Patent Description:
Extracting oil from unconventional resources, such as shale gas formations, through the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has increased at a rapid pace in recent years. The Bakken, Powder River Basin, Denver Julesburg ("D-J") Basin, North Park Basin, and Permian Basin are just some of the important "plays" in the United States. A "play" is the geographic area underlain by a gas- or oil-containing geologic formation. Development of these gas plays and other unconventional resources presents significant potential for economic development and energy independence, but also presents the potential for environmental impacts on land, water and air. For example, although oil production represents the most important source of revenue for a given well, most wells also produce natural gas as a low-value byproduct. Unfortunately, the liquids-rich natural gas byproduct often cannot be economically transported by trucks or trains from remote well locations. Although such natural gases could be transported via pipelines, many oil and natural gas wells are located beyond the reach of such infrastructure. Absent gas pipeline infrastructure, oil well operators must either "vent" or "flare" produced gasses for safety reasons. Venting is the controlled release of natural gases into the atmosphere in the course of oil and gas production operations, however natural gas accumulations around the wellbore create significant safety hazards. Flaring is the controlled burning of natural gas produced in association with oil in the course of routine oil and gas production operations, and is designed to minimize the safety and environmental risks associated with venting uncombusted natural gas.

As of April <NUM>, the NOAA estimates that there are over <NUM>,<NUM> individual flares in the United States, which burn about <NUM> billion m<NUM> (<NUM> billion ft<NUM>) of natural gas annually-enough to supply about <NUM> million homes. Such large-scale flaring of natural gas has raised serious environmental and health concerns and various state and federal regulators have begun to take action by implementing strict regulations and enforcement policies. For example, Colorado generally limits flaring to <NUM> days and many new well permits require producers to have a natural gas offtake solution prior to production; North Dakota has recently implemented a requirement that <NUM>% of associated gas be captured by <NUM>; and Texas only allows new wells to flare for <NUM> days before an additional <NUM>-day permit must be obtained. The EPA has also implemented flaring regulations where sites that exceed <NUM> metric tonnes (<NUM> tons) per year of VOC, CO or NOX trigger Title V "Major Source Emitter" rules. Violations of state or federal rules can result in oil wells being "shut in," rejected permits and/or significant cash fines.

Stranded natural gas, particularly in the case where liquids-weighted wells are shut in due to gas takeaway constraints, represents a very low-cost power generation opportunity. Stranded gas exists across most prominent shale fields today including in the D-J Basin, Permian Basin, Bakken, SCOOP/STACK, etc. Many oil and gas operators in pipeline-constrained environments readily offer their natural gas for low cost-even at a loss to the operator in some cases-so that they can produce oil, which often represents the vast majority of a well's lifetime economics.

One potential solution to the natural gas problem lies in distributed computing. Cryptocurrency is a booming asset class with the combined market capitalization of digital currencies surpassing $<NUM> billion in July <NUM>. Cryptocurrencies operate on a distributed system of computers "mining" the currencies - essentially processing the underlying algorithms to continuously verify transactions and account balances. The crypto mining process is a significant industry in its own right, projected to reach a value of $<NUM> billion by <NUM> with a projected CAGR of <NUM>%.

This high-growth industry requires innovative and inexpensive electricity sources as it requires enormous amounts of power-approximately <NUM> TWh of electricity per year on a global basis. For perspective, cryptocurrency mining consumes more power annually than <NUM> countries, including Hungary, Ireland, Nigeria or Slovakia. Indeed, electricity is typically the single largest lifetime cost to a cryptocurrency mining operation, with power costs offsetting approximately <NUM>% of total mining revenues in the US.

Accordingly, there remains a need for systems and methods for generating electricity from natural gas produced from oil wells. It would be beneficial if such electricity could be produced and consumed on-site, for example, by using it to operate power-intensive, modular processing units. It would be further beneficial if such processing units could be employed to mine cryptocurrency or perform other distributed computing tasks to generate additional revenue.

<CIT> relates to a data plant that accepts power-generation-capable raw materials and outputs processed data. Document <CIT> discloses a mobile data center which can be used at an offshore oil production site.

In accordance with the foregoing objectives and others, exemplary systems and methods are disclosed herein to convert raw natural gas into a fuel gas stream that may be used to power any number of on-site power generation modules. In turn, the power generation modules may convert the fuel gas stream into electricity, which may be employed to power any number of modular distributed computing units. In certain embodiments, the distributed computing units may be adapted to mine cryptocurrency or perform other distributed computing tasks to generate revenue.

According to the present invention, a flare mitigation system is provided according to claim <NUM>.

In some cases, the power generation module may be an engine-type generator that generates a high-voltage electrical output of from about <NUM> kW to about <NUM> MW (e.g., from about <NUM> kW to about <NUM> kW, from about <NUM> kW to about <NUM> kW, <NUM> kW to about <NUM> MW, or from about <NUM> MW to about <NUM> MW). The first voltage of the high-voltage electrical output may be from about <NUM> V to about <NUM> kV. And the second voltage of the low-voltage electrical output may be from about <NUM> V to about <NUM> V.

In other cases, the power generation module may be a turbine-type generator that generates a high-voltage electrical output of from about <NUM> MW to about <NUM> MW. In such cases, the first voltage of the high-voltage electrical output may be from about <NUM> kV to about <NUM> kV. And the second voltage of the low-voltage electrical output may be from about <NUM> V to about <NUM> V.

The system may include an electrical power generation system having a first power generation module and a second power generation module. The first power generation module may be adapted to receive a first fuel gas stream, such as a fuel gas associated with a heat value of at least about <NUM> MJ/m<NUM> (<NUM>,<NUM> Btu/scf), and to consume the fuel gas stream to generate a first high-voltage electrical output associated with a first voltage. The second power generation module may be adapted to receive a second fuel gas stream including the fuel gas, and to consume the second fuel gas stream to generate a second high-voltage electrical output associated with the first voltage.

The electrical power generation system may also include a parallel panel in electrical communication with the first power generation module and the second power generation module. The parallel panel may be adapted to receive the first and second high-voltage electrical outputs; and combine and/or synchronize the first and second high-voltage electrical outputs into a combined high-voltage electrical output.

The electrical power generation system may also include an electrical transformation module in electrical communication with the parallel panel. The electrical transformation module may be adapted to receive the combined high-voltage electrical output; and transform the combined high-voltage electrical output into a low-voltage electrical output associated with a second voltage that is lower than the first voltage.

The distributed computing system may include a communications system having one or more data satellite antennas in order to provide a network. Moreover, the distributed computing system may include a first mobile data center having an enclosure defining an interior space; a plurality of distributed computing units located within the interior space of the enclosure, each of the plurality of distributed computing units in communication with the network; and a power system located at least partially within the interior space of the enclosure, the power system in electrical communication with the electrical transformation module and the plurality of distributed computing units such that the power system receives the low-voltage electrical output and powers each of the plurality of distributed computing units.

Referring to <FIG>, an exemplary flare mitigation system <NUM> according to an embodiment is illustrated. As shown, the system <NUM> may comprise a natural gas processing system <NUM>, an electrical power generation system <NUM>, a distributed computing system <NUM>, a communication system <NUM> and a monitoring and control system <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the flare mitigation system <NUM> may comprise a natural gas processing system <NUM> adapted to receive a raw natural gas stream <NUM> from one or more wellheads <NUM> in an oil and/or gas reservoir. The natural gas processing system <NUM> is generally adapted to convert the received raw natural gas <NUM> into a fuel gas stream <NUM> that may be introduced to an electrical power generation system <NUM>. As discussed in detail below with respect to <FIG>, the natural gas processing system <NUM> may employ a separator module and, optionally, any number of additional modules (e.g., a compressor module, a carbon dioxide removal module, a desulfurization module and/or a refrigeration module) to produce a fuel gas stream <NUM> meeting the specific requirements of the electrical power generation system <NUM> and any number of secondary streams.

The electrical power generation system <NUM> generally comprises any number of power generation modules adapted to consume the fuel gas <NUM> and convert the same into electrical power. As discussed in detail below with respect to <FIG>, each power generation module may be in electrical communication with an electrical transformation module adapted to receive the electrical output of the power generation module(s) and convert the same into an electrical flow <NUM> that may be employed to power the electrical components of a distributed computing system <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the distributed computing system <NUM> may comprise any number distributed computing units ("DCUs") in electrical communication with the electrical power generation system <NUM>, such that the DCUs are powered via the electrical flow <NUM> output by the system. The DCUs may comprise a modular computing installation, for example, a data center, cryptocurrency mine or graphics computing cell. And the DCUs are generally adapted to conduct any number of processing-intensive tasks. For example, the DCUs may be employed to execute graphics-intensive distributed computing processes, artificial intelligence ("AI") research, machine learning model training, data analysis, server functions, storage, virtual reality and/or augmented reality applications, tasks relating to the Golem Project, non-currency blockchain applications and/or cryptocurrency mining operations.

