Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Utilizing Stranded Gas to Boost Long-Term Production: A Case for Temporary Power Technologies

Oil & gas operators are constantly in search of innovative ways to optimize field operations, enhance long-term production, keep operational expenditure in check, and minimize the environmental impact of their operations. In this light, oil & gas operators are increasingly looking into in-field power generation.

Traditionally, oilfield equipment is powered by generators running on diesel, owing to the fuel’s wide availability, safety, and economy, and to the ease of installation of diesel-run generators. In recent years, however, natural gas-powered generators are progressively gaining acceptance as a workable alternative to diesel-run ones. Previously, using natural gas as fuel for in-field power generation was an unattractive proposition, primarily because of the absence of proper infrastructure and appropriate technologies to capture, process and utilize stranded natural gas. Today, with the existence of cutting-edge power generation solutions that can run on onsite natural gas, together with the increase in unconventional gas resources and the emission regulations in vigor in many countries around the world, oil & gas operators are gradually realizing the economic and environmental advantages of using natural gas to provide power for their operations.

Natural gas generator systems prove particularly beneficial in bigger and longer-duration projects. While it is true that natural gas units require a significant upfront expenditure, operating them have been shown to be more economical compared to generators running on other fuels, mainly due to fuel savings. Additionally, with natural gas generators, oil & gas operators can ensure maximum field uptime, because such equipment has longer run times in between service intervals.

At present, oil & gas operators have been keenly looking into expanding the scope of natural gas-powered generators, beyond the traditional drilling and hydraulic fracturing.


While power solutions running on natural gas are gaining ground, deploying them on a large scale still comes with particular challenges. Oil & gas operators will find benefit in partnering with a reputable and reliable power solutions provider, who can help them address the related obstacles and meet the power requirements of each stage of operations. Temporary power providers can offer alternative fuel technologies that represent a viable solution to the wide range of challenges related to the utilization of natural gas-powered units in oil & gas operations.

In this context, what should be expected of a reliable power partner?

A reliable temporary power provider should be capable of supplying a complete and integrated power solution to ensure an efficient and smooth installation of natural gas temporary power plants. It is imperative that the solution on offer should provide for modules to condition on-site natural gas, a complete electrical infrastructure (including generators, cables and other allied equipment), and provisions to utilize an alternative fuel source, in cases when the gas supply from the main source is insufficient.

A temporary power partner should offer flexible power technologies that can ensure consistent power generation amidst fluctuating gas supply volumes. This provision can particularly prove beneficial for nascent field operations, before a consistent source of field gas is established. For instance, the temporary power plants can initially run on liquid propane, then seamlessly transition to natural gas once the infrastructure to access gas from proximate pipelines is set up.

An efficient temporary power provider should also have the experience, expertise, and necessary provisions to be able to act swiftly in case problems arise at the site. Various field parameters should be constantly monitored and communicated to operations personnel at the site. They should be immediately notified of any problem relating to gas supply or generator function, and should always be ready to resolve the problem and restore the optimal operations of the temporary power generation systems.


Oil & gas operators are progressively understanding the opportunities of leveraging natural gas as a power source. However, without the proper infrastructure and appropriate technologies in place, oil & gas operators are restricted in capitalizing on this valuable resource. Temporary power solutions, such as gas generators or generators capable of running on more than one fuel, can help oil & gas operators in effectively utilizing natural gas to decrease overall operational expenditure and reduce field emission levels while keeping optimal production up-time.

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For more information on temporary power solutions and their application on oil & gas operations, visit: http://www.altaaqaglobal.com

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