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Simple Methane Elimination Using Nitrogen
Solution Developer
Kathairos Solutions Inc.
Project Description
Methane venting on remote oil and gas well sites presents a massive environmental challenge. Alberta currently has more than 100,000 such sites, routinely venting millions of tonnes of methane each year. Until now, addressing the issue has been difficult, complex and cost-prohibitive, particularly on small, low-production wells.
Kathairos’ technology uses liquid nitrogen, a non-toxic, non-polluting gas that constitutes 78% of the air we breathe, to power remote oil and gas well site devices. In doing so, the need for methane as an operating fuel is completely eliminated, as is the need to vent the harmful gas after it is used.
In partnership with Cenovus Energy and Ovintiv, the Simple Methane Elimination Using Nitrogen project involves the elimination of methane venting on an estimated 60 remote Alberta well site locations over a two-year period. This includes 40 single well sites with Cenovus and, pending a successful initial three-month trial, an additional 20 multi-well pads with Ovintiv.
The technology is innovative in its simplicity, offering upstream producers an efficient, economical and low-maintenance option for eliminating emissions from single-well locations.
The Simple Methane Elimination Using Nitrogen project will provide an immediate and meaningful reduction to Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while demonstrating to the international energy industry that methane vented from pneumatic devices on remote well sites can indeed be reliably and affordably brought to zero.
Project Resources
Project Video
https://www.youtube.com/embed/09RVg_h1hEA
Maximum Funding from CRIN
$ 1,582,329
Collaborators
Cenovus Energy
Ovintiv
Chart Industries
Air Liquide
Iconic Electric & Controls
Main Project Contact
Kelly Doody
[email protected]
Technology Readiness Level
TRL 8