In certain embodiments, the DCUs may be employed to execute mathematical operations in relation to the mining of cryptocurrencies including computing the following hashing algorithms: SHA-<NUM>, ETHash, scrypt, CryptoNight, RIPEMD160, BLAKE256, X11, Dagger-Hashimoto, Equihash, LBRY, X13, NXT, Lyra2RE, Qubit, Skein, Groestl, BOINC, X11gost, Scrypt-jane, Quark, Keccak, Scrypt-OG, X14, Axiom, Momentum, SHA-<NUM>, Yescrypt, Scrypt-N, Cunningham, NIST5, Fresh, AES, 2Skein, Equilhash, KSHAKE320, Sidechain, Lyra2RE, HybridScryptHash256, Momentum, HEFTY1, Skein-SHA2, Qubit, SpreadX11, Pluck, and/or Fugue256. Additionally or alternatively, the DCUs may be adapted to execute mathematical operations in relation to training computationally intensive machine learning, artificial intelligence, statistical or deep learning models, such as neural networks, recurrent neural networks, convolutional neural networks, generative adversarial networks, gradient boosting machines, random forests, classification and regression trees, linear, polynomial, exponential and generalized linear regressions, logistic regression, reinforcement learning, deep reinforcement learning, hyperparameter optimization, cross validation, support vector machines, principal component analysis, singular value decomposition, convex optimization, and/or independent component analysis.

As discussed in detail below with respect to <FIG>, the distributed computing system <NUM> may comprise one or more mobile data centers, wherein each mobile data center houses a plurality of DCUs therein. In addition to the DCUs, each mobile data center may further house an electrical power system, one or more backup power systems, an environment control system, and/or various monitoring and control equipment <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, the mobile data center (and any electronic components contained therein) may be in communication with a communication system <NUM>. For example, the mobile data center may be in direct communication with the communication system <NUM> via a wired connection. As another example, the DCUs may be in indirect communication with the communication system <NUM> via a network <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the communication system <NUM> may comprise one or more data satellite antennas in communication with one or more high-orbit and/or low-orbit satellites. The antennas may be roof-mounted to one or more mobile data centers and/or may be pole-mounted into the ground nearby such mobile data centers. A typical configuration is for two antennas to serve a single mobile data center in order to provide reliability and redundancy; however, a single antenna may be sufficient depending on bandwidth requirements and total DCU count. Alternatively, many (e.g., three or more) antennas may be mounted to a roof of a single mobile data center, and communications cables may extend from the mobile data center to other nearby mobile data centers to provide a centralized communications solution.

The one or more data satellite antennas of the communication system <NUM> may be specified for continuous outdoor use, and may be installed using robust mounting hardware to ensure alignment even during heavy wind or other storms common in the oilfield. Antenna modems may be housed inside a mobile data center for warmth, security and weatherproofing, and such modems may be connected to the power system of the mobile data center.

In one embodiment, the communication system <NUM> may provide an internal network that includes automatic load-balancing functionality such that bandwidth is allocated proportionately among all active antennas. In such embodiment, if a single antenna fails, the lost bandwidth is automatically redistributed among all functioning antennas. This is an important reliability feature for oilfield operations, where equipment failures due to storms are possible.

In another embodiment, the antennas and satellite internet systems of the communication system <NUM> may be specified based on the needs of the distributed computing system <NUM>, with specific attention paid to bandwidth and latency requirements. For lower bandwidth applications such as certain blockchain processing, cryptocurrency mining and/or long-term bulk data processing jobs, high-orbit satellite connectivity ranging from <NUM> MB/s to <NUM> MB/s may be specified. For higher bandwidth or low latency requirements such as artificial intelligence model training, iterative dataset download and boundary spamming projects, visual processing such as images or videos, natural language processing, iterative protein folding simulation jobs, videogaming, or any other high capacity data streaming or rapid communication jobs, low-orbit satellites may be specified to provide significantly increased speeds and reduced latency.

In any event, the communication system <NUM> may provide a network <NUM> to which various components of the flare mitigation system <NUM> may be connected. The network <NUM> may include wide area networks ("WAN"), local area networks ("LAN"), intranets, the Internet, wireless access networks, wired networks, mobile networks, telephone networks, optical networks, or combinations thereof. The network <NUM> may be packet switched, circuit switched, of any topology, and may use any communication protocol. Communication links within the network <NUM> may involve various digital or an analog communication media such as fiber optic cables, free-space optics, waveguides, electrical conductors, wireless links, antennas, radio-frequency communications, and so forth.

As shown, the flare mitigation system further <NUM> comprises a MC system <NUM>, which is generally adapted to maintain processing conditions within acceptable operational constraints throughout the system. Such constraints may be determined by economic, practical, and/or safety requirements. The MC system <NUM> may handle high-level operational control goals, low-level PID loops, communication with both local and remote operators, and communication with both local and remote systems. The MC system <NUM> may also be in communication with ancillary systems, such as storage systems, backup systems and/or power generation systems.

In one embodiment, the MC system <NUM> may be in communication with various monitoring and control equipment (<NUM>-<NUM>), such as sensors and/or controllers, via the network <NUM>. Such monitoring and control equipment (<NUM>-<NUM>) may be in further communication with various components of the natural gas processing system <NUM>, the electrical power generation system <NUM> and/or the distributed computing system <NUM>, such that the MC system <NUM> may remotely monitor and control operating parameters throughout the flare mitigation system <NUM>. Exemplary operating parameters may include, but are not limited to, profile of the raw natural gas supply, gas flow rate at various locations, gas pressure at various locations, temperature at various locations, electrical output at one or more locations, electrical load at one or more locations, and/or others.

As an example, the MC system <NUM> may determine a change in the profile, flow rate and/or pressure of the raw natural gas <NUM> and then automatically modulate electrical load of a mobile data center accordingly. And as another example, the MC system <NUM> may automatically reduce a processing rate of one or more DCUs in response to receiving an indication that supply gas pressure has decreased.

In one embodiment, any number of users may access the MC system <NUM> and/or the distributed computing system <NUM> via a client device <NUM> in communication with the network <NUM>. Generally, a client device <NUM> may be any device capable of accessing such systems (e.g., via a native application or via a web browser). Exemplary client devices <NUM> may include general purpose desktop computers, laptop computers, smartphones, and/or tablets. In other embodiments, client devices <NUM> may comprise virtual reality ("VR") and/or augmented reality ("AR") hardware and software, which allow users to provide input via physical gestures.

The relationship of the client device <NUM> to such systems arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other. Accordingly, each of the client devices <NUM> may have a client application running thereon, where the client application may be adapted to communicate with a MC application running on a MC system <NUM> and/or a distributed computing application running on a distributed computing system <NUM>, for example, over a network <NUM>. Thus, the client application may be remote from the MC system <NUM> and/or the distributed computing system <NUM>. Such a configuration may allow users of client applications to interact with one or both of such systems from any location. Moreover, because the MC system <NUM> is capable of transceiving information to/from the various other systems (e.g., natural gas processing system <NUM>, electrical power generation system <NUM>, distributed computing system <NUM>, and communication system <NUM>), a user may interact with such systems via the MC system.

As discussed in detail below, one or more MC system applications and/or distributed computing system applications may be adapted to present various user interfaces to users. Such user interfaces may be based on information stored on the client device <NUM> and/or received from the respective systems. Accordingly, the application(s) may be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, or declarative or procedural languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a standalone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. Such software may correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data. For example, a program may include one or more scripts stored in a markup language document; in a single file dedicated to the program in question; or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portions of code).

Each of the MC system application(s) and/or distributed computing system application(s) can be deployed and/or executed on one or more computing machines that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network. In one embodiment, an application may be installed on (or accessed by) one or more client devices <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, the MC system <NUM> and/or the client device <NUM> may be adapted to receive, determine, record and/or transmit application information relating to one or more components of the flare mitigation system <NUM>. The application information may be received from and/or transmitted to the natural gas processing system <NUM>, the electrical power generation system <NUM> and/or the distributed computing system <NUM> via, for example, monitoring and/or control equipment (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, respectively) in communication with one or more components of such systems and in further communication with the network <NUM>. Moreover, any of such application information may be stored in and/or retrieved from one or more local or remote databases (e.g., database <NUM>).

In one embodiment, the MC system <NUM> may be connected to one or more third-party systems <NUM> via the network <NUM>. Third-party systems <NUM> may store information in one or more databases that may be accessed by the MC system <NUM>. The MC system <NUM> may be capable of retrieving and/or storing information from third-party systems <NUM>, with or without user interaction. Moreover, the MC system may be capable of transmitting stored/received information to such third-party systems.

It will be appreciated that various components of the flare mitigation system <NUM> may be modular such that they may be combined to form a modular system. For example, the modular components that make up the natural gas processing system <NUM>, the electrical power generation system <NUM>, the distributed computing system, and/or the communication system <NUM> may be transported to an oil filed and assembled into the respective subsystems of the flare mitigation system <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the natural gas processing system <NUM>, electrical power generation system <NUM>, distributed computing system <NUM> and the communication system <NUM> may be designed to allow all components of such systems to fit inside the height and width of a portable container, such as a shipping container or similar prefabricated enclosure that is transportable using a standard drop-deck semi-trailer. It will be appreciated that such configuration allows for enhanced mobility of the flare mitigation system <NUM> to various field sites.

