tax credit for applicable waste heat recovery projects makes this a sound investment for large scale implementation.

Exceed Air Quality Standards
Reduce or eliminate Gas flaring

One of the benefits of ElectraTherm’s ORC solutions is the ability to capture gas that would otherwise be flared at well sites, biogas plants, and wastewater treatment facilities. Once captured, the thermal energy can be used as fuel for our ORC system to generate clean power. Not only is the power generated emission-free, but by capturing the excess gas you effectively reduce site emissions. With the appropriate system in place, flaring can be substantially reduced or even eliminated – offering numerous environmental benefits.

HESS Demonstration Findings:

Carbon monoxide decreased by 98%
Nitrogen oxide decreased by 48%
VOCs decreased by 93% 

Geothermal Power From
Co-Produced Fluids

Well operators have more than oil and gas under their feet, they have water too, hot water. Commonly known as co-produced fluids, this mixture of water is a byproduct of the extraction of oil and gas. Traditionally, this resource has been seen as a nuisance – costing the oil and gas industry billions due to their costly removal and inability to generate power with steam turbines.

With ElectraTherm’s ORC systems this low-temperature geothermal energy can now be converted into electricity. By taking advantage of this existing resource you can extend the economic viability of operations, improve your bottom line, and add renewable energy to your power portfolio.

Increase Efficiency
Maximize Revenue

ElectraTherm offers two means of retrofitting gas compressors. The first is through the integration of an Active Cooler to capture heat from the jacket water to provide net-zero cooling as well as power generation. The second is by integrating a Power+ Generator to capture heat from the exhaust to provide solely power generation. This solution generates more electricity but requires a cooling system and exhaust gas heat exchanger – leading to a slightly increased capital cost.

Our solutions are able to increase efficiency up to 10% – either by generating 10% more power with no additional emissions, or by reducing fuel consumption and emissions by 10%. However you apply efficiency improvements, it improves your bottom line and the environment.

Micro Grid Flow

Off-The-Grid Power Supply

For the upstream and midstream sectors, improving energy efficiency has been a challenge due to the high costs associated with infrastructure development. With an ElectraTherm ORC, these sectors can now easily and cost-effectively take steps to reach their sustainability milestones. In addition to the numerous environmental advantages waste heat recovery offers, ElectraTherm’s ORC systems are also capable of providing a reliable standalone electrical supply in remote areas. The onsite production of electricity allows operators to benefit from the use of…

// electric radiators.
// pneumatic valves.
// VRU – vapor recovery units.
// electrical heat tracing.

Questions?

Contact us and we will be happy to help.

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