Variable Flow Splitter for Field Gas Storage and Sales Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Upstream producers face challenges in using traditional natural gas and natural gas liquids storage due to high costs and risks associated with seasonal price differences, making it cost-prohibitive and risky for them to store and sell these resources effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a variable volume flow splitter to selectively store and sell natural gas and natural gas liquids from a producing field, allowing simultaneous injection and sales from a single compressor, enabling the injection of natural gas and natural gas liquids back into the producing field to maintain reservoir pressure and recover additional oil and liquids, thereby optimizing storage and sales.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If upstream producers use traditional third-party storage facilities, then storage capacity is available, but costs become prohibitive and risks increase due to seasonal price differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the storage function from third-party facilities and relocates it directly to the producing field by utilizing the field's own depleted reservoir. This eliminates the need to pay third-party storage fees and allows producers to retain control over their natural gas and natural gas liquids, thereby removing the harmful cost and price risk factors while maintaining storage availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The producing field serves its own storage needs by utilizing its depleted reservoir capacity. The field's infrastructure (compressors, flow splitters, injection wells) is used to store and manage the gas and liquids independently, without relying on external third-party facilities. This self-service approach eliminates storage costs and gives producers direct control over their resources.
2Device complexity
If a single compressor is used for both storage injection and sales compression, then equipment cost is reduced, but the ability to simultaneously manage storage and sales in desired quantities becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gas stream into two separate flow paths using a variable volume flow splitter positioned downstream of the single compressor. This splitter divides the compressed stream into a storage injection portion and a sales transmission portion, allowing independent control of each flow rate. This segmentation enables a single compressor to effectively perform both storage injection and sales compression functions simultaneously with desired quantity control.
Solution Approach 2:
The variable volume flow splitter acts as an intermediary device between the single compressor and the two destination paths (storage and sales). It mediates the flow distribution, adjusting the split ratio dynamically to meet varying storage and sales requirements while the compressor operates at optimal capacity.
3Manufacturing precision
If natural gas and natural gas liquids are stored separately, then product purity is maintained, but storage infrastructure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic variable volume flow splitter that can adjust the split ratio between storage and sales streams in real-time based on market conditions and reservoir requirements. This dynamic control allows the system to maintain product purity by directing separated natural gas and natural gas liquids to appropriate destinations while adapting to changing operational needs without requiring complex fixed infrastructure for each product stream.
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 approach allows upstream producers to manage storage and sales more effectively, increasing the recovery of oil and natural gas liquids by 20 to 100% and adding intrinsic value to the reservoir, while avoiding the costs of third-party storage and enabling price arbitrage.
Implementation Method 1
a compressor, in fluid communication with both the at least producing field and the sales transmission pipeline; the compressor operable to compress the gas stream received
Implementation Method 2
a variable volume flow splitter in fluid communication with the compressor, the variable volume flow splitter operable to selectively divide the gas stream into a first volume of the at least one natural gas and natural gas liquids and a second volume of the gas stream
Implementation Method 3
enabling the injection of natural gas and natural gas liquids back into the producing field to maintain reservoir pressure and recover additional oil and liquids
Data Source
AI summary
Method and system for storing natural gas and natural gas liquids via a variable volume flow splitter from a producing field. A method and system comprising storing natural gas and natural gas liquids while simultaneously selling natural gas and natural gas liquids from a single compressor in quantities as deemed desirable. In response to desired quantities to be injected into a storage reservoir or sold, the system provides a single action (e.g., a single action such as the click of a mouse button) that splits the gas stream into injection for storage and the sales pipeline for transportation to market by adjusting a flow splitter of a single value or valves in combination operated remotely or manually on the downstream side of the sales gas compressor that varies the volume to any combination and ratio from 0 to 100% of gas and entrained gas liquids to be sold or injected.