Moreover, some or all of the aforementioned systems / components may be pre-mounted to a fixed skid, wheeled trailer or other form of mounting brackets in order to simplify and expedite transportation. Key benefits of this approach include reduced assembly time and expense in the field, where oilfield contract labor is often more expensive than shop labor, and where contractor availability (such as electricians) may be constrained. Wheel-mounted solutions may also qualify for special treatment as "temporary equipment," facilitating expedited or reduced regulatory processing in the oilfield environment. Pre-mounting equipment also allows for an operator to quickly re-mobilize the system <NUM> to a new site if the original gas flow associated with the original well declines or a new area experiences a greatly increased demand for flare mitigation.

It will be further appreciated that, the natural gas processing system <NUM>, electrical power generation system <NUM>, distributed computing system <NUM> and/or the communication system <NUM> may be designed to allow for individual components of such subsystems to be added or removed, as necessary, to provide a flare mitigation system <NUM> that aims to consume substantially all raw natural gas <NUM> produced at the wellhead <NUM>. This configuration is important, as each well's gas flow rate, pressure and composition will be unique and may change over time.

For example, the electrical power generation system <NUM> may be modified to include additional power generation modules and/or electrical transformation modules and the distributed computing system <NUM> may be modified to include additional mobile data centers to mitigate increasingly larger volumes of gas during initial flow back and peak production phases of a well's life. Conversely, modules may be removed to accommodate declining flow rates. As another example, individual DCUs within a mobile data center of the distributed computing system <NUM> can also be remotely "turned down" or turned off to fit gas demand with gas production at each individual wellhead <NUM>.

Using the above-described system <NUM>, inexpensive and abundant stranded gas <NUM> can be used to power multi-megawatt-scale power generation equipment to produce power <NUM> for on-site or adjacent cryptocurrency mining operations. For example, the system may consume raw natural gas having a heat value of at least <NUM> MJ/m<NUM> (<NUM>,<NUM> Btu/scf) at a rate of <NUM>,<NUM><NUM>/d (<NUM> MMscfd) to power approximately <NUM>,<NUM> DCUs having a <NUM> TH/s mining hash rate (e.g., ANTMINER S9 mining rigs), which is equivalent to a moderate scale commercial mining operation. The cost to power this same mining operation would be about $<NUM> million annually under a commercial power purchase agreement ($<NUM>/kwh).

Referring to <FIG>, an exemplary natural gas processing system <NUM> according to an embodiment is illustrated. As shown, the system <NUM> may comprise a separator module <NUM> and various optional components, such as a compressor module <NUM>, a CO<NUM> removal module <NUM>, a desulfurization module <NUM>, a dehydrator module <NUM> and/or a refrigerator module <NUM>.

Generally, the natural gas processing system <NUM> is adapted to convert a raw natural gas stream <NUM> received from one or more oil and/or gas wellheads <NUM> into a fuel gas stream <NUM> and, optionally, various secondary streams. As used herein, the term "raw natural gas" or "raw gas" means unprocessed natural gas released during oil and/or gas production. Raw natural gas <NUM> may also be referred to as "associated gas," "flare gas," "produced gas," and/or "stranded gas.

Raw natural gas <NUM> at a wellhead <NUM> is commonly a mixture of hydrocarbons, including methane (CH<NUM>), ethane (C<NUM>H<NUM>), propane (C<NUM>H<NUM>), butane (C<NUM>H<NUM>), pentane (C<NUM>H<NUM>), hexane (C<NUM>H<NUM>) and higher hydrocarbons. The raw natural gas <NUM> also contains other compounds such as water vapor (H<NUM>O), hydrogen sulfide (H<NUM>S), carbon dioxide (CO<NUM>), oxygen (O<NUM>), and nitrogen (N<NUM>). Table <NUM>, below, shows properties of exemplary raw gas from wellheads in the Bakken Formation.

As used herein, the term "fuel gas" <NUM> refers to a natural gas stream that has been processed by a natural gas processing system <NUM> such that it may be used by an electrical power generation system (e.g., <FIG> at <NUM>) to generate electrical power for a distributed computing system (<FIG> at <NUM>). It will be appreciated that the properties of the fuel gas <NUM> produced by the natural gas processing system <NUM> may vary depending on the raw natural gas and requirements of the employed electrical power generation system.

Nevertheless, the fuel gas <NUM> will typically comprise a heat value of at least about <NUM> MJ/m<NUM> (<NUM>,<NUM> Btu/scf) and a methane content of at least about <NUM>%. In some embodiments, the fuel gas <NUM> may be processed to contain less than about <NUM>% pentane and higher hydrocarbons (C5+) components. Moreover, such fuel gas <NUM> may be optionally be processed to contain less than about <NUM>% propane and higher hydrocarbons (C3+) components.

In some embodiments, the produced fuel gas <NUM> may be substantially free of particulate solids and liquid water to prevent erosion, corrosion or other damage to equipment. Moreover, the fuel gas may be dehydrated of water vapor sufficiently to prevent the formation of hydrates during downstream processing. And, in certain embodiments, the produced fuel gas <NUM> may contain no more than trace amounts of components such as H<NUM>S, CO<NUM>, and N<NUM>.

As shown, the raw natural gas <NUM> received from the wellhead <NUM> may first be introduced to a separator module <NUM> such that liquids (e.g., oil <NUM> and/or water <NUM>) may be separated and removed therefrom. Generally, the separator module <NUM> may comprise at least one multi-phase separator, such as a <NUM>-phase separator (separating liquids and gas), or a <NUM>-phase separator (separating oil, water, and gas),.

In one particular embodiment, the separator module <NUM> comprises a <NUM>-phase separator. An exemplary <NUM>-phase separator may comprise a vessel having an inlet to receive the raw natural gas <NUM>, an outlet through which free gas exits the vessel, an outlet through which water exits the vessel, and an outlet through which oil exits the vessel. Upon entering the vessel, the raw gas <NUM> may encounter an inlet deflector, which causes initial separation of gas from a liquid mixture of oil and water. The free gas may then rise within the vessel, while the heavier liquid mixture descends therewithin. And, optionally, a divertor may be employed within the vessel to redirect flow of the liquid mixture and to allow it to settle more readily within the vessel.

Once separated from the liquid, the free gas may flow through a mist extractor that removes any entrained liquids remaining in the gas. The resulting gas stream then flows out of the top of the separator vessel, through the gas outlet.

As the liquid mixture settles within the separator vessel, the oil separates from the water and rises out of solution. In one embodiment, a weir plate may be employed to allow the oil to pour into an oil chamber or bucket, while preventing the water from entering the chamber. Additionally, the separator may include a metal protector plate to block any splashing liquid from entering the gas outlet.

Generally, the recovered oil <NUM> can be directed to an oil storage tank or may be transported for sale via truck, rail or pipe. And the water <NUM> may be sent to a water storage tank, treated on-site, disposed of, and/or transported to a wastewater treatment facility or other reclamation zone.

In one embodiment, the separator module <NUM> may comprise, or otherwise be placed in communication with, various monitoring and/or control equipment. Such equipment may be adapted to measure, determine and/or control various operating parameters at any number of locations throughout the separator module <NUM>. As discussed above, such equipment may be in communication with a remote MC system (e.g., via a network) to allow for both (<NUM>) remote monitoring and control of the separator module <NUM> by any number of operators and (<NUM>) automatic control thereof.

As an example, the separator module <NUM> may comprise any number of pressure monitors, flow meters, regulators and/or control valves to monitor/control gas and/or liquid processing parameters (e.g., inlet/outlet pressure, inlet/outlet flow, level, etc.). Such equipment may be located within one or more vessels, on one or more inlets and/or on one or more outlets of the separator module <NUM>.

It will be appreciated that the separator module <NUM> may further comprise any number of safety valves adapted to direct flow to a safe and contained area upon overpressurization of the vessel. In one embodiment, the separator module may comply with ASME VIII, Division <NUM> and NACE MR-<NUM> for H<NUM>S environments. Additionally or alternatively, the separator module may comprise a skid designed to SEPCO OPS055 and/or API RP2A standards.

In certain embodiments, the separator module <NUM> may further comprise a heater-treater component located upstream of the multi-phase separator or integral therewith. Generally, the heater-treater may comprises a pressurized vessel, or a series of pressurized vessels, in which a bottom-mounted, heat source is operated. During operation, the heater-treater heats the raw natural gas <NUM> received from the wellhead <NUM> by means of direct contact with the heat source and the ensuing temperature increase reduces molecular attraction between oil and water molecules contained therein. Accordingly, when the heated raw natural gas is passed to the multi-phase separator, water droplets may settle out of the liquid more rapidly.

In one embodiment, the gas stream produced by the separator module <NUM> may be of a sufficient quality to be directly utilized as fuel gas <NUM> for a power generation module of the electrical power generation system. In such cases, the resulting gas stream <NUM> may not be introduced to any of the optional processing modules shown in <FIG>; rather, it may be transferred directly to an electrical power generation module. It will be appreciated that, although the illustrated optional processing modules are not employed in this embodiment, the fuel gas <NUM> may be aggregated (e.g., in a field gathering pipeline) before being introduced to the electrical power generation module. Additionally or alternatively, conventional valves and/or compressors may be employed upstream of the electrical power generation module to regulate the pressure of the fuel gas <NUM>.

