The drive to improve efficiency and lower costs with new technology continues with ExxonMobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) being among the latest to launch solutions.
The oil and gas giant’s cMIST technology removes water vapor from natural gas using an absorption system inside pipes during production. The dehydration technology was described as an alternative to the larger expensive dehydration towers that are typically used. The benefits, according to ExxonMobil, are less corrosion and equipment interference.
Key to the technology is a proprietary droplet generator that breaks up “conventional solvent into tiny droplets that become well dispersed in the gas flow, thereby increasing the surface area for the absorption of water from the gas,” the company explained in a Jan. 5 news release. An inline separator then brings the droplets together and moves the droplets to the outside wall of the pipe.
“The water-rich glycol is regenerated using a conventional system and is sent back to the droplet generator to be used again,” the company said.
Tom Schuessler, president of ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co., said the technology represents “a step-change in operational efficiency and a significant reduction in footprint.”
The Sulzer engineering and manufacturing firm landed the exclusive license for commercial application of the technology, which ExxonMobil said has been “extensively field tested.”
Go Speed Racer on Thu, 5th Jan 2017 8:03 pm
Innovation. Like it.
Rockman on Thu, 5th Jan 2017 10:02 pm
It is truly great. I can hardly wait until the develop more efficent tech to slice bread…it will a whole new world!!! LOL
Dehy units have been on wells virtually for ever. And why? Pipeline companies won’t allow any NG into their systems unless the moisture content is below a specified level. Great if this new tech is better…might save a fraction of a penny on ever 1,000 cubic feet. Which might not sound impressive…unless you’re an XOM producing trillions of cu bic feet of NG.
But will this increase the number of new NG wells? Whatever the operational saving might be it won’t even be noted in the economic analysis. Not only is this NOT a game changer it won’t even get mentioned in the foot notes.
Davy on Fri, 6th Jan 2017 6:03 am
This kind of points to so many areas of failure with techno optimism. How many articles are there today grasping for optimism in a diminishing power point of technological decline. If it is not the repackaging of old technology as wonderful breakthroughs it is the exaggeration of scale and time frame for future ones. Techno optimist like to claim 10-20 years for fusion. Alternative energy breakout is 10 years away with the green washers. Europe is leaving fossil fuels in a decade or two. More likely Europe will be struggling to wipe their collective asses by then. These absurdity then face documented real and dangerous problems that are always spoken of with a solution.
We are a world of embellishment and fantasy especially when it comes to survival. We are a world who thrives on fake news. We are unable collectively to be pessimistic. Realism is not allowed. Those who are real get treated as fringe and mentally unstable. We might scare the kids and all our hopium will be spoiled. One thing is certain if we ever have a significant amount of people realize how precarious our real situation is confidence will be lost and with it economic growth. This loss of confidence might even be worse we could see a cascading collapse from panic and dislocation.
I don’t know the answer. I like to think some of us are big boys and girls and can handle the truth. Many on this board just point fingers with blame and complain. They can’t look in the mirror. They are pathetic really. The answer is humility and with humility comes acknowledgment. I doubt we can leave denial so what is left is a very small minority who will seek out wisdom and honestly discuss this with those who will listen. Some will acknowledge the futility of saving this civilization and begin to store knowledge and the wisdom as a gift for those who may survive. What else is there in the end but acceptance of what is the truth. In the meantime there is no shortage of pissed off people who don’t like the idea of failure for them. It is ok for others to fail but not them. This narcissism combined with denial points to no hope for modern man.
Kenz300 on Sat, 7th Jan 2017 10:42 am
Wind and solar are a better option.
Renewables Provide Majority of New US Generating Capacity through November 2016
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2017/01/renewables-provide-majority-of-new-us-generating-capacity-through-november-2016.html
Germans Get Almost One-Third of Electricity from Renewables in 2016
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2017/01/germans-get-almost-one-third-of-electricity-from-renewables-in-2016.html