Zero methane oil and gas production facility design

Abstract

Presented herein is a facility design for oil production with zero methane emissions. The facility is flexible to allow variable flow rate requirements through the production cycle of the facility. Equipment is modular and easily movable, which reduces upfront construction cost, time to production revenue, the need for steel on facility, and other long-term material resource requirements. The design reduces emission of greenhouse gases, environmental impacts and landowner lease requirements.

1 . A method of producing oil and gas at a facility during an initial period of production and a secondary period of production, comprising:
 receiving fluid flow to a separator;   using the separator to produce gas, produced water and oil from the fluid;   supplying the gas to an outlet module;   supplying produced water to a first horizontal methane recovery vessel;   supplying oil to a second horizontal methane recovery vessel;   capturing vented gas from the first horizontal methane recovery vessel and the second horizontal methane recovery vessel using a vent line; and   supplying vented gas from the first horizontal methane recovery vessel and the second horizontal methane recovery vessel through the vent line to a vapor recovery unit.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first horizontal methane recovery vessel and the second horizontal methane recovery vessel are mounted on skids. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 supplying gas from the vapor recovery unit to the outlet module.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing a laminar flow of fluid having a Reynold's number less than approximately 2000 from the separator to the first horizontal methane recovery vessel and the second horizontal methane recovery vessel.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 supplying the gas to a boiler;   incinerating the gas to generate heat; and   using the heat to generate electricity.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 powering the vapor recovery unit using the generated electricity.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the generated electricity is direct current. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising;
 supplying oil to a third horizontal methane recovery vessel during the initial period of production for the facility; and   removing the third horizontal methane recovery vessel from the facility during the secondary period of production.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 supplying vented gas from the first horizontal methane recovery vessel and the second horizontal methane recovery vessel through the vent line to a second vapor recovery unit during the initial period of production for the facility; and   removing the second vapor recovery unit from the facility during the secondary period of production.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 supplying oil to at least six horizontal methane recovery vessels during the initial period of production for the facility.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 supplying vented gas from the at least six horizontal methane recovery vessels to at least four vapor recovery units during the initial period of production for the facility.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 maintaining a pressure of at least 3 pounds per square inch in the first horizontal methane recovery vessel.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a pipe assembly including a plurality of pipe modules;   positioning a first plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels on a first side of the pipe assembly;   positioning a second plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels on a second side of the pipe assembly, opposite the first side;   connecting the first plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels and the second plurality of methane recovery vessels to the pipe assembly during the initial period of production for the facility; and   removing at least one of the first plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels, at least one of the second plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels and at least one of the plurality of pipe modules during the secondary period of production for the facility.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the pipe assembly is mounted on a skid. 
     
     
         15 . A vapor recovery system in an oil and gas production facility, comprising:
 a horizontal methane recovery vessel including a vent;   a vapor recovery unit connected to vent; and   an outlet assembly coupled to the vapor recovery unit.   
     
     
         16 . The vapor recovery system of  claim 15 , wherein the horizontal methane recovery vessel includes a cylindrical body with a ratio of horizontal length to diameter greater than 2:1. 
     
     
         17 . The vapor recovery system of  claim 15 , wherein the horizontal methane recovery vessel includes a cylindrical body with a ratio of horizontal length to diameter greater than 3:1. 
     
     
         18 . The vapor recovery system of  claim 15 , wherein the horizontal methane recovery vessel includes a cylindrical body with a ratio of horizontal length to diameter greater than 4:1. 
     
     
         19 . The vapor recovery system of  claim 15 , wherein the horizontal methane recovery vessels includes a cylindrical body with a ratio of horizontal length to diameter of approximately 5:1. 
     
     
         20 . The vapor recovery system of  claim 15 , further comprising a vent line assembly including a venting outlet, the venting outlet including a pressure control valve. 
     
     
         21 . The vapor recovery system of  claim 20 , wherein the pressure control valve has a set point of at least 10 pounds per square inch. 
     
     
         22 . The vapor recovery system of  claim 20 , wherein the vent line assembly further includes a generator outlet, the generator outlet connected to a thermoelectric generator. 
     
     
         23 . The vapor recovery system of  claim 15 , wherein the horizontal methane recovery vessel and vapor recovery unit are connected to a common support structure. 
     
     
         24 . The vapor recovery system of  claim 15 , wherein the vapor recovery unit includes a direct current motor. 
     
     
         25 . An oil and gas production facility, comprising:
 at least one separator;   a plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels fluidly connected to the at least one separator, each horizontal methane recovery vessel including a vent; and   a plurality of vapor recovery units, each vapor recovery unit connected to the vent of a respective horizontal methane recovery vessel.   
     
     
         26 . The oil and gas production facility of  claim 25 , wherein each of the plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels are mounted to skids. 
     
     
         27 . The oil and gas production facility of  claim 25 , further comprising a venting assembly that includes a branch pipe connected to the vent of each of the plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels, at least two of the plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels are positioned on a first side of the branch pipe and at least two of the plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels are positioned on a second side of the branch pipe, opposite the first side. 
     
     
         28 . The oil and gas production facility of  claim 25 , further comprising a plurality of separators, each separator fluidly connected with a pipe module assembly, wherein at least two of the plurality of separators are positioned on a first side of the pipe module assembly and at least two of the plurality of separators are positioned on a second side of the pipe module assembly, opposite the first side. 
     
     
         29 . The oil and gas production facility of  claim 25 , further comprising an electronic control valve fluidly connected between the separator and the plurality of methane recovery vessels. 
     
     
         30 . The oil and gas production facility of  claim 25 , further comprising a thermoelectric generator. 
     
     
         31 . The oil and gas production facility of  claim 25 , further comprising a venting outlet, the venting outlet including a pressure control valve. 
     
     
         32 . The oil and gas production facility of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels stores produced water and at least one of the plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels stores oil. 
     
     
         33 . The oil and gas production facility of  claim 25 , wherein each of the plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels includes a cylindrical body defining a ratio of horizontal length to diameter in a range of approximately 2:1 to 5:1. 
     
     
         34 . The oil and gas production facility of  claim 25 , further comprising a high pressure separator and a low pressure separator, the high pressure separator mounted above the low pressure separator. 
     
     
         35 . The oil and gas production facility of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one separator, the plurality of horizontal methane recovery vessels and the plurality of vapor recovery units are mounted on a skid. 
     
     
         36 . A carbon offset credit issuance method for a carbon measurement system, comprising:
 generating real-time internal telemetry data of flow of fluid within a system;   generating real-time external telemetry data of release of emissions from the system;   communicating the internal and external telemetry data to a computing system; and   generating a digital representation of a carbon offset credit using a carbon offset credit issuance algorithm based on the internal and external telemetry data.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the digital representation of the carbon offset credit is manifested and issued through a fungible token on a blockchain. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the digital representation of the carbon offset credit is manifested and issued through a non-fungible token on a blockchain. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising wirelessly communicating internal and external telemetry data throughout the carbon measurement system. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein power to obtain internal and external telemetry data and generate the digital representation is provided through locally generated thermoelectric energy.