Wyoming Patent of the Month – September 2022
Moneyhun Equipment Sales & Service Co, Inc. (MESSCO), a fabricator of equipment for the mining, oil, and gas industries, has recently been awarded a patent for their gas-lift treatment system. The industry has used gas-lift treatment systems to capture and extract natural gas liquids (NGLs) for quite a while. These artificial lift methods inject gas into the well to reestablish pressure.
Unfortunately, these traditional methods simply do not work in all regions. For instance, North Dakota has unique characteristics which make ga-lift operations more difficult, affecting its reliability.
MESSCO’s process is designed to work for these more challenging areas. Their system uses a high-pressure separation of heavy hydrocarbons and water from the gas stream as their lift gas. The process first requires water to be removed from the lift gas. This is achieved using a first separator. The gas is then cooled in a pair of heat exchangers before entering a second separator. This separates the NGLs from the lift gas. NGLs go one way, through a valve, to reduce the temperature before entering a second heat exchanger. The lift gas moves a second way, passing through the first heat exchanger to raise the temperature.
The design allows for reliable gas lift operations regardless of weather conditions. Even moreso, it can process a range of gasses including both wet and rich lease gasses. Since the process is able to create a dry, consistent lift gas, there are numerous advantages:
- The dry, consistent gas when used for artificial lift removes NGLs from the well
- The dry artificial lift gas will eliminate downhole orifice “cutting” by the liquids common in wet gas
- The dry consistent, gas when used as fuel for the compressor engine will reduce engine de-rate and lower maintenance
- Sales of NGLs and condensate will improve well economics and reduce LOE
- In North Dakota use of the NGL Pro Gas Lift units may allow oil and gas operators to claim NDIC flare capture credits while reducing air emissions
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