Refrigeration-integrated hydrocarbon collection system and method of operation
AssigneeOxy Low Carbon Ventures, LLC
InventorJohn M. Repasky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for recovering associated gaseous hydrocarbons from a well for producing liquid hydrocarbons, the method comprising (i) providing gaseous hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon well; (ii) providing a cryogenic liquid from an air separation unit or an associated nitrogen liquefaction facility within proximity of the hydrocarbon well; (iii) liquefying the gaseous hydrocarbons at a hydrocarbon liquefaction facility within proximity to the hydrocarbon well to thereby produce a liquefied hydrocarbon gas, where heat associated with the gaseous hydrocarbons is transferred to the cryogenic liquid; and (iv) transferring the liquefied hydrocarbon gas to an air separation unit or nitrogen liquefaction facility.
Claims23
A method for the production of liquid hydrocarbons with reduced flaring of associated gases, the method comprising:
- (i) providing a mixture of liquids and associated gases from one or more hydrocarbon wells adapted to produce liquid hydrocarbons;
- (ii) separating the associated gases from the mixture of liquids and associated gases to provide gaseous hydrocarbons;
- (iii) providing a cryogenic liquid from a first air separation unit or a nitrogen liquefaction facility that is associated with the first air separation unit;
- (iv) transferring the cryogenic liquid to a hydrocarbon liquefaction facility;
- (v) liquefying the gaseous hydrocarbons at the hydrocarbon liquefaction facility to thereby produce a liquefied hydrocarbon gas, where heat associated with the gaseous hydrocarbons is transferred to the cryogenic liquid;
- (vi) transferring the liquefied hydrocarbon gas to at least one of
- (a) the first air separation unit or the nitrogen liquefaction facility associated with the first air separation unit, and
- (b) a second air separation unit or a nitrogen liquefaction facility associated with the second air separation unit,
- (vii) vaporizing the liquefied hydrocarbon gas at one of
- (a) the first air separation unit or the nitrogen liquefaction facility associated with the first air separation unit, and
- (b) the second air separation unit or the nitrogen liquefaction facility associated with the second air separation unit to thereby provide vaporized gaseous hydrocarbons;
- (viii) providing gaseous oxygen from at least one of the first air separation unit and the second air separation unit where said vaporizing the liquified hydrocarbon gas takes place;
- (ix) transferring at least a portion of the gaseous oxygen from at least one of the first air separation unit and the second air separation unit where said vaporizing the liquified hydrocarbon gas takes place to a carbon dioxide capture process;
- and
- (x) transferring at least a portion of the vaporized gaseous hydrocarbons to a combustion process,
- where the first air separation unit, the second air separation unit when present, the hydrocarbon well, the hydrocarbon liquefaction facility, the combustion process, and the carbon dioxide capture process are within 50 miles of each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.