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Flare Gas Reduction

Today almost 50% of all flare operations represent background flaring, and 20% of CO₂ generated offshore is attributed to flare operations. In total the UK offshore industry flares produce 1% of the total UK industrial CO₂ emissions.

Post Kyoto, the UK government is committed to reducing Green House Gas emissions, including CO₂. Flare gas recovery is environmentally desirable, good for maintenance, and will deliver positive economic results.

Argo Environmental Engineering are agents for Vetco Gas Technology (VGT), supplying flare gas recovery systems with full technical and commercial support.

Flare Gas Reduction

Towards Zero Flaring
VGT has a patented technology developed by Statoil and their partners on the Gullfaks project. This technology has been developed under license by VGT and is now in service on several Norwegian fields. In the UK, BP are now in the process of installing similar systems on the Angolan 'Greater Plutonio' FPSO, with further projects under consideration.  Studies are also in progress with many other Operators, both in the UK and overseas.

The process is simple in that it relies on the closing of the flare by means of a fail-open, fast-opening valve, and a recovery system to take gas from the Knockout Drum to, for example, gas powered generators. The gas clearly has a useful destination as fuel gas, injection, or export. The economics of the system depend on items such as:

• Fuel Gas Requirements

• CO2 trading tariffs

• Environmental Pressure

• Flare Maintenance costs

The most immediate use for such systems is on platforms which are, or will be fuel gas deficient, as the gas burnt in the flare immediately could be used to replace alternative sources of fuel. Often there is a very good economic case for such development.

Click on this link to see a flare gas recovery simulation and equipment photographs (Flash presentation).

Link to specialised flare ignition system ignition system offering state of the art reliability and 5 year guarantees.

For more information please refer to these papers published by Argo:

Title	Format and Size	Notes
Smokeless Flaring - Reduced Flaring	Acrobat PDF 1927KB	Vetco Gas Technology Publication
A FLARE GAS RECOVERY SYSTEM	Acrobat PDF 541KB	Published at NEL Flare Gas Metering Seminar, Aberdeen, May 2001
Flare Gas Recovery	Acrobat PDF 646KB	Vetco Gas Technology Publication