Decarbonisation Technology August 2025 Issue

or flaring of associated gas, the limited pipeline connections, and increased regulatory requirements, a mobile solution such as a trailer-mounted gas turbine is also considered a solution to contribute to methane emissions reduction. Currently, the total fracturing capacity is around 18 million hydraulic horsepower (hhp) or more than 250 frac fleets in the US alone. E-frac has grown rapidly over the past five years and now contributes to 15% of the overall fracturing capacity in the US. This is expected to double to 30% by 2030. Single large gas turbines provide power to at least 65% of the total e-frac capacity today due to the large power output contribution per machine. Natural gas turbines bring benefits such as increased power density, reduced footprint and emissions, fuel flexibility, and fuel savings. Another critical aspect is logistic simplification by reducing or eliminating the complexity of diesel truck logistics while maintaining reliable operations. Mobile power solution Hydraulic fracturing injects pressurised fracturing fluids (a mix of water, chemicals, and sands) into a well to create fractures to release space for the shale oil and gas molecules trapped in the rock formations. The process requires a significant amount of hydraulic horsepower primarily due to the pressurised fluid injection. Typically, frac spreads operate for various hours per day (12-18 hours or more) continuously for several days or weeks, depending on the complexity of the job. Trailer-mounted gas turbines provide a baseload bridge for e-frac operations or for generating backup power. They are a suitable fit in e-frac due to their feasible transportation, fuel “ Natural gas turbines bring benefits such as increased power density, reduced footprint and emissions, fuel flexibility, and fuel savings. Another critical aspect is logistic simplification by reducing or eliminating the complexity of diesel truck logistics ”

flexibility, footprint reduction, and fuel savings. The trailer-mounted configuration enables faster- than-usual commissioning times of 10-20 hours. Trailer-mounted gas turbines have primary components, including the gas turbine, generator, and control module, to provide power through an open-cycle arrangement. Baker Hughes, via its partners, participates in various trailer-mounted or modular-designed gas turbines by delivering the primary equipment components for e-frac or other applications, such as power gen and data centre, which consider important deployment elements such as footprint, emissions limits, and commissioning time. replacing a traditional diesel-driven operation with one driven by a gas turbine, a theoretical calculation was performed using conditions that are consistent with unconventional land frac applications. For emission purposes, one NovaLT16 Proven environmental impact To demonstrate the potential impact of with 22,700 hp (16.9 MWe) ISO rating was compared with 18 Tier 2 diesel reciprocating engines (rating power 2,000 HHP). Assuming a 20-stage land frac operation that would require 20,000 HHP, the emissions of the operation were calculated, with each stage taking 2.5 hours to complete, 50 hours in total, and the total time for pumping all stages and all plugs is 100 hours. During the 20 hours, 15 diesel-powered pumps operating at or near full capacity will emit approximately 590 million tons CO2e, while the three pumps running idle will emit approximately 20 million tons CO2e. During the plug pumping phase of the operation, the two pumps pumping the plugs will emit approximately 9 million tons of CO2e, while the remaining 16 pumps that are running idle will emit approximately 100 million tons of CO2e. This results in the total impact of the diesel-driven operation to be approximately 720 million tons of CO2e. Conversely, the gas turbine will emit approximately 440 million tons of CO2e during the main pumping of the 20 stages, 40 million tons of CO2e during the plug pumping phase, and 90 million tons of CO2e while idle between stages, for a total of 570 million tons.