In other embodiments, the gas stream produced by the separator module <NUM> may require additional processing upstream of the power generation module. In such cases, the natural gas processing system <NUM> may comprise one or more of: a compressor module <NUM>, a CO<NUM> removal module <NUM>, a desulfurization module <NUM>, a dehydrator module <NUM> and/or a refrigeration module <NUM>.

Generally, a compressor module <NUM> may be employed to increase the pressure of the gas stream from an initial pressure of from about <NUM> kPa (<NUM> psi) to about <NUM> kPa (<NUM> psi), to a final pressure of from about <NUM> kPa (<NUM> psi) to about <NUM> kPa (<NUM> psi). Such pressure increase may be desired or required when a refrigeration module <NUM> is employed (discussed below) and/or in cases where the fuel gas <NUM> is to be introduced to a power generation module comprising a turbine.

As a result of the pressure increase, the compressor module <NUM> may also remove heavy natural gas liquids ("NGLs") stream <NUM> comprising pentane and higher hydrocarbons (C5+) from the natural gas. To that end, the compressor module <NUM> may comprise any number of individual compressor units operating to raise and lower the pressure of the received gas stream, during any number of compression stages, such that the NGLs <NUM> contained therein may be liquified and removed. The resulting NGLs stream <NUM> may exit the compressor module <NUM> and may be stored in a storage tank and/or transported for sale via truck, rail or pipe.

Accordingly, the compressor module <NUM> may produce a resulting gas stream comprising methane, ethane, propane, and butane, wherein the gas stream is substantially free of pentane and higher hydrocarbons (C5+). That is, the resulting compressed gas stream will typically comprise less than about <NUM>% C5+ hydrocarbons, such that the stream comprises a heat content of from about <NUM> MJ/m<NUM> (<NUM>,<NUM> Btu/scf) to about <NUM> MJ/m<NUM> (<NUM>,<NUM> Btu/scf).

In one embodiment, the compressor module <NUM> may comprise any number of individual compressor units. The compressor units may be driven by either conventional piston engines or natural gas turbines, and such units are typically fueled by a portion of the natural gas (although some or all of the units may be electrically powered if required). The compressor units typically operate in parallel, although some or all of the compressor units may be operated in stages (serially) as desired or required.

As the gas is compressed, heat is generated and must be dissipated to cool the gas stream before leaving the compressor module. Accordingly, the compressor module <NUM> may comprise an aerial cooler system to dissipate excess heat (e.g., an "after cooler").

Additionally, the heat generated by operation of the individual compressor units may be dissipated via a sealed coolant system.

The compressor module <NUM> may comprise, or otherwise be placed in communication with, various monitoring and/or control equipment adapted to monitor and/or control operating parameters (e.g., gas flow and/or pressure) across all compressor units. Such equipment may be in communication with the remote MC system (e.g., via a network) to allow for remote monitoring and control of the compressor module <NUM> by any number of operators and/or for automatic control thereof.

In certain embodiments, the natural gas processing system <NUM> may include a CO<NUM> removal module <NUM> to remove CO<NUM> <NUM> from the gas stream. Generally, the CO<NUM> removal module <NUM> will be employed, as required, to meet pipeline specifications. For example, the CO<NUM> removal module <NUM> may be employed to reduce CO<NUM> content in the gas stream to less than about <NUM>% CO<NUM>.

In one embodiment, the CO<NUM> removal module <NUM> may comprise one or more membranes, such as a spiral-wound cellulose acetate membrane. Generally, the membrane operates on the principle of selective permeation, where components with higher permeation rates (e.g., CO<NUM>) permeate through a membrane faster than those with lower permeation rates (e.g., methane, ethane and heavier hydrocarbons). Accordingly, the gas feed stream may be separated into a hydrocarbon-rich (residual) stream on the exterior of the membrane fiber and a CO<NUM>-rich (permeate) stream on the interior of the membrane fiber.

It will be appreciated that the CO<NUM> removal module <NUM> may be adaptable to various gas volumes, CO<NUM> concentrations, and/or fuel gas specifications. Moreover, operational parameters of the CO<NUM> removal module, such as pressure difference between the feed gas and permeate gas and/or concentration of the permeating component, may be monitored and/or controlled via various equipment in communication with the remote MC system.

In another embodiment, the CO<NUM> removal module <NUM> may comprise an amine sorbent system. As known in the art, such systems are adapted to absorb CO<NUM> and then desorb the CO<NUM> to atmosphere.

In one embodiment, the natural gas processing system <NUM> may include a desulfurization module <NUM> adapted to remove sulfur <NUM> from the gas stream. Generally, sulfur exists in natural gas as hydrogen sulfide (H<NUM>S), and the natural gas will typically require desulfurization when its H<NUM>S content exceeds about <NUM>µg/L (<NUM>. 01lbs/Mscf). It will be appreciated that gas containing high levels of H<NUM>S (i.e., "sour gas") is undesirable because it is both corrosive to equipment and dangerous to breathe.

The desulfurization module <NUM> may employ various technologies to "sweeten," or remove sulfur from, sour gas. In one embodiment, the desulfurization module <NUM> may employ dry sorbents to capture sulfur gases in solid form (e.g., as sulfates or sulfites). In one such embodiment, a fine sorbent may be injected into the feed gas and the resulting sulfur-containing solids <NUM> may be collected. Exemplary dry sorbents that may be employed include, but are not limited to, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, and sodium carbonate.

In an alternative embodiment, the desulfurization module <NUM> may comprise a wet scrubber subsystem, such as venturi, packed-column, or tray-type systems. In this embodiment, the feed gas may be contacted with a scrubbing solution or slurry to absorb the H2S and convert it to mercaptans, which are then drained from the spent bed in liquid form.

In yet another embodiment, the desulfurization module <NUM> may employ amine solutions to remove H<NUM>S. During this process, the feed gas is run through a tower containing an amine solution that absorbs sulfur. Exemplary amine solutions may include, but are not limited to, monoethanolamine ("MEA") and diethanolamine ("DEA"). In one such embodiment, the amine solution may be regenerated (i.e., the absorbed sulfur may be removed) and reused.

In certain embodiments, the sulfur-containing discharge <NUM> may be discarded. However, in other embodiments, the sulfur may be reduced to its elemental form via further processing and then sold. One exemplary process employed to recover sulfur is known as the "Claus process" and involves using thermal and catalytic reactions to extract the elemental sulfur from the hydrogen sulfide solution.

It will be appreciated that, no matter which of the above technologies is employed by the desulfurization module <NUM>, a resulting gas stream may be produced that is virtually free of sulfur compounds. That is, the resulting gas stream may comprise a sulfur content of less than about about <NUM>µg/L (<NUM> lbs/Mscf).

The natural gas processing system <NUM> may additionally or alternatively comprise a dehydrator module <NUM> adapted to remove water <NUM> from the gas stream. Generally, the dehydrator module <NUM> may be employed to reduce the moisture content of the gas stream to about <NUM>/L (<NUM> lbs/Mscf) or less. This mitigates the risk of damage to pipes and process equipment from blocked flow and corrosion.

In one embodiment, the dehydrator module <NUM> may comprise any number of dryer beds including one or more desiccants. Exemplary desiccants include, but are not limited to: activated charcoal/carbon, alumina, calcium oxide, calcium chloride, calcium sulfate, silica, silica alumina, molecular sieves (e.g., zeolites), and/or montmorillonite clay. In one particular embodiment, desiccant materials may be present in a packed-bed configuration.

It will be appreciated that most desiccants have a limited adsorption capacity and must be replaced or regenerated at given service intervals. Accordingly, for continuous dehydration service, a multi-bed system may be employed where one or more beds are utilized while the others are being replaced/regenerated. The active bed(s) can then be switched in and out of service as required or desired.

In another embodiment, the dehydrator module <NUM> may comprise a Triethylene Glycol ("TEG") system. This system contacts the wet gas with TEG, which absorbs the water from the wet gas stream to produce a rich TEG stream. The rich TEG stream is heated with a gas-fired heater and the water is driven off in the form of water vapor to atmosphere. The lean TEG stream may then be cooled and pumped back to contact the gas stream.

In other embodiments, the dehydrator module <NUM> may remove water through the use of additives, such as methanol or ethylene glycol, which may be sprayed into the natural gas stream to suppress the freezing point of liquid water. In yet other embodiments, dehydration may comprise a number of steps, including active dehydration, depressurization, regeneration, and re-pressurization.

In certain embodiments, the natural gas processing system <NUM> may include a refrigeration module <NUM> comprising one or more mechanical refrigeration units ("MRU"). Generally, the refrigeration module may be employed to cool natural gas in an effort to reduce the hydrocarbon dew point of the gas (e.g., to meet pipeline quality specifications) and/or to maximize NGLs recovery (e.g., to improve the overall monetary return of a natural gas stream).

In one embodiment, the refrigeration module <NUM> may be adapted to lower the temperature of the received gas stream to a target temperature, such that NGLs comprising propane and higher hydrocarbons (C3+) <NUM> may be separated therefrom. The target temperature may be selected to allow the NGLs stream <NUM> to be condensed (e.g., in a single column), without condensing substantial amounts of methane or ethane. Accordingly, the condensed NGLs stream <NUM> may be separated and transported for sale via truck, rail or pipe; and the resulting fuel gas stream <NUM>, which comprises mostly methane and ethane, may be transferred to the electrical power generation module.

