Gas-to-Solids: Utilization of Associated Gas for Production of High Value Carbons

At present, oil production sites around the globe wastefully burn approximately 13.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas – the majority of which is attributed to continuous production flaring. The United States’ contribution to this statistic is rapidly increasing. As shale oil wells produce about 2,500 cubic feet of natural gas and natural gas liquids for every barrel of oil, rapid expansion of US shale oil plays has exceeded capacities and created bottlenecks in the natural gas transportation network. Thus, in the US Permian basin alone, flaring has reached 0.4 Bcf/d in 2018 and is on track to reach 0.6 Bcf/d in 2019. H Quest Vanguard, Inc. proposes to employ its microwave plasma technology for on-site, small-scale conversion of associated gas into a single stream of a high-value solid carbon product. Generating electric power from associated gas augmented with hydrogen-rich reactor output, the proposed containerized mini-plant will produce a valuable carbon nanomaterial with high graphene content for use as an enhancing additive in construction and infrastructure materials. This project will leverage the technical expertise and material base developed under a highly synergistic gas-to-chemicals project currently in progress at H Quest’s facilities. In Phase I of the project, H Quest will employ its 15 kW pilot-scale system to empirically evaluate the conversion of a feed gas containing a range of hydrocarbon compositions representative of real field-conditions to graphene-rich carbons. Carbons produced across the space of operating conditions and gas compositions will be characterized and tested in applications by industry partners in order to assess their market value. West Virginia University researchers will use carbon market values and material and energy balances in a techno-economic assessment of the concept. Technology-to-market activities will be supported by ADI Analytics – a Texas-based consulting and advisory firm that specializes in oil and gas, coal and power, energy and chemicals. The proposed project will deliver a process capable of rapid and flexible deployment to well pads for conversion of associated gas into a high value carbon material. It will provide tight oil producers with a readily accessible APG utilization solution that overcomes the key limitations of currently available technologies: this approach is commercially viable thanks to low operating costs, the high value of its product, and its adaptability to variable gas flow rates and compositions. The process and use of its carbon product will contribute to the reduction of US greenhouse gas emissions by directly de-carbonizing associated gas and lightweighting/strengthening US manufacturing, construction, and infrastructure materials.