Solutions for Seal Gas Leakages Recovery in Methane Compression: Integration into Processing Lines or Gas Valorization Systems

Abstract

Recovery and valorization of wasted gas associated to methane processing (i.e. leakages from rotating equipment and flared gas) has usually been avoided due to the inherently limited amount of gas of these streams. Moreover, the technical complexities are further enhanced when applied to aging infrastructures and old compression unit designs, making the solution complex and less cost-effective. However, emission control regulation is progressively limiting the atmospheric release of gases from the hydrocarbon production and processing. These requirements have triggered the development of new technical solutions to limit even small gas streams typically neglected in the past. Typical examples of small leakages tolerated in gas processing are associated with the Dry Gas Seals (DGS) primary vents. The limited amount of gas released did not justify a recovery system, leaving flaring as the only viable option. In this paper, the technical solutions for compressor DGS primary vent recovery are presented, with further discussion on the integration into the gas process. Financial sustainability of the solutions is also presented, with the analysis of two selected cases. The presented solutions are designed to reflect the positive impact of wasted gas reduction, contributing to reaching environmental sustainability targets in oil and gas.