Revolutionizing Sustainability: Achieving Net Zero Emissions with Lean Gas Flare Tip Technology Breakthrough in the Gulf of Thailand
Authors: Amarutanon N. , Assavanives B. , Watanakun K. , Jairakdee S. , Rakpratanporn N. , Muangsuankwan N. , Sayatanan N. , Sinthavarayan K. , Watcharasing S. , Kodesh Z. 
Published: October 2023

To achieve net zero ambitions, the existing technology has reached its limitation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Lean gas flare tip is one of them. Therefore, the technology breakthrough invention is a must. RD&T to invent new technology of lean gas flare tip was initiated from an idea plan a few years ago and currently, it is ready for execution. This invention of Extremely Low BTU flare tip technology will become a key enabler of the net zero targets of oil and gas industry. To achieve net-zero ambitions in the oil and gas industry, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions poses a significant challenge. Existing technologies, including lean gas flare tips, have limitations in effectively reducing emissions. In response to this challenge, a breakthrough invention was pursued through RD&T (Research, Development, and Testing) to create a new technology: the Extremely Low BTU flare tip. This innovative invention promises to play a pivotal role in enabling the industry to reach its net-zero targets.

At present, conventional oil and gas production is continuing to release a significant amount of greenhouse gas (GHG). The gas sweetening process using membrane technology has been deployed for a long time to remove CO2 from feed gas to meet product specifications of the downstream process with continuous flaring of low BTU flare gas containing more than 85% inert gas which is equivalent to a lower heating value (LHV) of 140 BTU/scf. Unfortunately, all existing flare tip technologies available in the market require the flare gas heating value to be at least 200 BTU/scf to achieve flame stability and ensure complete combustion. To achieve this heating value, a large amount of valuable hydrocarbon gas is re-injected into the low BTU flare gas resulting in high GHG emission e.g., 5 MMscfd of methane gas.

Recognizing the urgency to reduce GHG emissions, we embarked on a joint research and development project to address the limitations of high heating value requirements by launching the Extremely Low-BTU Flare Tip development project. The project plan was to focus on the gap of existing technology and theories behind low heating value gas combustion and invent an innovative design by adding features to enhance the capability and completeness of low-heating-value gas combustion while ensuring safe operation in offshore environments. The RD&T research project included multiple iterations of prototype design, simulation, and testing, with various parameter adjustments to optimize the performance against the completeness of combustion criteria. The final design has been proven by a series of prototype tests to reinforce the level of confidence in its performance and mechanical integrity.

The final design of the Extremely Low BTU flare tip prototype was proven to successfully combust lower heating value flare gas, significantly outperforming existing technologies. The test results showed that the Extremely Low BTU Flare Tip has the capability to combust flare gases with an LHV as low as 50% lower than existing flare tip technology which requires LHV higher than 200 Btu/scf. By utilizing the Extremely Low BTU Flare Tip, operators will be able to minimize hydrocarbon loss and GHG emissions, save raw gas, and gain more revenue.

The Front-end Engineering Design (FEED) has been completed to deploy the new technology in one of the offshore gas fields in Gulf of Thailand in 2024. Flare Tip dimension has been adjusted to fit for brownfield modification within limited space on the flare tip platform. Regarding the FEED result, the new technology is suitable to apply for offshore operation with an expected cost saving $1031 MMUSD per year per platform, depending on the lowest achieved heating value. Moreover, GHG reduction is 45,000 Tons of CO2 equivalent per platform, further advancing the industry's progress towards achieving its net-zero targets.