Natural gas plays a significant role in the global shift toward net zero emissions. Since 2010, switching from coal to natural gas has saved 500 million metric tons of CO2, and billions of people rely on it for heat and power around the world. Because natural gas is a lower carbon alternative, many believe it will play a part in our global transition to more renewable energy sources.
Much of our natural gas resources come from subsea fields and require advanced technology to assist in recovering it in a responsible, sustainable way. As we continue our sustainability series for the Roxar product line, we’re going to explore how the industry’s only dedicated subsea wetgas meter aids in reducing the environmental impact of subsea gas production. In our last post, we talked about how our best-in-class Roxar™ 2600 Multiphase Flow Meter enables optimization of oil and gas production all over the world. Here, we’re going over how the Roxar™ Subsea Wetgas Meter accommodates challenging operating conditions on the ocean floor while supporting greener energy goals.
What Makes Our Subsea Wetgas Meter Sustainable?
As the natural gas market grows, more oil and gas producers are looking for reliable ways to tap into some of the world’s most challenging deep-water reservoirs. They’ll need measurement solutions that address these challenges head-on while still making progress toward a greener future.
Similar to our multiphase flow metering solutions, the Roxar Subsea Wetgas Meter is designed to limit waste and last for the lifetime of a well. It has a 30-year lifespan, compact size, and built-in redundancies, so there is no single point of failure. We wanted our meter to be the most reliable, long-lasting solution on the market in part because these characteristics improve sustainability. They allow operators to significantly reduce the need for replacements in the field, which not only results in less waste but also reduces the need for subsea interventions over the life of the field and fewer interruptions in production. The less you interrupt operations in these sensitive places, the better it is for the environment (and your maintenance costs).
When selecting sustainable solutions, you should look closely at the manufacturing process. We should be seeking ways to improve efficiency and drive down our carbon footprint wherever possible. The entire production of our subsea instrumentation is done at a cutting-edge facility in Norway. Manufacturing and finishing occur locally, decreasing the carbon footprint by eliminating the packaging and shipping of partial assemblies between distant locations. We also minimize conflict minerals in the material we use to build our devices.
Less is More: Data-Driven Savings Means More Sustainability
In limited spaces like offshore platforms, less is always more. When it comes to sustainability goals, the same holds true. The Roxar Subsea Wetgas Meter equips operators with high-resolution measurement data that helps them reduce the impact of operations on multiple fronts. For example, data-driven insights into the effectiveness of chemical inhibitors allow operators to optimize the usage of these inhibitors – saving money and reducing the amount they need to inject into the wells.
With the ability to monitor production in real-time, operators can significantly decrease their time in-field. As mentioned earlier, travel and its associated burdens contribute to your carbon footprint. Performance monitoring and remote support capabilities mean fewer helicopter rides back and forth to your offshore platforms. Cutting back on even one visit per year for several fields can dramatically diminish carbon pollution.
With high precision measurements, our customers have enhanced flow assurance to accommodate changing operating conditions and variable fluid compositions. Operators can be sure there are no blockages in the pipeline, further enabling production optimization.
Future-Focused Solutions for Subsea Sustainability
A few other attributes distinguish the future-focused design of our subsea wetgas meter.
- The base product is a non-gamma solution that limits the impact on sensitive subsea environments.
- A microwave resonator design requires less maintenance and service.
- We’ve purposefully crafted our cutting-edge metering solution to easily fit into existing infrastructure and is standardized, allowing for reuse across the field.
Highly accurate, repeatable, and reliable technologies like the Roxar Subsea Wetgas Meter empower operators to meet the challenges of the most complex reservoirs without compromising the safety, sustainability, or productivity of the subsea field.
Demand for natural gas is expected to grow 3.4% per year till 2035. Its outlook is so strong partially because global emissions standards are only getting tougher. As we get closer and closer to a net neutral future, liquified natural gas (LNG) will be an intermediate force on the path to greener energy sources. At Emerson, we’re excited to be able to support our customers in these greener initiatives by making our products and operations as sustainable as possible.
The next installment of our sustainability series will talk about the features of our real-time measurement devices for downhole environments. If you’re interested in learning more about our subsea solutions, visit: https://Emerson.com/RoxarSubsea.
