XEBEC FAST-CYCLE PSA GOES OFF-SHORE TO SUCCESSFULLY RECOVER STRANDED GAS
2Pages

XEBEC FAST-CYCLE PSA GOES OFF-SHORE TO SUCCESSFULLY RECOVER STRANDED GAS Case Study: Off-Shore Platform Uses Fast-Cycle PSA to Recover Stranded Gas Venoco Inc. Situation: Restricted space and limited on-board gas processing solutions forced oil producer on off-shore platform to re-inject highcarbon dioxide laden associated gas Solution: Installation of a Xebec PSA to dehydrate and separate CO2 & heavy light hydrocarbons in the associated gas to meet California regulatory sales gas specification. Benefits: Xebec PSA provides a cost effective solution within available platform space Location: Santa Barbara Channel, California Xebec’s compact M-3100, fast cycle PSA was the perfect footprint for the off-shore Platform Gail in Santa Barbara Stranded off-shore gas opportunities are difficult to realize: Stranded off-shore gas opportunities are difficult to realize: Off-Shore Platform Gail, located in the Santa Barbara Channel, could not sell its produced associated gas due to the strict sales specifications on both carbon dioxide and ethane levels. As a result, operators on Platform Gail could only re-inject over 500 MMscfy of associated gas back into the wells. The loss of revenue to Venoco Inc. – the owner of Platform Gail – totaled tens of millions of dollars per year. Venoco researched various treatment methods to solve this processing dilemma. However, the resultant designs would have required increases to platform decking, superstructure and electrical demand making the entire project economically unfeasible. XEBEC’s Design XEBEC engineers approached Venoco with a design incorporating the use of XEBEC’s Fast-Cycle Pressure-Swing Adsorption (PSA) unit. On-shore, pressure-swing adsorption technology would have been an obvious solution to Platform Gail’s gas treating needs. However, conventional PSA units are generally cumbersome, difficult-to-operate, and require a large footprint. XEBEC’s FastCycle PSA, however, incorporates the use of a rotary valve to replace the multitudes of valves found on conventional PSA technologies, and therefore, occupied a space no larger than 18 ft(L) X 8 ft(W) X 9 ft(H). In addition, as the entire treatment unit was contained in one small and easy-to-work-with skid, transportation effort from the dock to the platform, and crane lift time were all minimized. XEBEC ADSORPTION INC. | 730 Boul. Industriel, Blainville, Quebec, J7C 3V4 Canada Toll Free: 1-877-88-XEBEC | Phone: (450) 979-8700 | Fax: (450) 979-7869 | Website: www.xebecinc.com | Email: associatedgas@xebecinc.com

A world powered by clean energy In the new facility, the PSA processes excess lift gas that is sweetned from the well casing(s). Approximately 1.2 MMscfd of sales-quality gas is produced by the PSA and is blended with sweet natural gas produced by the platform and sent to shore. Tailgas from the PSA is compressed and then blended with turbine fuel gas for power generation, where the high C02 content helps to reduce N0X emissions in the turbine exhaust. STREAM GAS LIFT TAILGAS TO SALES Flow Rate, MMscfd 2.0 1.2 0.8 Start-up of the XEBEC Fast-Cycle PSA was very smooth, prompting executives at...