In certain embodiments, the refrigeration module <NUM> may lower the temperature of the received gas stream via heat exchange with a low temperature fluid (i.e., a refrigerant). Exemplary refrigerants include, but are not limited to, propane, propylene (C<NUM>H<NUM>), n-butane, and/or ethylene (C<NUM>H<NUM>). It will be appreciated that other hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon refrigerants may additionally or alternatively be employed.

Generally, the refrigeration module <NUM> may cool the received gas stream to a target temperature of from about -<NUM> (-<NUM> °F) to about -<NUM> (-<NUM> °F), depending on the composition of the received gas stream. During cooling, the pressure may be adjusted to, or maintained at, from about <NUM> kPa (<NUM> psi) to about <NUM>,<NUM> kPa (<NUM> psi).

In one particular embodiment, the refrigeration module <NUM> may comprise a cascade refrigerator that employs two or more refrigeration stages in series to achieve a lower temperature than is otherwise achievable in a single stage. For example, the refrigerator may cool the gas to a first temperature during a first stage (i.e., a "high stage"), and then cool the gas to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature during a second stage (i.e., a "low stage").

It will be appreciated that operational parameters of the refrigeration module <NUM> may be monitored and/or controlled across any number of refrigeration units via various equipment in communication with the remote MC system. Such operational parameters may include, but are not limited to, temperature and/or coolant recirculation rate.

It will be appreciated that many aspects of the system <NUM> depicted in <FIG> may be modified or altered to produce fuel gas <NUM> from raw natural gas <NUM> received from one or more wellheads <NUM> in an oil and gas reservoir. The illustrated system <NUM> is exemplary, and is intended to show broadly the relationship between the various aspects of the system.

<FIG> show exemplary electrical power generation systems (<NUM>, <NUM>) according to various embodiments. <FIG> shows an exemplary electrical power generation system <NUM> comprising a power generation module <NUM> in electrical communication with an electrical transformation module <NUM>. And <FIG> shows an exemplary electrical power generation system <NUM> comprising a plurality of power generation modules (431a, 431b) in a parallel configuration, wherein such modules are in electrical communication with a single electrical transformation module <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, an exemplary electrical power generation system <NUM> is illustrated. As shown, the system <NUM> comprises a power generation module <NUM> in communication with a gas supply line <NUM> such that it may receive fuel gas <NUM> therefrom. The power generation module <NUM> is further shown to be in electrical communication with an electrical transformation module <NUM> such that an electrical output <NUM> may be transmitted from the power generation module to the electrical transformation module.

Generally, the power generation modules <NUM> may comprise a generator component adapted to convert fuel gas <NUM> into electrical energy <NUM>, various equipment for monitoring and controlling the generator component, and ancillary equipment to support the generator component. As discussed below, each of these components may be contained within a protective housing such that the entire power generation module <NUM> is transportable.

In one embodiment, the power generation module <NUM> may comprise a generator component adapted to generate an electrical output <NUM> via combustion of the fuel gas <NUM>. Generally, the generator component may employ either a fuel-gas-driven reciprocating engine or a fuel-gas-driven rotating turbine to combust the fuel gas <NUM> and drive an electrical generator.

The generator component may be associated with various properties, such as various input fuel requirements, a fuel gas consumption rate and an electrical output. The input fuel requirements of a given generator component specify the required properties of fuel received by the generator. As discussed above, the employed power generation modules <NUM> may be specified to operate with fuel gas <NUM> having a wide variety of properties. For example, certain modules may include a generator components adapted to utilize rich gas, delivered directly downstream of a separator module. Additionally or alternatively, the power generation module <NUM> may comprise a generator adapted to utilize fuel gas that has been processed to such that it is substantially free of propane and higher hydrocarbons (C3+) components.

The fuel gas consumption rate of a given generator refers to the volume of fuel gas consumed by the generator within a given time period. The fuel gas consumption rate may be determined for continuous operation of the generator at standard ambient conditions. Generally, the fuel gas consumption rate of engine-type generators may range from about <NUM>,<NUM><NUM>/d (<NUM> Mscfd) to about <NUM>,<NUM><NUM>/d (<NUM> Mscfd). And the fuel gas consumption rate of turbine-type generators may range from about <NUM>,<NUM><NUM>/d (<NUM> MMscfd) to about <NUM>,<NUM><NUM>/d (<NUM> MMscfd).

Electrical output refers to the electrical energy output by a given generator after efficiency losses within the generator. This property is often referred to as "real power" or "kWe. " The electrical output may be provided as "continuous power," which refers to the real power obtained from the generator when the module is operating continuously at standard ambient conditions.

Although nearly any generator may be employed in the power generation modules <NUM>, it has been found that generators that produce an electrical output of from about <NUM> kW to about <NUM> MW are preferred because these sizes correlate with the quantities of fuel available in a typical application.

Generally, engine-type generators may produce an electrical output ranging from about <NUM> kW to about <NUM> MW, with an associated voltage ranging from about <NUM> V to about <NUM> kV. And turbine-type generators may produce an electrical output ranging from about <NUM> MW to <NUM> MW, with an associated voltage ranging from about <NUM> kV to about <NUM> kV.

It will be appreciated that the various generator components employed in the power generation module <NUM> may be adapted to operate reliably in harsh oilfield conditions, and with variability in gas rates, composition and heating values. Moreover, it will be appreciated that the specific generator employed in a power generation module <NUM> may be selected and configured based on the specifications of the raw natural gas and the amount of such raw natural gas that is produced at the wellhead.

As shown, the power generation module <NUM> may be in further communication with a backup fuel supply <NUM> containing a backup fuel <NUM>. In one embodiment, the backup fuel supply <NUM> may comprise a natural gas storage tank containing pressurised natural gas (e.g., received from the natural gas processing system). In another embodiment, the backup fuel supply <NUM> may comprise an on-site reserve of propane. At times of low wellhead gas pressure, the backup fuel <NUM> may be piped directly to the generator of the power generation module <NUM>, from the backup fuel supply <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the power generation module <NUM> may be adapted to automatically switch between the fuel gas <NUM> and the backup fuel <NUM>. In such embodiments, the generator may utilize fuel gas <NUM> as long as the pressure and/or flow rate of the fuel gas is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (e.g., from about <NUM> kPag (<NUM> psig) to about <NUM> kPag (<NUM> psig)); and the generator may switch to the backup fuel <NUM> when the pressure and/or flow rate drops below the predetermined value. It will be appreciated that the fuel switching process may be seamless, resulting in uninterrupted electrical power generation regardless of instantaneous natural gas supply rates.

In one embodiment, the power generation module <NUM> may comprise various monitoring and control equipment in direct communication with the generator component and in remote communication with the MC system (e.g., via a network). Such equipment may allow for automatic monitoring of operational parameters, including but not limited to, fuel gas supply pressure, fuel gas flow rate, fuel gas characteristics, electrical output (e.g., frequency, voltage, amperage, etc.) and/or emissions. And this configuration may further allow for automatic and/or manual control of the generator, which enables greater reliability and efficiency in remote oilfield locations where human operators are not always present.

Typically, the power generation module <NUM> will further comprise various ancillary components (commonly referred to as the "balance of plant"). Such components may include, but are not limited to, compressors, lubrication systems, emissions control systems, catalysts, and exhaust systems.

As an example, the power generation module <NUM> may comprise integrated emissions reduction technologies, such as but not limited to, a non-selective catalytic reduction ("NSCR") system or a selective catalytic reduction ("SCR") system. However, even without employing such emissions technology, the internal combustion process employed by the disclosed embodiments, may significantly reduce emissions of NOx, CO and volatile organic compounds ("VOCs") relative to flaring. For example, an exemplary electrical power generation system <NUM> that does not include an NSCR or SCR may reduce emissions of such compounds by about <NUM>% or more, as compared to flaring (e.g., at least <NUM>%, at least <NUM>%, at least <NUM>%, at least <NUM>%, or at least <NUM>%).

It will be appreciated that emissions monitoring and control are key permitting requirements in the oilfield. By reducing emissions, the disclosed embodiments help oil and gas operators achieve environmental and regulatory benefits as well as improved community relationships.

In one embodiment, the power generation module <NUM> may comprise a housing designed to contain and protect the above-described components of the module. Such housing may provide features such as, but not limited to, weatherproofing, skid or trailer mounting for portability, and sound attenuation.

In certain embodiments, the power generation module <NUM> may be supported by a transportable chassis, trailer, or railcar to facilitate positioning and/or repositioning of the module. More particularly, the transportable chassis, trailers, or railcars may be coupled to vehicles, such as trucks or trains, and transported over a geographic area. The generator skids can range in size from an enclosed trailer hauled behind a pickup truck, to a plurality of semi-trailer loads for the generator and its required ancillary equipment.

As shown, the electrical power generation system <NUM> further comprises an electrical transformation module <NUM> in electrical communication with the power generation module <NUM>. Generally, the electrical power <NUM> generated by the power generation module <NUM> may be transmitted through the electrical transformation module <NUM> such that it may be converted into an electrical flow <NUM> that is suitable for consumption by computing equipment (e.g., a mobile data center and any number of DCUs of a distributed computing system).

