Power generation and methane recovery from methane hydrates
AssigneeExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
InventorsSulabh K. Dhanuka, Michael W. Eaton, Richard A. Huntington
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Abstract
The present techniques are directed to a system and method for generating power and recovering methane from methane hydrates. The system includes a low emissions power plant configured to generate power, wherein an exhaust gas from the low emissions power plant provides a gas mixture including nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The system also includes a methane recovery system configured to recover methane from methane hydrates by injecting the nitrogen and the carbon dioxide from the gas mixture into the methane hydrates.
Claims23
A system for generating power and recovering methane from a methane hydrates formation, comprising:
- a combined cycle power plant configured to generate power, comprising a combustor for combusting a fuel and an oxidant in the presence of a diluent thereby generating an exhaust gas comprising a gas mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, wherein the diluent, the fuel and the oxidant are each separately injected into the combustor and wherein the diluent comprises a recirculated part of the exhaust gas;
- an expander turbine configured to provide mechanical energy by extracting energy from the exhaust gas;
- and
- a methane recovery system in fluid communication with the methane hydrates formation configured to recover methane from methane hydrates in the methane hydrates formation by injecting the nitrogen and the carbon dioxide from the gas mixture into the methane hydrates.
A method for generating power and recovering methane from a methane hydrates formation, comprising:
- producing power via a combined cycle power plant comprising a combustor;
- separately injecting a diluent, a fuel and an oxidant into the combustor;
- combusting a fuel and an oxidant in the presence of a diluent thereby generating an exhaust gas comprising a gas mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, wherein the diluent comprises a recirculated part of the exhaust gas, and wherein the exhaust gas provides a gas mixture comprising nitrogen and carbon dioxide;
- and
- extracting energy from the exhaust gas by an expander turbine configured to provide mechanical energy;
- and
- recovering methane from methane hydrates by injecting the nitrogen and the carbon dioxide from the gas mixture into the methane hydrates formation.
A system for recovering methane from methane hydrates using a gas mixture from a combined cycle power plant, comprising:
- a combustor for combusting a fuel and an oxidant in the presence of a diluent thereby generating an exhaust gas comprising a gas mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, wherein the diluent, the fuel and the oxidant are each separately injected into the combustor and wherein the diluent comprises a recirculated part of the exhaust gas;
- an expander turbine configured to provide mechanical energy by extracting energy from the gas mixture exiting the combustor;
- a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) configured to generate steam by heating a boiler with the gas mixture from the expander turbine;
- a steam turbine configured to provide mechanical energy by extracting energy from the steam generated by the HRSG;
- a generator configured to generate electricity from the mechanical energy provided by the expander turbine and the steam turbine;
- a separation system configured to separate the carbon dioxide from the methane within the gas mixture;
- and
- a methane recovery system in fluid communication with a methane hydrates formation containing methane hydrates, wherein the methane recovery system is configured to recover methane from methane hydrates by injecting the nitrogen and the carbon dioxide from the gas mixture into the methane hydrates, wherein at least a portion of the methane recovered from the methane hydrates is flowed into the combustor as at least a portion of the fuel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.