| dc.description.abstract | Natural gas is an extremely important fossil fuel. It is widely used for provision of electric power, residential and commercial heating, and several other industrial uses. It can be produced via both conventional and unconventional means. This project aims to optimize the overall operational efficiency of an oil and gas production facility using the Water-Energy Nexus approach. The Water-Energy Nexus approach presents systematic and state-of-the-art techniques for the design of energy and water systems associated with industrial processes. Particularly the optimization, management, and integration of water and energy systems and the connections that link them using a variety of visualization, algebraic, and mathematical optimization approaches.
This project’s case study is an actual oil and gas production facility located in Nigeria. For this project, two scenarios are considered- The “Grass-roots” case and the “Retrofit” case. For both scenarios, power and heat generation are integrated into the facility’s operations using “stranded” gas which is currently being flared. Cost Benefit Analysis and Carbon Footprint Assessment are performed. The “Retrofit” case is the more optimal scenario as it can be implemented at minimal overall cost (including the economic value of emissions) and the facility becomes “self-sufficient”. In addition, flaring of natural gas is minimized (thereby-reducing greenhouse gas emissions) and making the oil and gas production process safer and more environmentally sustainable. | en |