To that end, the electrical transformation module <NUM> may comprise power conditioning equipment typically including one or more step-down transformers. Such module <NUM> may be adapted to reduce the voltage of an incoming electrical flow <NUM> by one or more "steps down" into a secondary electrical flow <NUM> comprising a lower voltage.

In one embodiment, the electrical transformation module <NUM> may comprise a <NUM> MVA step-down transformer adapted to step down the voltage of an incoming electrical flow <NUM> having a voltage of from about <NUM> V to about <NUM> kV. In such cases, the electrical transformation module <NUM> may convert the incoming electrical flow <NUM> to a reduced-power output electrical flow <NUM> having a voltage of about <NUM> V or about <NUM> V.

Alternatively, when larger turbine-type power generation modules <NUM> are employed, the electrical transformation module <NUM> may reduce voltage in a plurality of steps. For example, the electrical transformation module may receive an incoming electrical flow <NUM> having a voltage of from about <NUM> kV to about <NUM> kV to and may step down the voltage to about <NUM> V in a first step. And the module may then further reduce the voltage, via one or more additional steps down, in order to provide a reduced-power output electrical flow <NUM> having a voltage of about <NUM> V.

In certain embodiments, the electrical transformer module <NUM> may also comprise a main breaker capable of cutting off all downstream electrical flows, which allows an operator to quickly de-power any attached computing equipment in the case of operational work or emergency shut-down. Additionally or alternatively, terminals of the electrical transformation module <NUM> may be fitted with "quick connects," which are pre-terminated inside the module. Such quick connects allow oilfield electricians to quickly connect the electrical transformation module <NUM> to the power generation module <NUM> and to a component of the distributed computing system without extensive on-site fabrication and termination work.

In the illustrated embodiment, only one power generation module <NUM> provides electrical power <NUM> to the electrical transformation module <NUM>. Accordingly, the power generation module <NUM> may be directly wired from a terminal of the power generation module <NUM> into a primary side of the electrical transformation module <NUM>.

Although only one power generation module <NUM> and one electrical transformation module <NUM> is shown in <FIG>, it will be appreciated that any number of such components may be included in the power generation system <NUM>. For example, two or more sets of power generation modules <NUM> and electrical transformation modules <NUM> may be employed, in a series configuration, to power any number of computing components (e.g., mobile data centers and DCUs).

Generally, such equipment may be added and/or removed, as required, to consume substantially all available natural gas supply. Moreover, the specific generators employed in the power generation modules <NUM>, the number of such modules, and the configuration of such modules may also be selected with this goal in mind. For example, such equipment may be selected, configured, added to and/or removed from the electrical power generation system <NUM>, as necessary to allow the system to consume at least about <NUM>% (e.g., at least about <NUM>%, at least about <NUM>%, at least about <NUM>%, or at least about <NUM>%) of the natural gas supply. In this way, the system <NUM> may substantially reduce the amount of natural gas that must be flared during oil production.

Referring to <FIG>, another exemplary electrical power generation system <NUM> is illustrated. As shown, the system <NUM> comprises a plurality of power generation modules (431a, 431b) in communication with a gas supply line <NUM> such that they may receive fuel gas <NUM> therefrom. The power generation modules (431a, 431b) are also in electrical communication with an electrical transformation module <NUM> via a parallel panel <NUM>. And, as discussed above, the power generation modules (431a, 431b) may be in communication with one or more backup fuel supplies <NUM>, such that they may receive backup fuel <NUM> (e.g., propane) therefrom.

As shown, the electrical power generation system <NUM> may comprise multiple power generation modules (431a, 431b) connected in parallel to a single electrical transformation module <NUM>. In such embodiments, the multiple electrical power generation modules (431a, 431b) may be phase-synced such that their output electrical flows (403a, 403b) may be combined down-stream without misalignment of wave frequency.

Specifically, the multiple phase-synced electrical flows (403a, 403b) may be wired into a parallel panel <NUM>, which merges and synchronizes the electrical flows into a single down-stream flow <NUM> with singular voltage, frequency, current and power metrics. This singular down-stream flow <NUM> may then be wired into a primary side of an electrical transformation module <NUM> for voltage modulation. For example, as discussed above, the singular down-stream flow <NUM> may be transmitted to the electrical transformation module <NUM> such that the flow may be converted into an output electrical flow <NUM> that is suitable for consumption by computing equipment (e.g., one or more mobile data centers of a distributed computing system including any number of DCUs).

In such embodiments, each of the power generation modules (431a, 431b) and/or the parallel panel <NUM> may comprise a control system that allows for the module to be synchronized and paralleled with other power generation modules. The control system may allow load-sharing of up to <NUM> power generation modules via a data link and may provide power management capabilities, such as load-dependent starting and stopping, asymmetric load-sharing, and priority selection. Such functionality may allow an operator to optimize load-sharing based on running hours and/or fuel consumption.

Referring to <FIG>, an exemplary distributed computing system <NUM> according to an embodiment is illustrated. As shown, the system <NUM> may include one or more mobile data centers <NUM> comprising various electrical components, such as but not limited to: any number of DCUs <NUM>, a communications system <NUM>, an electrical power system <NUM>, a backup power system <NUM>, and/or a monitoring and control system <NUM>.

Generally, each of the mobile data centers <NUM> may comprise a prefabricated housing or enclosure to contain and protect the various electronics. The enclosure may comprise a customized shipping container or other modular housing system designed for portability, durability, safety, stack-ability, ventilation, weatherproofing, dust control and operation in rugged oilfield conditions.

As shown, each of the mobile data centers <NUM> may comprise an electrical power system <NUM> adapted to receive electrical power <NUM> from an electrical transformation module of an electrical power generation system, as discussed above. More particularly, the power system <NUM> may receive an output electrical flow <NUM> from a secondary terminal of an electrical transformation module via cable trays, buried lines and/or overhead suspended lines. In certain embodiments, each mobile data center <NUM> may be fitted with quick connects (discussed above), which are pre-terminated into the power system <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the electrical power system <NUM> may comprise one or more breaker panels in electrical communication with a series of power distribution units ("PDUs") or power channels. Such PDUs may also be in communication with the various electrical components of the mobile data center <NUM>, such as DCUs <NUM>, backup power systems <NUM> (e.g., batteries and/or solar panels), a communication system <NUM>, and/or a monitoring and control system <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, the breaker panels and/or PDUs of the power system <NUM> may be in communication with a monitoring and control system <NUM> of the mobile data center <NUM>. And such monitoring and control system <NUM> may be in communication with the remote MC system (<FIG> at <NUM>) via a network such that an operator may remotely control (activate and/or deactivate) these components and all electrical equipment in electrical communication therewith. This remote power control feature is important for efficiency and cost reduction in remote oilfield locations, where a human operator may not be present. For example, PDUs may be remotely "power cycled" to reset, reboot or restart malfunctioning equipment without the expense or time required to deploy a human. As another example, breaker panel switches may be remotely controlled to turn on / off power to downstream systems without the need for human dispatch.

As shown, each of the mobile data centers <NUM> may comprise a plurality of DCUs <NUM>, wherein the DCUs are powered via the power system <NUM> and, optionally, via the backup power system <NUM>. As discussed above, the DCUs are adapted to conduct any number of processing-intensive tasks, such as but not limited to, graphics-intensive distributed computing processes, server functions, storage, virtual reality and/or augmented reality applications, tasks relating to the Golem Project, non-currency blockchain applications and/or cryptocurrency mining operations.

It will be appreciated that the number of mobile data centers, the number of DCUs contained in each mobile data center, and/or the processing power of such DCUs may be selected to utilize substantially all electrical power generated by the electrical power generation system. Moreover, such equipment may be added and/or removed from the distributed computing system <NUM>, as desired or required, to consume substantially all electrical power generated by the electrical power generation system. For example, the components of the distributed computing system may be selected, configured, added and/or removed, as necessary to allow the system <NUM> to consume the maximum practical amount of the power generated by the electrical power generation system (typically in excess of <NUM>% of the available power). This allows for revenue generated from distributed computing tasks to be maximized, while also maximizing consumption of produced natural gas via the electrical power generation system.

As discussed above, the mobile data centers <NUM> and the various electronic components contained there (e.g., DCUs <NUM>, monitoring and control system <NUM>, power system <NUM> and/or backup power system <NUM>) may be connected to a network via wired or wireless connection to a communication system <NUM>. The communication system <NUM> may comprise one or more modems, network switches, and network management computers to provide connectivity to the network, such as the Internet, via a fiber optic cable, fixed point wireless (laser, millimeter wave towers, microwave towers or the like used to relay high speed internet on a line-of-sight basis), satellite internet, cell-based internet or any other means of internet connection. And the components of the communication system <NUM> may be distributed throughout the mobile data center <NUM> as required to connect all DCUs <NUM> into the network and to supply sufficient data input and output bandwidth for all connected components.

It will be appreciated that heat and airflow management are important considerations when operating in an oilfield, as outside air temperatures may vary widely from extreme cold to extreme heat. Moreover, excessive dust and precipitation must also be monitored and controlled during oilfield operation. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the monitoring and control system <NUM> may be adapted to control various parameters of the mobile data center <NUM>, such as temperature, moisture, oxygen, power and/or others.

