LAUSR

Abstract Seeking technologies that prevent the need to flare associated natural gas produced along with oil in remote oil fields has become a priority for the industry for both environmental and economic reasons. Six technically viable gas transformation technologies are evaluated via detailed processes simulations for two Iranian oilfields (case A with 10.5 MMSCFD of associated gas production; and case B with 69 MMSCFD). The technologies considered and compared for these field cases are: gas to hydrate (GTH), gas to liquid (GTL), electric power generation through combined heat and power method (CHP); compressed natural gas (CNG); liquefied petroleum gas recovery (LPG, which can be combined with the CNG option), and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Detailed cost analysis and short-term economic benefit to cost analysis for these alternatives technologies applied specifically to these two field cases reveal that CNG + LPG recovery is the lowest cost and most profitable alternative for both cases. CHP technology provides the second-best option in terms of cost and economic profitability. On the other hand, LNG applied to small-scale and medium-scale associated gas production provides the least attractive technology alternative for transforming associated natural gas production to avoid flaring.