Towards Zero Flaring Emission

Abstract ADMA-OPCO Drilling Division took the initiative and formed a joint Task Force with ZADCO and put together, with the help of the contracted service providers, a plan to gradually achieve ADNOC's targets for Flaring Emission Reduction, categorized in Three stages as follows:- (see summary-Table-1) Two pumping systems were introduced in May 1998, to serve the full range of the operating envelope of all ADMA and ZADCO wells. A third "Pumping System" was introduced in December 1999. This helped reduce oil flaring by 65% (200,000 bbls oil were re-injected). ADMA-OPCO had successfully tried, via the Rigless well Invention Operations to re-inject the produced separated gas, together with the oil. ADMA-Drilling are currently studying this process with ADMA-Engineering Division, in order to Safely introduce this scenario to the eleven operating rigs. This step once implemented can reduce ±30% of gas flaring emission related to drilling operations. Neutralization Systems neutralize the well's back flowed effluents allowing to flow immediately through the test separator, thus re-injecting the oil at the clean up phase. The 1st Neutralization trial job was carried out in February 2000 where zero oil flaring was achieved. It is expected that oilflaring reduction would reach 90%+ by the utilization of Neutralization Systems before end Year 2000. Currently only two neutralization units utilized. However, it is planned to have four units in operation before the end of year 2000. The introduction of multi-Phase pumps, to replace the currently utilized single phase oil re-injection pumps will help achieve the re-injection of the gas, commingled with the oil (currently, this gas is being routed to the burners). It is targeted to have these pumps operational during 2001. By the introduction of the Multiphase Pumps and with the aid of the neutralization systems, it is believed that we would achieve the Practical Zero Flaring Emission. Introduction ADMA and ZADCO were burning oil, during drilling related clean-up and testing operations. Estimated quantities of oil and gas burned and re-injected from Jan. 1997 to May 2000 are summarized in Table-2. About 100,000 bbls of oil were reinjected during 1999. Clean up operations were conducted to achieve a zero BS&W in ZADCO wells while ADMA were accepting higher range of BS&W. ZADCO main reasons are to protect surface facilities and sea line from corrosion. It took approximately three hours to clean up the well from 5% BS&W until it was allowed to start re-injecting the oil into the production facility (See table 3). The Flaring Emission Reduction Task Force (FERTF) was convinced that a large quantity of oil is being flared unnecessarily, hence discussions within ZADCO lead to some flexibility without compromising the Production line integrity. ZADCO agreed that re-injection can commence once BS&W reaches a stable condition for three continuous hours, provided that Cl++ and Ca++ are within an acceptable range. This has saved three hours of oil flaring (±3,000 bbls of oil).