In one embodiment, the mobile data center <NUM> may be designed with a cold aisle and a hot aisle. For example, the DCUs <NUM> may be located within vertically stacked, horizontal racks extending along a row within the mobile data center; and all of the DCUs may be positioned within the racks such that their intake fans point towards the cold aisle, while their exhaust fans point in an opposite direction, towards the hot aisle. It will be appreciated that one or more air inlets of the mobile data center <NUM> may be aligned with the cold aisle and one or more exhausts of the mobile data center be aligned with the hot aisle.

In one embodiment, the hot and cold aisles may be isolated / separated by employing a faceplate that extends along the row of stacked DCUs <NUM>, adjacent to the exhaust-side thereof. Generally, the faceplate may comprise a metal, plastic, composite, wood or other thin and flat material having a plurality of precut apertures disposed therein. The apertures may be positioned such that each aperture is aligned with an exhaust fan of one of the DCUs. And the apertures may be sized/shaped to complement the size/shape of the DCU exhaust fans, such that each fan substantially fills/covers each aperture and such that each fan may transmit exhaust through one of the apertures. Accordingly, the faceplate forms a physical barrier between gaps in DCU exhaust fans, which helps to ensure that hot air does not recirculate from the hot aisle back to the cold aisle.

The hot aisle may be naturally vented to an exterior of the mobile data center <NUM>, for example, with direct exhaust via one or more exhaust panels or vents. Alternatively, the mobile data center may include a forced air exhaust system, wherein exhaust fans force air out of the hot aisle and exhaust to the exterior. In such embodiments, the exhaust fans may communicate with the monitoring and control system <NUM> such that the fans may be automatically activated/deactivated as the temperature within the mobile data center increases/decreases.

In another embodiment, the mobile data center <NUM> may comprise various louvers, dampers, filters and/or awnings designed to protect against direct and wind-blown precipitation, as well as excessive dust intake. In such cases, dampers may be connected to the monitoring and control system <NUM> such that they may be automatically closed to seal and the mobile data center in the event of a power failure.

It will be appreciated that the mobile data center <NUM> may be further designed with various safety and security features specific to oilfield operations. For example, the mobile data center <NUM> may comprise one or more wireless cameras controlled by the monitoring and control system <NUM> and powered by the power system <NUM> and/or the backup power system <NUM>. Such cameras may be specified for continuous remote monitoring and/or motion-activated recording. As another example, the mobile data center <NUM> may comprise motion activated lighting systems that serve as an additional crime deterrent and/or that may provide sufficient light to facilitate work during nighttime operations.

And as yet another example, the mobile data center <NUM> may comprise a fire suppression system designed to retard gas and electrical fires. In one embodiment, the monitoring and control system <NUM> may cause the dampers to automatically seal when extreme temperatures are detected (i.e., to cut off oxygen flow to a fire inside the mobile data center).

Referring to <FIG>, a block diagram is provided illustrating an exemplary computing machine <NUM> and modules <NUM> in accordance with one or more embodiments presented herein. The computing machine <NUM> may represent any of the various computing systems discussed herein, such as but not limited to, the DCUs (<FIG> at <NUM>), the MC system (<FIG>at <NUM>), the client devices (<FIG> at <NUM>) and/or the third-party systems (<FIG> at <NUM>). And the modules <NUM> may comprise one or more hardware or software elements configured to facilitate the computing machine <NUM> in performing the various methods and processing functions presented herein.

The computing machine <NUM> may comprise all kinds of apparatuses, devices, and machines for processing data, including but not limited to, a programmable processor, a computer, and/or multiple processors or computers. As shown, an exemplary computing machine <NUM> may include various internal and/or attached components, such as a processor <NUM>, system bus <NUM>, system memory <NUM>, storage media <NUM>, input/output interface <NUM>, and network interface <NUM> for communicating with a network <NUM>.

The computing machine <NUM> may be implemented as a conventional computer system, an embedded controller, a server, a laptop, a mobile device, a smartphone, a wearable device, a set-top box, over-the-top content TV ("OTT TV"), Internet Protocol television ("IPTV"), a kiosk, a vehicular information system, one more processors associated with a television, a customized machine, any other hardware platform and/or combinations thereof. Moreover, a computing machine may be embedded in another device, such as but not limited to, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant ("PDA"), a tablet, a mobile audio or video player, a game console, a Global Positioning System ("GPS") receiver, or a portable storage device (e.g., a universal serial bus ("USB") flash drive). In some embodiments, such as the DCUs, the computing machine <NUM> may be a distributed system configured to function using multiple computing machines interconnected via a data network or system bus <NUM>.

The processor <NUM> may be configured to execute code or instructions to perform the operations and functionality described herein, manage request flow and address mappings, and to perform calculations and generate commands. The processor <NUM> may be configured to monitor and control the operation of the components in the computing machine <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may be a general-purpose processor, a processor core, a multiprocessor, a reconfigurable processor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor ("DSP"), an application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC"), a graphics processing unit ("GPU"), a field programmable gate array ("FPGA"), a programmable logic device ("PLD"), a controller, a state machine, gated logic, discrete hardware components, any other processing unit, or any combination or multiplicity thereof. The processor <NUM> may be a single processing unit, multiple processing units, a single processing core, multiple processing cores, special purpose processing cores, coprocessors, or any combination thereof. In addition to hardware, exemplary apparatuses may comprise code that creates an execution environment for the computer program (e.g., code that constitutes one or more of: processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, and a combination thereof). According to certain embodiments, the processor <NUM> and/or other components of the computing machine <NUM> may be a virtualized computing machine executing within one or more other computing machines.

The system memory <NUM> may include non-volatile memories such as read-only memory ("ROM"), programmable read-only memory ("PROM"), erasable programmable read-only memory ("EPROM"), flash memory, or any other device capable of storing program instructions or data with or without applied power. The system memory <NUM> also may include volatile memories, such as random-access memory ("RAM"), static random-access memory ("SRAM"), dynamic random-access memory ("DRAM"), and synchronous dynamic random-access memory ("SDRAM"). Other types of RAM also may be used to implement the system memory. The system memory <NUM> may be implemented using a single memory module or multiple memory modules. While the system memory is depicted as being part of the computing machine <NUM>, one skilled in the art will recognize that the system memory may be separate from the computing machine without departing from the scope of the subject technology. It should also be appreciated that the system memory may include, or operate in conjunction with, a non-volatile storage device such as the storage media <NUM>.

The storage media <NUM> may include a hard disk, a compact disc read only memory ("CD-ROM"), a digital versatile disc ("DVD"), a Blu-ray disc, a magnetic tape, a flash memory, other non-volatile memory device, a solid-state drive ("SSD"), any magnetic storage device, any optical storage device, any electrical storage device, any semiconductor storage device, any physical-based storage device, any other data storage device, or any combination or multiplicity thereof. The storage media <NUM> may store one or more operating systems, application programs and program modules such as module, data, or any other information. The storage media may be part of, or connected to, the computing machine <NUM>. The storage media may also be part of one or more other computing machines that are in communication with the computing machine such as servers, database servers, cloud storage, network attached storage, and so forth.

The modules <NUM> may comprise one or more hardware or software elements configured to facilitate the computing machine <NUM> with performing the various methods and processing functions presented herein. The modules <NUM> may include one or more sequences of instructions stored as software or firmware in association with the system memory <NUM>, the storage media <NUM>, or both. The storage media <NUM> may therefore represent examples of machine or computer readable media on which instructions or code may be stored for execution by the processor. Machine or computer readable media may generally refer to any medium or media used to provide instructions to the processor. Such machine or computer readable media associated with the modules may comprise a computer software product. It should be appreciated that a computer software product comprising the modules may also be associated with one or more processes or methods for delivering the module to the computing machine <NUM> via the network, any signal-bearing medium, or any other communication or delivery technology. The modules <NUM> may also comprise hardware circuits or information for configuring hardware circuits such as microcode or configuration information for an FPGA or other PLD.

The input/output ("I/O") interface <NUM> may be configured to couple to one or more external devices, to receive data from the one or more external devices, and to send data to the one or more external devices. Such external devices along with the various internal devices may also be known as peripheral devices. The I/O interface <NUM> may include both electrical and physical connections for operably coupling the various peripheral devices to the computing machine <NUM> or the processor <NUM>. The I/O interface <NUM> may be configured to communicate data, addresses, and control signals between the peripheral devices, the computing machine, or the processor. The I/O interface <NUM> may be configured to implement any standard interface, such as small computer system interface ("SCSI"), serial-attached SCSI ("SAS"), fiber channel, peripheral component interconnect ("PCI"), PCI express (PCIe), serial bus, parallel bus, advanced technology attachment ("ATA"), serial ATA ("SATA"), universal serial bus ("USB"), Thunderbolt, FireWire, various video buses, and the like. The I/O interface may be configured to implement only one interface or bus technology. Alternatively, the I/O interface may be configured to implement multiple interfaces or bus technologies. The I/O interface may be configured as part of, all of, or to operate in conjunction with, the system bus <NUM>. The I/O interface <NUM> may include one or more buffers for buffering transmissions between one or more external devices, internal devices, the computing machine <NUM>, or the processor <NUM>.

