Abstract
In the oil and gas industry, there has not been a consistent, concerted effort to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the supply chain. In addressing this challenge, this study evaluates the potential GHG emissions reduction that may be realized through deployment of a geothermal power co-production system in two Colombian oil fields, compared to a base case where energy needs are derived through non-renewable sources such as gas and diesel. These geothermal power co-production systems make use of organic Rankine cycle (ORC) engines to convert the heat from produced oilfield fluids into electrical energy. The energy potential of this resource is evaluated through the exergy concept, and a life cycle analysis is implemented to calculate the carbon footprint using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2013 methodology. In the two oil fields of interest, OFA and OFB, the results show a maximum potential energy production of 2260 kWe for OFA and 657 kWe for OFB. The co-production of crude oil and electrical energy from geothermal resources suggests a possible a carbon footprint reduction of 19% and 11% for OFA and OFB, respectively, when compared to conventional power systems. In addition, four emissions scenarios are assessed where the current energy sources in these oil fields are substituted by gas, diesel, co-generated geothermal power, or a combination of the three while maintaining the average power output in each field. The highest carbon footprint reduction is found in Scenario 1, which replaces 100% of the liquid fuel consumption with purchased gas (gas provided by a third party and treated outside the system’s limits), thereby achieving carbon footprint reductions up to 54% for OFB. This research opens the prospect for the use of renewable energies in the oil and gas industry.
Highlights
The increasing global energy demand, especially in the industrial sector, has renewed the search for new energy resources that allow for both diversification of the energy matrix and mitigation of environmental impacts [1]
Even though less than 0.5% global total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are emitted in Colombia, it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change
In the Paris Agreement, Colombia has committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 51% by 2030 and to becoming carbon neutral by 2050 [4]; these goals were recently ratified at COP26 [5]
Summary
The increasing global energy demand, especially in the industrial sector, has renewed the search for new energy resources that allow for both diversification of the energy matrix and mitigation of environmental impacts [1]. According to the data presented in the World Energy Markets Observatory (WEMO) [2], oil and coal will continue to be the leading sources of energy worldwide. The use of these fossil resources has led to a 2% increase in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the period between 2016 and 2018, where China and the United States were the leading emitters of CO2 into the atmosphere [3]. Even though less than 0.5% global total GHG emissions are emitted in Colombia, it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. In the Paris Agreement, Colombia has committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 51% by 2030 and to becoming carbon neutral by 2050 [4]; these goals were recently ratified at COP26 [5]. The Colombian government is promoting several circular economic strategies across all sectors to support a transition from a brown to a green economy [6]
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