Methane Reduction

Methane emissions are a global problem with the US and Canada responsible for about 7.5% of total global emissions. The US and Canadian governments have initiated policies to cut methane emissions from between 40 - 45% of baseline value by the year 2025. 

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that there are about 2.5 - 3 million natural gas wells worldwide. Connecting all of these wells are thousands of miles of natural gas distribution pipelines and infrastructure needed for processing, storage and delivery. There are approximately 65,000 new oil and natural gas wells drilled globally annually. In North America, the US Energy Information Service (EIA) estimates the total number of operating U.S. oil and natural gas wells to be about 917,000 in 2021 with about 22,000 new wells being added per year, and in Canada, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) reports that there were approximately 115,000 producing natural gas wells in Alberta in 2017 with this number growing by about 1,200 new wells per year.

Large methane reduction opportunities exist at the wellsite and upstream processing areas where pneumatic controllers account for about 42% of methane emissions.  Other routine venting (18%) and fugitive releases (27%) are the primary sources of wellsite methane emissions. 

The majority of control valves and pumps in the natural gas industry have traditionally been powered by compressed natural gas which typically gets vented after use. Tightening government regulation of methane emissions will force the move away from these traditional practices to more environmentally friendly alternatives.  

Most methane emissions occur at the wellsite which is less likely to have a dependable source of electric power than other locations along the natural gas processing and distribution channel. According to CAPP, natural gas wells average three valve pneumatic controllers and one pneumatic powered pump per site. Electrifying or using compressed air to power pneumatic valves and pumps is one of easiest and most impactful ways to significantly reduce methane emissions at the wellsite. The typical power requirement per site is 2 – 5 kW. However, this can be higher if security, communication, lighting and other auxiliary power uses are included.

RadMax is developing expander and compressor products to facilitate methane emissions reduction at oil and natural gas wellsites, processing locations, and all along the natural gas distribution pipeline. These new products include “green” electricity and compressed air generation from existing pipeline pressure drops for powering converted pneumatic controllers, and reinjection of normally vented boiloff gases into the downstream pipeline for later more economical recovery.

Additional Information
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Power Generation from Natural Gas Pressure Letdown Points 

Power Generation from Natural Gas Fuel Flow to ICEs, Turbines & Boilers

Recompression of Boil-off Gas into the Downstream Flow