The I/O interface <NUM> may couple the computing machine <NUM> to various input devices including mice, touch-screens, scanners, biometric readers, electronic digitizers, sensors, receivers, touchpads, trackballs, cameras, microphones, keyboards, any other pointing devices, or any combinations thereof. When coupled to the computing device, such input devices may receive input from a user in any form, including acoustic, speech, visual, or tactile input.

The I/O interface <NUM> may couple the computing machine <NUM> to various output devices such that feedback may be provided to a user via any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback). For example, a computing machine can interact with a user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device that is used by the user (e.g., by sending web pages to a web browser on a user's client device in response to requests received from the web browser). Exemplary output devices may include, but are not limited to, displays, speakers, printers, projectors, tactile feedback devices, automation control, robotic components, actuators, motors, fans, solenoids, valves, pumps, transmitters, signal emitters, lights, and so forth. And exemplary displays include, but are not limited to, one or more of: projectors, cathode ray tube ("CRT") monitors, liquid crystal displays ("LCD"), light-emitting diode ("LED") monitors and/or organic light-emitting diode ("OLED") monitors.

Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in a computing machine <NUM> that includes one or more of the following components: a backend component (e.g., a data server); a middleware component (e.g., an application server); a frontend component (e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface ("GUI") and/or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matter described in this specification); and/or combinations thereof. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, such as but not limited to, a communication network. Accordingly, the computing machine <NUM> may operate in a networked environment using logical connections through the network interface <NUM> to one or more other systems or computing machines across a network.

The processor <NUM> may be connected to the other elements of the computing machine <NUM> or the various peripherals discussed herein through the system bus <NUM>. It should be appreciated that the system bus <NUM> may be within the processor, outside the processor, or both. According to some embodiments, any of the processor <NUM>, the other elements of the computing machine <NUM>, or the various peripherals discussed herein may be integrated into a single device such as a system on chip ("SOC"), system on package ("SOP"), or ASIC device.

In a first experiment, a flare mitigation system was deployed at a well site within the Bakken Field. The flare mitigation system included an electrical power generation system having six engine-type power generation modules adapted to receive fuel gas from a fuel gas supply line. Specifically, the system included a first set of power generation modules including two <NUM> kW engine-type power generation modules and one <NUM> kW engine-type power generation module; and a second set of power generation modules that also included two <NUM> kW engine-type power generation modules and one <NUM> kW engine-type power generation module.

The first set of power generation modules was connected, via a first parallel panel, to a first electrical transformation module comprising a <NUM> MVA step down transformer. And the second set of power generation modules was connected, via a second parallel panel, to a second electrical transformation module comprising a <NUM> MVA step down transformer.

The first electrical transformation module received a first input electrical flow from the first parallel panel having a voltage of <NUM> V and transformed the flow into a first output electrical flow having a voltage of <NUM> V. The first output electrical flow was then distributed, via diesel locomotive ("DLO") cables on a cable tray, to an electrical power system of a first mobile data center. Specifically, the DLO cables were distributed to a plurality of breaker panels (e.g., <NUM> or <NUM>) associated with the first mobile data center; each of the breaker panels was in electrical communication with <NUM> to <NUM> PDUs; and each of the PDUs was in electrical communication with up to <NUM> DCUs racked within the first mobile data center. Accordingly the first set of power generation modules was able to support from about <NUM> DCUs to about <NUM> DCUs (depending on the number of breaker panels and PDUs employed).

The second electrical transformation module received a second input electrical flow from the second parallel panel having a voltage of <NUM> V and transformed the flow into a second output electrical flow having a voltage of <NUM> V. The second output electrical flow was then distributed to up to <NUM> DCUs contained within a second mobile center, substantially as described above with respect to the first mobile data center.

Each of the first and second mobile data centers measured approximately <NUM> by <NUM> by <NUM> (<NUM>' by <NUM>' by <NUM>') (e.g., the size of a High Cube shipping container). Both mobile data centers employed forced air with cold air entering through louvered, screened and filtered intakes on one long axis, and hot air exhausting through louvered and screened fan exhausts on the other long axis.

The above system was found to consume fuel gas at a rate of about <NUM>,<NUM><NUM>/d (<NUM> Mscfd). The system was further found to generate an electrical output of about <NUM> MW, wherein substantially all of such electrical output was utilized to power the DCUs contained within the mobile data centers.

In a second experiment, a flare mitigation system was deployed at a well site within the D-J Basin. The flare mitigation system included an electrical power generation system having three engine-type power generation modules adapted to receive fuel gas from a fuel gas supply line. A first <NUM> MW engine-type power generation module was connected to both a first electrical transformation module and a second electrical transformation module. A second <NUM> MW engine-type power generation module was connected to both a third and a fourth electrical transformation module. And a third <NUM> MW engine-type power generation module was connected to both a fifth and a sixth electrical transformation module.

Each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth electrical transformation modules comprised a <NUM> MVA step-down transformer adapted to receive a <NUM> V input electrical flow from a respective, connected power generation module and to transform such flow into an output electrical flow having a voltage of <NUM> V or <NUM> V. Each of the six electrical transformation modules was also in electrical communication with a separate mobile data center (substantially as described above with respect to Experiment <NUM>), such that a total of six mobile data centers comprising a total of <NUM>, <NUM> DCUs were powered via the three <NUM> MW power generation modules.

In a third experiment, a flare mitigation system was deployed at a well site within the D-J Basin. The flare mitigation system included an electrical power generation system comprising a <NUM> kW or <NUM> kW engine-type power generation module adapted to receive fuel gas from a fuel gas supply line. The power generation module was connected to an electrical transformation module comprising a <NUM> MVA step-down transformer, which transformed a <NUM> V electrical flow from the generator to a <NUM> V or <NUM> V output electrical flow (as described above).

The output electrical flow was then distributed to an electrical power system of a single <NUM> by <NUM> by <NUM> (<NUM>' by <NUM>' by <NUM>') mobile data center, which employed power channels (rather than PDUs to support <NUM> DCUs). For ventilation, the mobile data center utilized natural aspiration via direct exhaust of DCUs to the container's exterior. Specifically, the mobile data center included a pair of awnings and protective walls extending from the air intake (a wall of metal gridding and filtration material on one long axis), as well as the air exhaust wall (a metal grid against which DCU exhaust fans were mounted directly on the other long axis).

The above system was found to consume fuel gas at a rate of about <NUM>,<NUM><NUM>/d (<NUM> Mscfd) to about <NUM>,<NUM><NUM>/d (<NUM> Mscfd). Moreover, it was found that, in some cases, two paralleled <NUM> kW engine-type generators could be substituted for a single <NUM> kW or <NUM> kW engine-type generator.

Various embodiments are described in this specification, with reference to the detailed discussed above, the accompanying drawings, and the claims. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to provide a concise discussion. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments.

The scope of protection is defined solely by the appended claims. The embodiments described herein and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting the embodiments. The subject matter of this specification is not to be limited in scope by the specific examples, as these examples are intended as illustrations of several aspects of the embodiments. Any equivalent examples are intended to be within the scope of the specification. Indeed, various modifications of the disclosed embodiments in addition to those shown and described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the drawings are diagrammatic and that further items of equipment such as temperature sensors, pressure sensors, pressure relief valves, control valves, flow controllers, level controllers, holding tanks, storage tanks, and the like may be required in a commercial plant.

Claim 1:
A flare mitigation system (<NUM>) comprising:
an electrical power generation system (<NUM>) comprising:
a power generation module (<NUM>) adapted to:
receive a fuel gas stream (<NUM>) comprising a fuel gas (<NUM>) associated with a heat value of at least about <NUM> MJ/m<NUM>; and
consume the fuel gas stream (<NUM>) to generate a high-voltage electrical output (<NUM>) associated with a first voltage; and
an electrical transformation module (<NUM>) in electrical communication with the power generation module, the electrical transformation module (<NUM>) adapted to:
receive the high-voltage electrical output (<NUM>) generated by the power generation module (<NUM>); and
transform the high-voltage electrical output (<NUM>) into a low-voltage electrical output (<NUM>) associated with a second voltage that is lower than the first voltage;
a distributed computing system (<NUM>) powered by the electrical power generation system (<NUM>), the distributed computing system (<NUM>) comprising:
a communications system (<NUM>) adapted to provide a network (<NUM>); and
a first mobile data center (<NUM>) comprising:
an enclosure defining an interior space;
a plurality of distributed computing units (<NUM>) located within the interior space of the enclosure, each of the plurality of distributed computing units (<NUM>) in communication with the network (<NUM>); and
a power system (<NUM>) located at least partially within the interior space of the enclosure, the power system (<NUM>) in electrical communication with the electrical transformation module (<NUM>) and the plurality of distributed computing units (<NUM>) such that the power system (<NUM>) receives the low-voltage electrical output (<NUM>) and powers each of the plurality of distributed computing units (<NUM>);
wherein the enclosure of the first mobile data center (<NUM>) comprises a transportable modular housing configured for assembly as part of a modular housing system at an oil field,
wherein the power generation module (<NUM>) comprises a generator component adapted to generate an electrical output via combustion of the fuel gas, equipment for monitoring and controlling the generator component and ancillary equipment to support the generator component, and wherein each of these components is contained within a protective housing such that the entire power generation module (<NUM>) is transportable.