INCINERATION

Reducing Greenhouse Gases Efficiently

with Technology
 Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Studies indicate the Global Warming Potential (GWP)
of methane is 23 times that of C022

• 19 mscf/d of waste CH44 gas generates these daily

ECO22 emissions :
Tonnes/d Tonnes/yr

• vented 8.4 3,049

• 65% combustion efficiency 3.6 1,304

• 80% combustion efficiency 2.5 902

• Incineration (99.99%) 1.0 365

• Incinerating instead of venting reduces Greenhouse

gases by 740%
Incineration
• Measurable 99.99% highly efficient combustion
of all hydrocarbons, H22S and other compounds
• No odour, smoke or soot
• No visible flame
• Controlled chamber, high-temperature
combustion is unaffected by wind or composition
 How It Works
• Air and waste gas are
mixed 18:1
• Proprietary burner control
assembly - creates a high
velocity vortex
• 1350oo C internal
combustion temperature
• 1150 -1200oo C stack exit
temperature
• Excellent plume
dispersion for SO22
Technology Assessment
• Shell Canada test at Limestone Mountain in January 2000
• Tested at 2 rates - 2.5 and 4.8 mmscf/d with 11% H22S gas
• Used the Questor Q5000 incinerator - 40 ft high unit

RESULTS:
• 99.99% combustion efficiency - at both rates
• Plume rise of 250 meters - comparable to a 110 ft stack
• Air to fuel mixture from 14:1 to 21:1
• at 17:1 there is 100% excess air
• Exit temperature 1150oo C - 1200oo C
• No ground level detection of SO22 or H22S
 Key Issues with Flaring
ARC and U of A Findings
• Difficult to measure combustion efficiency in the field

• ARC field measurement ranged from 65% to 85%

• Flare combustion efficiency heavily influenced by crosowinds

• doubling wind speed increases uncombusted gas
released to atmosphere by a factor of 8

• Rich gases burn less efficiently with a tendency to produce

carcinogenic poly-nuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s), soot
deposits and black smoke
Pipeline Blowdown Case Study

• 20 inch diameter, 30.3 km pipeline

• Remaining gas pressure at 150 psig
• Current practice is to vent the gas
• Blowdown is achieved in 8 hrs with a portable, skid
mounted 5MMscf/d incinerator
Summary :
Pipeline blowdown case study

• Venting releases 1075 tonnes ECO22

• Incinerating the gas releases 128 tonnes ECO22
• 740% reduction in greenhouse gases
• Total cost : $4,000 or $4.20/tonne ECO22
• No visible flame, smoke or soot to bother neighbors
Dominion Exploration Canada
Acid Gas pipeline blowdown

• 2.1km, 3” pipeline with 75% H2S gas and 25% CO2

• Transporting 1.5 MMscf/d at 1200 psig
• Blowdown to a Q5000 incinerator in < 2 hrs
• Meets dispersion and safety requirements
• Short stack 40ft, so no forestry impact
Dominion Exploration Canada
Knob Hill Facility
• Gas to Flare = 120 mcf/d of solution gas

• Replaced flare stack with an incinerator:

• Reduction of 5,933 tonnes in ECO2 2002

• Exceeded DECL’s 2002 voluntary challenge

registry target

• 2003 ECO2 reduction target is 11,600 tonnes,

or 2 “Knob Hills”
 DECL Knob Hill - Summary
GHG Emission Reduction Cost
• Cost = $1.98/tonne ECO22 - assumed over a 5 year
period

• Exceeded DECL 2002 GHG Emission reduction

target

• Incinerator provides flexibility with disposal of other

waste gas streams

• Resolved “lateral” issues with prior flare stack

operation such as visible flame, nuisance smoke,
odours and neighbour complaints
Numerous Applications
• Sour and sweet gas
• Low and high pressure
• Well testing - tight holes
- neighbor concerns
• Tank vapor emissions
• Oil batteries, gas processing
facilities, gas plants
• Glycol dehydrator BTEX emissions
• Acid gas/tail gas elimination
• Pipeline blowdowns and plant
upsets and turnarounds
• CO22 and N22 flowback
• Permafrost protection
50mcf/d Incinerator
• Spacing limitations
 GHG Emission Reduction
Upstream Opportunities :

• Replace flaring or venting activity with incineration at

single-well, multi-well and central facilities

• Gas plant blowdowns

• Pipeline blowdowns
• Portable rental units available in Grande Prairie,
Edmonton and Calgary.

