Eliminate Methane Venting from Chemical Injection Pumps
Approved for funding in ERA’s Methane Challenge in 2017, Peyto Exploration & Development Corp. installed and tested In-Pipe Turbine Generators (IPTG) as an electrical alternative to solar power to operate previously gas-driven chemical injection pumps at remote well sites, thereby eliminating vented methane. By its completion in 2022, the project demonstrated that due to the power generation outputs and cost of the IPTG, solar panels remain the favourable option for remote wellsite power generation.
The In-Pipe Turbine Generator (IPTG) uses the pressure of flowing natural gas and liquids within a production pipeline to generate electricity. The on-site electricity produced is used to power chemical injection pumps that currently operate pneumatically and vent methane to the atmosphere. Electrifying natural gas-driven chemical pumps to eliminate methane venting requires additional wellsite power generation. The IPTG is an alternative to solar panels for this additional wellsite power generation to provide 24-hour power generation with fewer batteries. The in-pipe turbine generates power from wellhead pressure with zero emissions to eliminate methane venting at remote well sites, reducing emissions in the oil and gas industry.
IPTG Requires Consistent High Gas Flow Rate for Operation
The project installed and tested two IPTGs to supply electrical power to four chemical injection pumps and related equipment on remote gas wells with different operating conditions. Performance of the IPTG was tested at different gas flow rates, weather conditions, and gas compositions. The technology proved suitable at well sites with a variety of temperatures. However, the IPTG is not effective under low flow rates or where gas flow rates decline after installation, as the turbine cannot generate sufficient power. Therefore, legacy well sites, or single wells with intermittent and varying gas flow rates, are not well suited for the turbine mechanism. The technology is best suited for applications with consistently high gas flow rates, i.e. new well sites. The challenge here is that regulation requires electric pumps on new well sites. Overall, installation cost and power generation output do not compete with solar panels, and this project helped demonstrate that solar is currently the most viable solution.
What’s next?
The In-Pipe Turbine Generator is available for commercialization in conditions where gas flow characteristics sustain a steady rotation of 1300 rpm or more, to a maximum of 2200 rpm. The cost of the turbine needs to be reduced to be competitive with solar panels for this technology to advance. The technology provider intends to expand the range of potential turbine applications by pursuing a low-flow version, regulated control valve, recertification testing, and decreasing the cost of production.