Transcript Vent Options talk for PTAC 2002 Env Forum

Scott
Can
THERMCAT Catalytic Gas Infrared
Explosion Proof Heaters
PTAC Green Toolbox
September 29-30, 2003
Peter Howie
Scott-Can Industries Ltd
Scott
Can
About Scott-Can Industries Ltd.
Based in Edmonton
Supplier and manufacturer of Catalytic Units
 A reputation for innovation
Provide Catalytic Heaters for:
 Oil and Gas heating in Hazardous Areas
 Powder paint curing ovens
 Domestic radiant heaters
Allied with Infragas of Turin, Italy
 A world leader in catalytic equipment
Scott
Infrared Catalytic Heater Can
Basics
Developed to allow safe and efficient heating
in the presence of hydrocarbon vapours
 Catalyst reduces the temperature of
methane oxidation below the ignition
temperature
 Heaters produce flameless infrared
radiant energy to safely heat hazardous
areas
 98% fuel efficient
 No NOx or CO generated
Scott
Catalytic Heaters - Oil & Gas Can
Industry
Over 200,000 heaters in service in western
Canada’s oil and gas industry today
 Space heating for well site buildings,
meter stations, dehydrators, compressor
sites and oil batteries.
 Pipeline installation of shrink coating
Familiar to most field operators
The Need
Scott
Can
 An economic solution to maximize the use
and mitigation of methane emissions
 Ideal Solutions should:
 Generate an economic benefit
 Be low capital cost and easy
maintenance
 Not cause other problems – high
reliability
 Reduce GHG equivalent emissions
The Catalytic Solutions
Scott
Can
 Based on off the shelf catalytic heater
components
 Heaters already in use for building heat
 Well suited for remote/isolated locations
 Low cost and safe compared to other
options
 Provide other economic and intangible
benefits
 GHG emissions reduction of
21tCO2eq/tCH4 reduction for fuel
Green Roles for Catalytic
Heaters
Scott
Can
Small Vent Streams in Isolated Facilities
 Standard Catalytic Building Heaters
 Use vent gas to back out fuel
Small Variable Vent Streams
 Catalytic Converter Prototype Available
 Converts methane to CO2 for
Supplemental Process Heat or GHG
Reductions
Dilute Fugitive Streams
 Reduce Methane in Building Exhaust Air
Scott
Can
Case 1 - Winterization Heaters
Catalytic Heater Winterization Systems
installed on three well sites in Husky’s
Saskatchewan heavy oil operations (Fall
2000)
 All with underground fuel lines to tank
burners
Winterization achieved by heating gas to
keep ground and piping system from
freezing
 Combined with insulating above ground
lines
Scott
Can
Scott
Can
Scott
Can
Winterization Heater Results
Ground Warm Up
Temp (deg C)
20
Maintain Gas Temperature
With THERMCAT
10
0
-10
-20
-30
-40
Feb 16 - Apr 6, 2000
Ambient T
Gas Riser Temp
Scott
Can
Winterization Heaters – Lessons
Learned
Based on field trials
 Units have operated reliably through –25
degrees and blizzards
 Systems can be started up in winter; fall
start-up is better to build up heat in the
ground
 Use vent gas for both catalytic heaters
and tank heaters
 Best application – Sites with buried fuel
lines to tanks
Key Benefits of Catalytic
Winterization
Scott
Can
Reduce operating costs by 30-70 %
Rapid economic payout
 <3-4 months if propane backed out
 <1 yr if purchased natural gas backed out
Low Cost Alternative for Freeze Protection
Easily Retrofitted
High Operability and Low Maintenance
GHG equivalent emissions reductions
achieved
Case 2 – Line Heater
Scott
Can
Designed to prove ability of catalytic heaters
to run on low pressure gas (under ½ psig)
where backpressure is undesirable
Also tested benefits of heating the
production upstream of the tank vs. in the
storage tanks
Skid mounted, portable unit designed to be
retrofitted into existing production lines
Scott
Can
Scott
Can
Production Line Heater Results
80
(Tout = Pipewall Temperature at Heater Outlet)
(Tin = Pipewall Temperature at Heater Inlet)
70
Temp (deg C)
60
50
40
Well Down
Tout
Tin
30
20
10
0
May 17 - June 1, 2000
Scott
Can
Tout (pipewall) vs Production
80
70
Tout (deg C)
60
50
40
30
Tout vs Production
20
Linear (Tout vs Production)
10
0
0
10
20
30
Production Rate (m3/d)
40
50
Scott
Next Steps for Line Heater Can
Systems
They work and are ready for wider use
 Improved foam breakdown and
oil/water/sand separation in the tanks
 Consume Vent Gas rather than venting it
Additional work required to quantify:
 Overall efficiency vs. fire tubes in tanks
 Quantify impacts on tank treating
effectiveness
Equipment Price Range $13,300-$15,000
 For 120,000 BTU/hr line heaters
Scott
Expanding Catalytic Heater Can
Uses
Use Instrument or Power Gas to provide
building heat
 Use existing building heaters
 REUSE instrument or power gas
 Best where heating load profile generally
matches the vent gas supply profile
Scott
Can
Reuse Gas in Building Heaters
Actuator Vents
or Chemical Pumps
Safety Shutoff Valve
& Restriction Orifice
SOV
Set at 3”w.c.
Make-up gas regulator
Set at 5”w.c.
Volume Bottle
Capacity - 1-2 ft3
Catalytic
Building Heater
2-6 scfph/ft2 of heater
Scott
Can
New Concepts in Development
Concentrated Stream Converter
Small & variable vents mainly methane (<50
m3/d)
 To handle small variable flows where flaring
and other solutions are not practical

Waste Heat Supported Reactor
Collect and convert fugitives in building vents
 Use hot exhaust streams to maintain reaction
 Eliminate traces of methane at low cost

Scott
Can
Years to Payout (100% Utilization) vs. Cost of Unit
(Example unit converts 50-55 m3/d of methane)
Value of GHG Offset (CDN$/tCO 2eq)
$60.00
$50.00
$10,000/unit
$5,000/unit
$40.00
$30.00
Credit Value Cap?
Target Payout Range
$20.00
$10.00
$1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Years to Payout
10
11
12
13
14
15
Summary
Scott
Can
There already are catalytic options available
for small concentrated vent streams
 THERMCAT is ready to go
We are also developing new catalytic
options
 Targeting economic or low cost systems
Catalytic solutions can meet the need
 Competitively vs. other options
Acknowledgements
Scott
Can
Husky Oil for their funding support for initial
and on-going work
BP and Nexen for their interest in field
testing new concepts
New Paradigm Engineering for suggesting
new concepts and supporting field testing
Dr. Bob Hayes for COURSE and NSERC
funded work on new concepts
PTAC for Project launches and workshops
Contact Information
ScottCan Industries Ltd.
8220 Davies Road
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 4N2
Tel: (780) 463-5505
Fax: (780) 463-2273
Toll Free: 1-877-213-7832
Email: [email protected]
Scott
Can