Flaring is a common practice at oil and gas facilities where associated gas generated from oil production and gas processing is burned off through an open flame. This flared gas contains valuable energy resources like methane that simply emit as greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. To recover this wasted gas, flare gas recovery (FGR) systems are increasingly being installed industrywide.
Reasons for Installing Flare Gas Recovery
One of the primary reasons for recovering flare gas is environmental compliance. Flaring emits carbon dioxide and methane, contributing to global warming. Many countries now regulate the volume of gas that can be flared and have set targets to eliminate routine flaring. Recovering flare gas helps facilities meet these emission reduction goals in a cost-effective way.
Another key driver is monetizing an otherwise lost resource. The methane in flare gas has significant energy value that can be captured through FGR systems. The recovered gas can be compressed and fed into the sales gas pipeline to generate revenue. For oil producers, it boosts the overall production value from well operations.
Design and Operation of Typical Flare Gas Recovery Systems
A basic Flare Gas Recovery Systems setup consists of a flare knockout drum, separator, compressor, and pipeline infrastructure to route gas to its end use. Flare headers deliver the flare gas stream to the knockout drum where liquid removal occurs. The gas exits to a separator that further removes any entrained liquids/hydrocarbons.
The dry gas is then fed to a compressed gas system. Reciprocating compressors or centrifugal/screw compressors raise the pressure for pipeline tie-in. Multi-stage compression is often needed to boost low-pressure gas to sales line specifications. Instrumentation and controls automate operations.
Recovered gas quality must meet pipeline standards for heating value, water dew point, and other parameters. Additional treatment like dehydration may be required before transportation. The size and design complexity varies depending on oilfield conditions and gas flowrates/composition.
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