Flow management and co2-recovery apparatus and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017176100-A1
Application number	US-201514974862-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Jun 22, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and method for flow management and CO 2 -recovery from a CO 2 containing hydrocarbon flow stream, such as a post CO 2 -stimulation flowback stream. The apparatus including a flow control zone, a gas separation zone, a pretreatment zone, and a CO 2 -capture zone. The CO 2 -capture zone is in fluid communication with the pretreatment zone to provide CO 2 -capture from a pretreated flowback gas stream and output a captured CO 2 -flow stream. The CO 2 -capture zone includes a first CO 2 -enricher and at least one additional CO 2 enricher disposed downstream of the first CO 2 enricher and in cascading relationship to provide a CO 2 -rich permeate stream, the CO 2 -capture zone further including at least one condenser to condense the enriched CO 2 -stream and output the captured CO 2 -flow stream.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for flow management and CO 2 -recovery from a CO 2 containing hydrocarbon flow stream comprising:
a flow control zone in fluid communication with the CO 2 containing hydrocarbon flow stream to provide control of a flowrate of the CO 2 containing hydrocarbon flow stream and output a modified CO 2 containing hydrocarbon flow stream; a gas separation zone in fluid communication with the modified CO 2 containing hydrocarbon flow stream to provide separation of a gas from the modified CO 2 containing hydrocarbon flow stream and output a CO 2 containing hydrocarbon process stream; a pretreatment zone in fluid communication with the gas separation zone to provide removal of one or more of trace solids, aerogels, oil, hydrogen sulfides, water and non-gas liquids from the CO 2 containing hydrocarbon process stream and output a pretreated gas stream; and a CO 2 -capture zone in fluid communication with the pretreatment zone to provide CO 2 -capture from the pretreated gas stream and output a captured CO 2 -flow stream, the CO 2 -capture zone including a first CO 2 -enricher and at least one additional CO 2 -enricher disposed downstream of the first CO 2 -enricher and in cascading relationship to provide a CO 2 -rich permeate stream, the CO 2 -capture zone further including at least one condenser to condense the enriched CO 2 -stream and output the captured CO 2 -flow stream.

2 . An apparatus for a flowback management and CO 2 -recovery from a post CO 2 -stimulation flowback stream comprising:
a flow control zone in fluid communication with the post CO 2 -stimulation flowback stream to provide control of a flowrate of the post CO 2 -stimulation flowback stream and output a modified flowback stream; a gas separation zone in fluid communication with the modified flowback stream to provide separation of a gas from the modified flowback stream and output a flowback process stream; a pretreatment zone in fluid communication with the gas separation zone to provide removal of one or more of trace solids, aerogels, oil, hydrogen sulfides, water and non-gas liquids from the flowback process stream and output a pretreated flowback gas stream; and a CO 2 -capture zone in fluid communication with the pretreatment zone to provide CO 2 -capture from the pretreated flowback gas stream and output a captured CO 2 -flow stream, the CO 2 -capture zone including a first CO 2 -enricher and at least one additional CO 2 -enricher disposed downstream of the first CO 2 -enricher and in cascading relationship to provide a CO 2 -rich permeate stream, the CO 2 -capture zone further including at least one condenser to condense the enriched CO 2 -stream and output the captured CO 2 -flow stream.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a CO 2 -storage zone in fluid communication with the CO 2 -capture zone and a CO 2 -purification zone in fluid communication with the CO 2 -capture zone, the CO 2 -storage zone providing buffer storage and control of a flowrate of the captured CO 2 -flow stream to the CO 2 -purification zone, the CO 2 -purification zone providing purification of the captured CO 2 -flow stream and output of a CO 2 -product stream.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a gas cleanup zone in fluid communication with the at least one downstream CO 2 -enricher to treat a portion of a CO 2 -lean gas retentate stream and output a pipeline quality natural gas stream and a CO 2 -rich permeate stream.

5 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a CO 2 -transfer zone in fluid communication with the CO 2 -capture zone to provide transfer of the captured CO 2 -flow stream as a CO 2 -product stream for product end use.

6 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pretreatment zone includes one or more of mechanical filters, coalescers, H 2 S-scavengers, H 2 S-selective membranes, H 2 O-selective membranes and dessicants.

7 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first CO 2 -enricher and the condenser are operational to enrich and condense the pretreated flowback gas stream to meet target CO 2 -stream specifications at one or more locations in the apparatus.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the target CO 2 -stream specifications are in one of CO 2 -concentration or undesired components concentration in a respective flow stream.

9 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the gas separation zone includes one or more gas separators providing varied operation in response to one or more of a flowrate and composition of the post CO 2 -stimulation flowback stream.

10 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the CO 2 -purification zone employs at least one of a heater, a cooler, an expander, a distillation column.

11 . The apparatus of claim 2 , comprising a plurality of CO 2 -capture zones configured in parallel such that the combined capacity satisfies an anticipated maximum flowrate of the post CO 2 -stimulation flowback stream.

12 . An apparatus for a flowback management and CO 2 -recovery from a post CO 2 -stimulation flowback stream comprising:
a flowback processing unit to receive and process post the post CO 2 -stimulation flowback stream and output a modified flowback stream at desired pressure and temperature; a pretreatment unit to receive and remove contaminants from the modified flowback stream and output a pretreated flowback stream; a CO 2 -capture zone in fluid communication with the pretreatment zone to provide CO 2 -capture from the pretreated flowback gas stream and output a captured CO 2 -flow stream, the CO 2 -capture zone including a flow splitter to direct the pretreated flowback gas stream to a first CO 2 -enricher and at least one additional CO 2 -enricher disposed downstream of the first CO 2 enricher and in cascading relationship to provide a CO 2 -rich permeate stream, the CO 2 -capture zone further including at least one condenser to condense the enriched CO 2 -stream and output the captured CO 2 -flow stream.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising one or more purification components to purify the captured CO 2 flow stream to a known specification and output a CO 2 -product stream.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first CO 2 -enricher and the condenser are operational to enrich and condense the pretreated flowback gas stream to meet target CO 2 -stream specifications at one or more locations in the apparatus.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the target CO 2 -stream specifications are in one of CO 2 -concentration or undesired components concentration in a respective flow stream.

16 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first CO 2 -enricher and the at least one additional CO 2 -enricher each include a CO 2 -selective membrane formed of one or more of a polyetheretherketone (PEEK), cellulose acetate and polyimides.

17 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first CO 2 -enricher includes a CO 2 -selective membrane that is stable to hydrocarbon condensates.

18 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first CO 2 -enricher and the at least one additional CO 2 -enricher are operational to vary the enrichment of the enriched CO 2 flow stream output to the condenser to meet target CO 2 -stream specifications at one or more locations in the apparatus.

19 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the CO 2 -concentration in the enriched CO 2 flow stream is in a range of 85% to 99%.

20 . A method for flowback management and CO 2 -recovery from a post CO 2 -stimulation flowback stream comprising:
processing a post CO 2 -stimulation flowback st

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Acharya Harish Radhakrishna
• Shisler Roger Allen

Classifications

• B01D2053/221

  Devices · CPC title

• F25J3/08 Primary

  Separating gaseous impurities from gases or gaseous mixtures {or from liquefied gases or liquefied gaseous mixtures}(cold traps B01D8/00) · CPC title

• B01D2257/504

  Carbon dioxide · CPC title

• B01D53/268

  by diffusion · CPC title

• B01D53/229

  Integrated processes (Diffusion and at least one other process, e.g. adsorption, absorption) · CPC title