Engineered power on demand

An automated instrument air system comprising a closed container, having external connections for a natural gas inlet, wherein the system comprises:

• (a) a generator powered by an engine configured to use the natural gas as a fuel;
• (b) a rechargeable storage battery;
• (c) at least one electrical power inverter coupled between the generator output, the rechargeable storage battery and an air compressor;
• (d) a controller coupled to the at least one inverter, the rechargeable storage battery and the generator, wherein the controller selects and implements either:
• (i.) a battery mode wherein the generator is off, and the air compressor is coupled to the rechargeable storage battery;
• or
• (ii.) a generator mode wherein the generator is on thereby powering the air compressor via the at least one inverter
• wherein the battery mode is selected when the battery charge is above a predetermined level, and the generator mode is selected when the battery charge is below a predetermined level.

A method of powering an air injection compressor on a wellsite producing natural gas, the method comprising:

• (a) operating a generator to generate electrical output, the generator powered by an engine configured to use the natural gas as a fuel;
• (b) storing power in a rechargeable storage battery;
• (c) converting the generator output to DC power to power the air compressor via at least one inverter when the air compressor operates on DC power;
• (d) converting the rechargeable storage battery output to AC power to power the air compressor when the air compressor operates on AC power, and
• (e) wherein the engine only runs the generator when the battery charge is below a set level.