Developing Trends in Value-added Energy Management: Utilizing Waste Heat and Maximizing Energy Efficiency at Compressor Stations

Steve Giles
Hull & Associates, Inc., Dublin, Ohio

As the shale oil and gas market evolves, there will be significant investments made in infrastructure to transport the natural gas. One of the key infrastructure components is compressor stations, which use a significant amount of energy to dry and compress the gas. In many cases, generators are installed to meet the electric load requirements and the generators produce thermal energy that is often just expelled into the atmosphere. This session discusses the ability to use the “waste heat” to generate incremental additional electricity and improve process efficiency. Additionally, waste heat can be utilized to treat produced water. In Ohio, Governor Kasich has established cogeneration and waste heat recovery as one of the State’s top energy initiatives. These concepts fit perfectly into Ohio’s newly announced energy strategy.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90154©2012 AAPG Eastern Section Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, 22-26 September 2012