Integrated Ejector‐Based Flare Gas Recovery and On‐Site Desalination of Produced Water in Shale Gas Production

Abstract

AbstractFlaring is a major concern in the oil and gas industry as it wastes valuable raw materials/energy and emits a substantial amount of air pollutants. The produced water treatment during oil and gas production is very troublesome due to its large processing volume, high salinity, and expensive disposal cost. Thus, the on‐site integration of the flaring gas recovery (FGR) and desalination processes for handling the produced water could not only monetize flare emission sources but could also generate freshwater for versatile usages. Here, a novel process was developed integrating the ejector‐based FGR (EFGR) process with the thermal vapor compression (TVC)‐based desalination process. The newly developed EFGR‐TVC process is shown to be technically viable and cost‐effective under normal operating conditions.