GAS TECHNOLOGY

An application of the technology on an FPSO with onboard crude storage tanks. HC (hydrocarbon) process gas is used as blanket gas for the crude storage tanks and is supplied to the tanks when the ship is unloading oil to the shuttle tanker. During production the blanket gas is recovered to the main process and utilized for export, fuel or maybe LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) or other gas-to-liquid technologies. The recovery system can also be used for recovery of the flare gas.

Zero emissions from FPSOs

New approach to the handling of VOC gases betters strict pollution controls
ABBs novel approach for the handling of VOC (volatile organic compounds) gases stemming from the process and storage facilities on an FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) vessel gives a 100 percent reduction in all emissions during the equipment uptime, while offering a rapid return on investment, with typical cases of less than two years. As a result, interest for this technology is now being stirred in regions other than the North Sea where it was originally developed, such as offshore West Africa.
Called the HC Blanket Gas System, 100 percent of the VOC emitted from the cargo tanks are recovered in the system and delivered to the existing process system on the FPSO. During offloading the process is reversed and clean process gas refills the cargo tanks while the oil is exported. By its simplicity, this system gives a far better efficiency level than that which is required, for instance, by the Norwegian authorities. Inert vs hydrocarbon blanket gas The purpose of the HC blanket gas system is to replace the use of inert gas with pure HC gas as the blanket gas in the storage tanks and to recover the off gas. Inert gas is used to prevent low pressure and the intrusion of oxygen into the storage tank atmosphere. The advantage of the HC blanket gas system is a pure HC atmosphere, which results in a less problematic approach to the recovery of surplus gas from the storage tanks. Using HC blanket gas also reduces the corrosion problems in the storage tanks and in the tank vent system. VOC gases During the storing and loading of hydrocarbon products, when oil is not being offloaded, "boil-off" vapours in the form of VOC are released. VOC are harmful to ones health, to the environment, represent a considerable economic value and are an asset which should not be wasted. According to the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT) all FPSOs are required to have VOC recovery installed with a minimum reduction of 78 percent by weight in non-methane VOC emissions (NMVOC). To achieve this, oil companies are required to install systems for collecting VOC from tank farms, terminals and ship loading installations. Legislation in other regions is expected to follow a similar course. ABB supplies skid-based systems after performing feasibility studies and process simulations to assist in the selection of the optimal solution for a given application and provides engineering services for integration into existing process systems.
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