Diesel 1 , 700 MT CO e
1 , 400 1 , 800 1 , 600
Diesel 720 MT CO e
700 800
GT-driven Electric 570 MT CO e
120
GT-driven Electric 930 MT CO e
600
9
1 , 200
930
90
500
1 , 000
40
400
800
Main op Plug pumping
360
120
300
590
Main op Plug pumping Idle
9
600
440
90
40
200
Unused aring Idle
400
590
100
440
200
0
0
However, on-site flaring at a rate of 183,972 MJ/hr adds another 930 million tons of CO2 e to the diesel-driven case, bringing the total emissions to 1,700 million tons of CO2e for the diesel operation; whereas when the flare gas is used to power the gas turbine, the flaring is avoided, so total emissions remain at 570 million tons of CO2 e. Moving away from a diesel-driven frac fleet to a gas turbine-driven electric fleet can reduce head-to-head CO2e emissions by more than 20% when powered by pipeline-quality gas, not counting the on-site flaring (see Figures 4 and 5 ). Considering flaring emissions during operation and subsequently using that flare gas to power the gas turbine results in a 45% reduction under the conditions described above. Sustainable future Significant changes have triggered the push for innovation in fracturing fleets. As environmental regulations aimed at reducing emissions are being implemented, an increasing number of companies are adopting e-frac equipment. Gas turbines with a dry low NOx (DLN) combustion system, such as the NovaLT16 in a trailer- mounted configuration, provide a suitable fit for e-frac applications, offering numerous benefits including reduced footprint, emissions limits (NOx and CO2e), and commissioning time compared to conventional diesel-driven fracturing equipment. The gas turbine outperformed Tier 2 diesel engines and achieved a notable reduction Figure 4 Frac fleet comparison: diesel units vs gas turbine-powered electric, flare gas not considered
Figure 5 Frac fleet comparison: diesel units vs gas turbine-powered electric, flare gas considered in GHGs. A reduction of 20% in CO2 e is observed when electric fleets utilise natural gas, which results in a less-emitting alternative to diesel fuel. The impact of the reduction of GHG emissions increases to 45% CO2 e when powered by associated gas that would have been otherwise flared as a primary fuel for the gas turbines, contributing to flaring reduction. Transitioning from diesel-powered to electric-driven pressure pumps, which are powered by modular gas turbines with a DLN combustion system, results in a significant overall frac fleet optimisation. This represents an effective approach to minimising emissions and contributing towards the decarbonisation of the energy industry.
NovaLT16 is a trademark of Baker Hughes.
VIEW REFERENCES IN ONLINE ISSUE
Franco Lucherini franco.lucherini@bakerhughes.com Chad Williams Chad.Williams@bakerhughes.com Andrea Mantini andrea.mantini@bakerhughes.com Maria Lozano Maria.Lozano@bakerhughes.com Valeria Angelino valeria.angelino@bakerhughes.com
www.decarbonisationtechnology.com
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