BCL Series Completes Rigid Evaluation Process
FLORENCE, ITALY - September 1, 2006 :- After completing a rigid environmental and operational evaluation process, the BCL300 series of centrifugal compressors developed by GE Oil & Gas for sour gas re-injection to enhance petroleum production has received GE ecomagination certification from GreenOrder Inc.*
Ecomagination is GE's commitment to address challenges such as the need for cleaner, more efficient sources of energy, reduced emissions and abundant sources of clean water. GE's ecomagination products are evaluated for their ability to significantly and measurably improve the customer's environmental and operating performance. The multi-tiered review process is concluded with an independent, third party audit to ensure accuracy and thorough documentation of technological performance.
Re-injection of gas into petroleum production wells not only stimulates the production process, it also avoids the flaring of the gas and the consequent emission of greenhouse gas (CO2) into the environment.
GE's worldwide fleet of BCL compressors installed since 2000 for sour gas re-injection has the capacity to prevent more than 49 million tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year. That's the equivalent of the annual CO2 emissions released by approximately 10 million average cars.
Re-injection of sour gas - defined as natural gas that contains more than 10 ppm of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) - is the ultimate challenge in this kind of application, allowing the gas re-injection without the need of H2S separation with its production of useless sulfur while offering safety and environmental advantages.
GE is recognized as the compressor manufacturer with the most experience in the re-injection of sour gas at high pressures frequently required by today's oil field projects. The BCL series compressors have discharge pressures that range up to more than 800 bars.
Recently, GE Oil & Gas completed tests on the highest pressure sour gas re-injection train ever built, which is scheduled for installation at the Kashagan oil field of the North Caspian Sea, off the coast of Kazakhstan. Based on well-proven re-injection train architecture that incorporates a GE Frame 5-2D gas turbine and three BCL centrifugal compressors, the turbo-compression train reached 820 bar pressure during full density tests, topping the former record of 690 bar, also achieved by GE technology.
"The Kashagan project tests further validated the capability of our compressors to operate at the ultra-high pressures required for the most challenging sour gas re-injection applications," said Claudi Santiago, president of GE Oil & Gas. "From the perspective of our customers, this technology enables increased efficiency and high reliability for oil recovery operations."
Protecting the [environment] of the region is a critical requirement for the Kashagan project. To meet demanding environmental and safety standards, the entire re-injection train has been designed for zero leakage of sour gas.
About GE's Oil & Gas business
GE's Oil & Gas business is a world leader in advanced technology turbomachinery products and services, with engineering and manufacturing centers of excellence throughout Europe and the United States. Based in Florence, Italy, the company offers complete solutions for production, LNG, transportation, storage, refineries, petrochemicals and distribution systems, as well as pipeline integrity solutions including analysis and pipeline asset management.
For more information, contact:
Howard Masto
Masto Public Relations
[email protected]
1-518-786-6488
Ken Darling
Masto Public Relations
[email protected]
1-518-786-6488