Qatargas Flare Reduction Program

Abstract Qatargas produces 42 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTA) of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The Qatargas facilities comprise seven LNG Trains, including four of the world's largest mega-trains, which were commissioned between 2009 and 2011. Routine baseline flaring is encountered during normal LNG plant operations due to the essential requirement to maintain purge gas flow within the flare system to prevent air ingress and consequent explosion hazards. During unplanned facility trips, restarts or planned facility shutdowns, process gas is also flared per operational requirements. Qatargas has made significant progress in reducing flaring from its LNG trains in line with the increased national focus on flare minimization and the Company's desire to reduce its emissions and carbon footprint. This has been made possible through operational initiatives on source reduction, increased plant reliability, reduced shutdown/start-up flaring and a sustained focus on flare minimization facilitated by multi-disciplinary Flare Management Teams (FMTs). Enhanced acid gas recovery and operational excellence initiatives on source reduction and plant reliability at Qatargas' older, conventional LNG trains have successfully reduced flaring by more than 70% between 2004 and 2011. A comprehensive project is currently underway at the LNG mega-trains to reduce current baseline purge flaring by approximately 70%. Qatargas is also undertaking a long-term capital project to install interconnections between LNG mega-trains to re-route gas encountered during process events rather than flaring. Additionally, Qatargas' pioneering Jetty Boil-off Gas Recovery (JBOG) Project, which will commence operation in 2014, is expected to reduce LNG loading flaring by over 90% and recover approximately 600,000 tonnes per year of flared gas. This paper provides an overview of Qatargas' flare management approach, the Company's main drivers and challenges for flare reduction and the various initiatives currently underway to manage and minimize flaring. These include the major capital projects noted above as well as enhanced awareness, monitoring and reporting, and operational source reduction successes. Facility and Flare Systems Overview Qatargas' LNG operations are based in Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC), Qatar, and centered on the four LNG assets described below.Qatargas 1 (QG1): Three conventional C3MR LNG trains (Trains 1–3). Commenced operations in 1996. Each train has a production capacity of 3.3 MTA (total QG1 production of 10 MTA). Offshore facilities include the manned North Field Bravo (NFB) complex with three wellhead production platforms.Qatargas 2 (QG2): First mega-trains in the world, each with a capacity of 7.8 MTA. Commenced operations in 2009. Both trains (Trains 4 and 5) utilize the Air Products AP-XTM hybrid liquefaction process which allows for higher LNG production by adding a third Nitrogen (N2) refrigeration cycle to the conventional C3MR process. Offshore facilities include three unmanned wellhead platforms.