Process Ecology services

Over the last decade, there has been a trend to reduce benzene emissions from glycol dehydrators in the Upstream Oil & Gas sector. In Alberta, the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) introduced a directive to further encourage emissions reductions; non-compliance with ERCB directives could potentially result in suspension of operations. Specific documentation and graphs are required which can potentially identify operational improvements that will result in lower benzene emissions. In addition, capital modifications and process alternatives may also potentially result in vastly reduced benzene emissions.

A great majority of glycol dehydration units in operation for natural gas conditioning are based on TEG recirculation systems. Energy requirements for the glycol regeneration step are directly proportional to the glycol circulation rate and represent the major energy demand for this process unit.

Are you designing pipelines or using existing lines to transport heavy oil? Can you accurately predict the behaviour of your heavy oil – for a wide range of conditions? Process Ecology specializes in characterizing crude oils and accurately predicting the properties of heavy oils, often based on limited bulk data only. Extrapolating property data such as viscosity or using an out-of-the-box simulator to predict heavy oil performance usually does not give satisfactory results.

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (“SAGD”) is an oil sands thermal production technology which relies on steam injection to create a steam chamber where heat transfers to the bitumen, reducing its viscosity and allowing this material to flow for production.