• Units handle volumes from 50mcf/d to 5 MMscf/d

New Technology Development
• Recovering the heat generated from the incinerator to
reduce the energy requirements on site.

• For example:
• Preheat process streams
• Plant site heating
• Heat glycol in a reboiler
• Other applications: amine skids, sulfur recovery
process, power generation

• Benefit of no visual flame, odour or smoke

Conclusions
• Incineration offers an efficient and
economical way to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions
wherever gas is flared or vented

• Assists companies to meet the

GHG voluntary challenge targets

• Addresses neighbor concerns

• Reduces fuel gas requirements 3 mmscf/d Portable

Incinerator
• Exceeds current and expected
future regulatory requirements in
BC/AB/SK
Portable 3MMscf/d incinerator
 Well Testing
• Portable single load – skid mount

• Portable units – capacity from 250 to 5000+ mscf/d

• Tight hole advantage – no visible flame to scout

• Reduced lease size in forested regions

• Simple reliable operations

• Minimal visual impact reduces or eliminates objections /

complaints
• No visible flame or black smoke
• No odour
 Incinerator Sizing and Rental Costs
Model Flow Rate Rental Rate
mscf/d $/d
Q50 50 150
Q100 100 175
Q250 250 250
Q500 500 400
Q1000 1000 750
Q3000 3000 1000
Q5000 5000 1500
ECO2 Reduction and
Combustion Efficiency
Annual ECO2 Reduction
(Incinerator vs Incomplete Combustion)
5000
65%
4000 75%
ECO2 (tonnes/yr)

85%
3000 95%

2000

1000

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Rate (mscf/d)
Success Stories
• Numerous
Numerous successes
successes with
with difficult
difficult to
to
handle streams

• Oil Battery Site -

Cabre:
Cabre: -- Kessler
Kessler and
and Cadogan
Cadogan sites
sites
•• Sour
Sour rich
rich solution
solution gas
gas -- 60
60 MJ/m
MJ/m33
•• Odor
Odor and
and smoky
smoky flare
flare at
at site
site
•• Flow
Flow rates
rates fluctuated
fluctuated between
between 50
50 -- 950
950
mcf/d
mcf/d from
from the
the treater
treater and
and tanks
tanks
•• Low
Low pressure
pressure -- tank
tank vapor
vapor recovery
recovery unit
unit
•• Single
Single incinerator
incinerator handled
handled multiple
multiple
variable
variable rates
rates with
with no
no flame,
flame, odor
odor or
or
smoke
smoke

Q500 Incinerator Unit

 Success Stories
• Acid Gas Elimination -
Compton
Compton at
at Clayhurst
Clayhurst

•• 20%
20% HH22S
S // 60%
60% CO
CO22
•• Alberta
Alberta Environment
Environment approval
approval
•• 538
53800 C
C stack
stack temperature
temperature and
and 20
20
MJ/m
MJ/m33 heating
heating value
value
•• continuous SO22 monitoring
continuous SO monitoring
•• Actual
Actual unit
unit -- 800
80000 C
C stack
stack temperature
temperature
with
with 77 MJ/m
MJ/m33 heating
heating value
value
•• Needed
Needed considerably
considerably less
less fuel
fuel gas
gas
•• Neighbors
Neighbors very
very happy
happy
•• Easy
Easy to
to startup
startup and
and operate
operate
Q250 Incinerator Unit