This centrifugal compressor for sour gas injection compresses the associated gas (CO2 and other greenhouse gases) that is usually extracted from wells and re-injects it into the same reservoir, thus increasing its exploitation.
Thanks to re-injection, the centrifugal compressor prevents greenhouse gases (GHG) such as CO2 from being released into the atmosphere. These gases are usually flared or vented into the air because that is the easiest, most convenient way for the gas drillers to dispose of them.
Source: GE Oil & Gas
Re-injecting gases increases exploitation of gas or oil reservoirs by up to 20 percent, thus increasing revenues and postponing reservoir abandonment.
Source: GE Oil & Gas
Sour gas, found in oil fields, poses several environmental problems. When companies extract oil and gas from their wells, they also release harmful greenhouse gases, including CO2, SO2 and H2S, into the environment. Each 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas that is extracted results in the emission of 351 kilograms of greenhouse gases measured as carbon dioxide equivalents.
GE's innovative solution: GHG sequestration
GE's BCL304e Series Centrifugal Compressor not only decreases the amount of GHGs that are released but also increases the amount of oil or gas that can be extracted. The compressor uses re-injection technology to prevent the release of GHGs into the atmosphere by forcing these gases into the ground. The pressure created due to the re-injection creates a unique environment that leads to an increase in the exploitation of reservoirs by up to 20 percent.
The centrifugal compressor in action
International oil and gas companies traffic heavily in the Caspian Sea, which, while rich in oil and gas resources, contains a high concentration of contaminants that must be properly extracted from the oil.
GE's BCL304e Series Centrifugal Compressor is the only compressor that re-injects sour gas at the pressures required by Caspian Sea fields, allowing the oil companies to take their product to market.