Summary Sustained and increasing world energy demands have led to very high oil prices. In parallel, there has been a significant increase in interest in economic and environmentally sensitive solutions for the monetization of remote, stranded gas offshore. Current global natural-gas reserves total approximately 6,100 Tcf, according to US Energy Information Administration estimates. Roughly one-half of these reserves are considered to be stranded gas that is uneconomical for market delivery because of the remote location of potential markets, the lack of economic transportation and infrastructure, or the lack of conversion technology. Such regions with significant stranded-gas reserves include Northern Australia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Gas-to-liquids (GTL) floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) offers an attractive new solution to monetize these remote, offshore stranded-gas fields. Products of the GTL process are clean transportation fuels ranging from diesel to jet fuel that can be readily used in the existing energy infrastructure. Although this option was considered in the past by Syntroleum and Statoil in mid-2000, a subsequent examination of this option is warranted because of recent advances in both GTL and FPSO technology. New GTL commercial plants have recently begun production in Qatar, using technologies by Sasol and Shell with the latest advances in process technologies and catalysts. Membrane- and process-intensification technologies show considerable promise in making GTL an attractive option in the future. The newly built oil-FPSO units (at Pazflor and Agbami) instill confidence that large oil- and gas-processing operations can be performed safely and economically on an FPSO unit. A feasibility study has been completed recently as part of a multiyear development program to acquire the basic technology and engineering for GTL FPSO. An assessment was made on the technical feasibility of commercial-scale and near-commercial-scale technologies, and a preliminary design concept of the GTL process was produced for the topside. This study used technologies that best met the needs of the FPSO application and the corresponding preliminary design concept of the hull to support the topside GTL process. Additionally, preliminary market analysis was performed to better define the scope of GTL products to be produced. Economic analysis was performed to identify the major cost factors and understand their sensitivity on project economics. The results of this feasibility study to date suggest that this GTL-FPSO design concept is technically feasible. Its clean fuel and chemical feedstock would be attractive to the market, and the design concept is economically competitive within the range of the current project-cost factors. Future work will be directed at developing a more-definitive process, hull design, and project economics, and will bring commercial realization of this innovative approach to monetizing offshore stranded-gas fields.
Growing global energy demands have led us to development of new oil & gas fields. In the meantime interest in eco-friendly solutions has been increasing in the area of stranded & associated gas fields. According to the BP report 2015, global natural gas reserves are approximately 6,607 tcf. Nearly half of that is assumed to be stranded & associated gas that is uneconomical for market delivery due to its remoteness from potential markets and lack of economic transportation, infrastructure and GTL conversion technology. Therefore, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has researched Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) & Modular GTL as potential solutions for developing offshore oil & gas fields. Because products of the GTL process can be easily combined with crude oil in the Hull tanks and used in the existing energy infrastructure. From a shipbuider's perspective, key design considerations in assessing onshore GTL technology for GTL FPSO & Modular GTL application were studied and analyzed as follows: Robustness to marine motion, Limited space, Weight and height, Self-sufficiency, Safety, Constructability and Certification Requirement. Moreover, commercial & demonstrated GTL technologies involved in Gas Treatment, Pre-Reformer, Reformer, Fischer-Tropsch Reactor, Upgrading and others were compared and reviewed to determine which technology is the best option for GTL FPSO & Modular GTL. Additionally, we have studied which GTL application method would be more competitive depending on the gas production size in offshore fields. Moreover, preliminary market analysis was performed to better define the scope of GTL products to be produced. Economic analysis was also performed to identify the major cost factors and understand their sensitivity on the project. DSME has recently completed the feasibility study to acquire the preliminary design & engineering of GTL FPSO & Modular GTL for stranded gas & associated gas fields in offshore locations. The results of this feasibility study suggest that design concepts of GTL applications are technically practicable. The clean fuel and the chemical feedstock from the GTL process will be profitable in the markets and the design concept will be economically competitive within the range of the current project cost factors. DSME hopes to set up a cooperative network with competitive companies for the next stage of GTL FPSO & Modular GTL. The cooperation network will implement at GTL FPSO & Modular GTL Pre-FEED and the economic study and will result in the commercial realization of this innovative approach for monetizing stranded & associated gas fields offshore.
Objective/Scope: Associated gas occurring in the offshore production facilities has traditionally been handled by flaring (primarily), gas export, and gas re-injection. Operators and owners have preferred to flare in many cases because gas export and re-injection are either very expensive or infeasible. Global interest in eco-friendly solutions has recently increased in the area of offshore oil & gas fields. To achieve zero-flaring for oil & gas production site, "Modular Gas-to-Liquids (GTL)" and "GTL Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO)" has been researched as candidate zero-flare methods. Our goal is to develop a portfolio of zero-flare solutions to support business development by making technical & economic comparisons of gas export, gas re-injection and offshore GTL. Methods, Procedures, Process: In the view of EPC contractor, the technical & economic feasibility study for Offshore GTL application was studied and analyzed. Several gas handling methods (e.g. gas export, gas re-injection, and Offshore GTL) were compared and analyzed to figure out which technology is the best option for associated gas handling for offshore oil & gas fields. We also studied which method would be more competitive depending on gas production capacity, distance from onshore to offshore, crude oil price, and natural gas price in offshore oil & gas fields. Moreover, economic analysis was performed to identify the major cost factors & ranges and to understand their impact on the project. Results, Observations, Conclusions: The feasibility study of GTL module on FPSO has been lately completed to acquire the preliminary technical & economic comparison of gas export, gas re-injection and Offshore GTL for developing oil & gas fields in offshore. The results of this study suggest that concepts of GTL application can be technically and economically more competitive than gas export and gas re-injection in some offshore oil & gas fields. The GTL products are more profitable than export & re-injection gas in the energy markets within the range of the current project cost factors. Novel/Additive Information: It must be a great opportunity to set up a cooperation network for the next stage of developing Offshore GTL. The cooperation network will research and develop Pre-FEED for Offshore GTL and the result will bring commercial realization of this innovative approach of oil & gas fields in offshore.
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