Carbon Capture System for Flare Gas Using Produced Water Scrubbing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for handling produced water in oilfield operations are inefficient and environmentally harmful, as they require long-distance transportation and energy-intensive heating, and contribute to induced seismicity and greenhouse gas emissions through open flaring.
Innovation Solution
A decentralized system that uses produced water at elevated temperatures to treat and dispose of flare gas emissions near the wellhead, incorporating a wet scrubber with ozone for emission reduction and an amine solution for carbon capture, reducing energy consumption and emissions while stabilizing residual materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If produced water is transported to centralized treatment facilities, then treatment capacity is improved, but energy consumption increases and induced seismicity occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized treatment system is divided into multiple decentralized treatment units distributed at or near wellheads across different locations. Each unit independently treats produced water locally, eliminating the need for long-distance transportation and reducing energy consumption while maintaining adequate treatment capacity through distributed processing.
Solution Approach 2:
A heat exchanger serves as an intermediary device that transfers thermal energy from hot flare gas to produced water. This allows the produced water to be heated without direct combustion, reducing energy consumption while effectively treating the water through thermal processes.
2Ease of manufacture
If produced water is cooled during transportation, then treatment feasibility is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hot flare gas, which would otherwise be wasted or require energy-intensive cooling, is converted into a useful heat source. The thermal energy from the flare gas is recovered through heat exchange to heat the produced water, turning a potential waste stream into a beneficial energy source and eliminating the need for external heating energy.
3Ease of operation
If open flaring is used for field gas, then gas disposal is simplified, but greenhouse gas emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flared gas, which would normally be burned and release greenhouse gases, is instead utilized as a heat source through controlled combustion in the flare gas burner. The thermal energy generated is recovered via heat exchanger to heat produced water, converting the harmful greenhouse gas emission into a useful energy resource for water treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The flare gas burner employs controlled combustion with optimized oxygen supply to ensure complete oxidation of hydrocarbons. This reduces the formation of incomplete combustion products and maximizes energy recovery while minimizing harmful emissions compared to uncontrolled open flaring.
4Ease of operation
If produced water is injected into subsurface strata, then disposal is simplified, but induced seismicity occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The produced water, which would require disposal through potentially harmful injection methods, is instead utilized as a scrubbing medium in the wet scrubber system. The water contacts and absorbs pollutants from the flue gas, transforming a disposal problem into a beneficial environmental control function, thereby eliminating the need for subsurface injection and associated seismic risks.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system effectively reduces energy use, minimizes produced water volume, captures carbon, and eliminates open flaring, providing a more environmentally friendly and efficient method for addressing pollution concerns in oilfield operations.
Implementation Method 1
A wet scrubber unit with scrubber packing is used to clean emissions (e.g., nitrous oxides, sulfur oxides, acid gases, particulate matter, and the like)
Implementation Method 2
Heat is applied through a flare gas field burner, which uses field gas from the oilfield operations
Implementation Method 3
Heat is applied through a flare gas field burner, which uses field gas from the oilfield operations (and thus provides a useful alternative to simply open flaring the field gas)
Implementation Method 4
the fluids in the wet scrubber/evaporation tower are replaced by an amine solution, which provides CO2 absorption
Implementation Method 5
The above process also results in gradual evaporation of the produced water, which results in the accumulation of salts and other solids from the produced water
Data Source
AI summary
A system and apparatus for treating and disposing of produced water in conjunction with flared gas, thereby avoiding problems associated with injecting produced water back into subsurface strata. The system is installed at or near the wellhead where produced water being treated is at a higher temperatures. Produced water is treated with ozone injection in a scrubber with heat applied through a flare gas field burner, which uses field gas from oilfield operations. A wet scrubber unit with scrubber packing is used to clean emissions. An amine solution is injected through spray nozzles in the scrubber unit for use as the wet scrubbing agent to absorb carbon dioxide. Amine solution with carbon dioxide is removed to an amine tank, and heated tor remove the carbon dioxide is gaseous form.