Analysis and simulation of flare gas recovery in oil and gas producing company

ABSTRACT

Flare gas recovery is very useful in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions caused by petroleum activities. In this paper, the potential of generating electricity from the associated gas, produced by a Tunisian oil company, was analyzed. Olga software was used to study the possibility of transporting the associated gas in the same pipeline that carries oil and water. A technical, economic and environmental evaluation was performed to investigate the process feasibility. The results showed that the highest obtained pressure, following the injection of the associated gas in the pipeline, was about 43 bar. This is lower than its maximum allowable working pressure which indicates that this injection is technically viable. From the economic point of view, the process of eliminating flaring presented a net present value of about 408315 dollars and a payback period of 3.2 years. Thus, the recovery method is considered economically viable as well.

KEYWORDS:

• Flaring
• economic analysis
• multiphase flow
• Olga software
• energy recovery

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tawba Fallah

Tawba Fallah is a Ph.D. student in the department of chemical engineering at Gabes University, National Engineering School of Gabes. The thesis is concerned with the multiphase flow of natural gas transport, energy recovery, and the flow assurance problem.

Jalel Belghaieb

Jalel Belghaieb is a Professor in the department of chemical engineering at Gabes University, National Engineering School of Gabes. He worked as a research scientist of the Research lab: Process, Energy, Environment and Electric System (PEESE), focusing on, thermal transfer, heat exchanger and chemical engineering.

Nejib Hajji

Nejib Hajji is a Professor in the department of chemical engineering at Gabes University, National Engineering School of Gabes. He worked as a research scientist of the Research lab: Process, Energy, Environment and Electric System (PEESE), focusing on, energy, environment, and chemical engineering.