Casing Gas Compression: Technology, Markets, Potential, Business Cases

Maximilian Schweighofer

Research output: ThesisMaster's Thesis

Abstract

The production life cycle of an oil field can be explained as a saturated sponge which is squeezed out over time, until no more fluid flows. The reservoir pressure in an oil field depletes over time. At the beginning, the reservoir pressure is high enough to ensure the inflow. However, as the oil fields become depleted, the reservoir pressure also decreases, and the oil production becomes less, economically unviable, or technically impossible. In the petroleum industry compressing gas plays an important role. Especially in marginal oil wells with low reservoir pressure and low production rates. Often a gas column accumulates above the liquid level, which increases the wellhead pressure and consequently reduces the inflow of oil and gas from the formation. In order to counteract this effect, so-called wellhead compressors are used, which decrease the wellhead flowing pressure to improve the inflow performance. However, the number of mature and marginal fields that produce only small amounts of oil is huge and therefore, there are many of economic reasons why a conventional compressor may not be profitable for every field. For this reason, HOERBIGER has designed a low-cost casinghead gas compressor, which is to be introduced to the market especially for small, depleted oil fields on land (onshore). The functional principle is the same as for a piston compressor, which sucks in the gas, further compresses it, and finally feeds it into the pipeline system, if available. It is a double-acting version, which compresses both in the upward and downward stroke of the piston. Therefore, this diploma thesis describes the technical analysis of compression as well as the development of a business model for the product.
Translated title of the contributionRingraum Gaskompression: Technologie, Märkte, Potenzial, Geschäftsmodelle
Original languageEnglish
QualificationDipl.-Ing.
Awarding Institution
  • Montanuniversität
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Hofstätter, Herbert, Supervisor (internal)
Award date18 Dec 2020
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Bibliographical note

embargoed until 01-10-2025

Keywords

  • casing gas compression
  • mature oil fields
  • piston compressor
  • flaring and venting gas
  • associated gas
  • production life cycle
  • sustainable oil production
  • petroleum production optimization
  • petroleum economics

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