Private Company Collects APG in Khuzestan Oilfield

EghtesadOnline: Tamkar Gas Equipment Company, a knowledge-based firm, has developed an associated petroleum gas (APG) or flare gas recovery system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Parsi Oilfield near Ahvaz in Khuzestan Province, managing director of the company said.

News ID: ۷۵۱۶۷۰

08 December 2020

“With a wealth of experience in the construction of high-pressure gas compressors, TGEC has launched a gas compressor station to collect 220,000 cubic meters of flare gas per day,” Ezatollah Hejazi was quoted as saying by IRNA.

Flare gas pressure in Parsi Oilfield is 15 pound-force per square inch (psi). TGEC compressors boost the pressure to as high as 120 psi before it is used or injected into other oilfields in Khuzestan namely Karanj, Hejazi noted.

The system has been billed as having a suitable technical performance and high economic feasibility.

“Private companies’ efforts in Iran are noteworthy in that they take the initiative to help safeguard the environment.”

According to the official, the gas compressor technology has helped reduce flaring of the oil recovery unit. Moreover, the recovery of compounds from flares for natural gas liquids (NGL) units has risen.

"In this project climate-friendly conditions have been considered and thanks to local technology and special environment-friendly designing, high ambient temperature does not have a negative effect on the work of compressors," Hejazi said.

Referring to other similar projects, he said the one to reduce greenhouse gas through recovery and utilization of 850,000 cubic meters of flare gas in Maroun 6, 425,000 cubic meters from Maroun 3 and 294,000 cubic meters from Mansouri oilfields has made 80% progress.

Flaring is the burning of natural gas that cannot be processed or sold. Flaring of APG is an important safety measure at oil and gas production sites, as it prevents industrial plant equipment from over-pressuring and exploding.  Burning high levels of APG is a major source of air pollution.

Energy Waste

"Iran has the highest rate of energy waste in the form of APG in the Middle East, and ranks third in the world in terms of gas flaring after Russia and Nigeria," the TGEC chief said.

Optimizing energy consumption and reducing environmental pollutants are major concerns in the oil and gas industries. As the only known way to curb waste of energy and emission of pollutants in the oil and gas industry is flaring, an effective mechanism to curtail and eliminate flare is crucial.

According to a World Bank report, a massive amount of gas flares at oil production sites around the world burn approximately 140 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, causing more than 300 million tons of carbon dioxide to be emitted into the atmosphere.

If this amount of gas is used for power generation, it can provide about 750 billion kilowatts per hour of electricity, or more than the African continent’s current annual electricity consumption.

According to the TGEC director, his firm is active in building gas plants to collect flare gas, constructing CNG stations and extending virtual pipelines from source to demand points where distance and demand normally do not justify investment. Because of its untiring efforts the company was given the National Energy Globe Award in 2019.

The Energy Globe Award was founded in 1999 by the Austrian energy pioneer Wolfgang Neumann to present successful sustainable projects to a broad audience. With more than 182 participating countries and over 2,000 project submissions annually, the award is the most prestigious environmental prize worldwide.

Established in 2,000, TGEC has localized the design and manufacturing process of gas equipment with the help of domestic engineers and entrepreneurs.