Best available copy - poor quality image.
Approximately one quarter billion cubic feet of hydrocarbon gas are dailyburned to the atmosphere due to economic and technical reasons. Oil-wellflowing bottom-hole pressure is reduced substantially due to atmosphericexposition of the annular space. Burning or flaring the excess of gas reducesinitial investments and production costs, avoiding the need of buildingadditional transportation lines.
This paper screens alternative solutions for collecting low pressure gasesin oils fields, where annular spaces are open to atmospheric pressure.
Low pressure gases are currently flared to the atmosphere due to a lack ofan feasible solution to cope well operating efficiency and environment friendlyalternatives. Analysis of different conventional systems, such as, gatheringlines, compressors, multiphase pumps have been considered in the past but noneof them have qualified as the standard procedure.
Several solutions for boosting or collecting low pressure gases and mixinginto the oil stream are analysed. A new solution for collecting low pressuregases using existing field facilities is proposed. Driving forces for designingthe solution were the use of existing power facilities, low up-scaling cost, keeping harmony with the environment and maintaining current well efficiency. Some of the alternatives has been successfully tested in the field. Theproposed system promises strong guidelines for solving current environmentalproblems.