Pipeline arrangement for utilizing a gas comprising biomethane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9508085-B2
Application number	US-201514974620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Feb 23, 2015
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a process in which a gas comprising biomethane having a heating value of less than about 925 BTU/cubic foot is introduced to a pipeline system that is connected to at least one source of natural gas having a heating value of at least about 950 BTU/cubic foot. The gas comprising biomethane combines with natural gas in the pipeline system to produce a mixed gas having a heating value below about 925 BTU/cubic foot. An amount of natural gas at least equal to the amount of gas comprising biomethane is withdrawn from the pipeline system for use as a transportation fuel, a fuel intermediate or as a feedstock for producing a fuel. The process can enable fuel credit generation and/or reductions in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for producing a transportation fuel comprising:
(i) introducing a gas comprising biomethane to a pipeline system wherein the gas comprising biomethane has a heating value of less than 925 BTU/cubic foot;
(ii) combining a first amount of the gas comprising biomethane having the heating value of less than 925 BTU/cubic foot with a second amount of natural gas having a heating value that is greater than that of the gas comprising biomethane by at least 50 BTU/cubic foot, said combining occurring at a combination point in the pipeline system to produce a mixed gas downstream of the combination point having a heating value less than 900 BTU/cubic foot;
(iii) measuring a value representing energy content and a value representing a volume of flow of all or a portion of the gas comprising biomethane in steps (i) or (ii);
(iv) from the values measured in step (iii), obtaining and recording a value representing energy delivered for the gas comprising biomethane in one or more time periods;
(v) withdrawing or causing the withdrawal of a third amount of natural gas from the pipeline system, said third amount of withdrawn natural gas being withdrawn at one or more withdrawal locations in the pipeline system that are upstream of said combination point, wherein the withdrawn natural gas has an average heating value that is greater than the heating value for the gas comprising biomethane by at least 50 BTU/cubic foot;
(vi) measuring or causing a measurement of the volume of flow of the withdrawn natural gas at said one or more withdrawal locations in step (v), wherein a value representing the volume of flow is recorded for the withdrawn natural gas at said one or more withdrawal locations, and the value of the energy delivered for the third amount of withdrawn natural gas is at least equal to the value of the energy delivered for the gas comprising biomethane in step (iv);
(vii) using or causing the use of the withdrawn natural gas measured in step (vi) as a transportation fuel, or as a fuel intermediate or a feedstock to produce a transportation fuel; and
(viii) generating or causing the generation of a fuel credit.

2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising removing at least one impurity from the gas comprising biomethane before or subsequent to step (i) to produce partially purified biomethane having a heating value that is less than 700 BTU/cubic foot.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein step (vii) comprises using or causing the use of the withdrawn natural gas from step (vi) as a transportation fuel in a compressed natural gas or a liquid natural gas vehicle.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the withdrawn natural gas in step (vii) is used or caused to be used in a process comprising converting the withdrawn natural gas to hydrogen and using said hydrogen to displace hydrogen that is combined with a crude oil derived liquid hydrocarbon to produce a liquid transportation fuel.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the gas comprising biomethane comprises at least one impurity selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, water, oxygen, nitrogen and a halogenated compound.

6. The process of claim 1 , further comprising providing the mixed gas to a third party who engages in the activity of generating heat, electricity or a combination thereof.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the gas comprising biomethane has a heating value of 400-900 BTU/cubic foot.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the mixed gas downstream of the combination point has a heating value of less than 850 BTU/cubic foot.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fuel credit is a Renewable Identification Number (RIN) or a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credit.

10. The process of claim 1 , further comprising transferring the environmental attributes of the first amount of gas comprising biomethane to the third amount of withdrawn natural gas.

11. The process of claim 1 , further comprising measuring the values in steps (iii) and (vi) by gas metering.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fuel credit is a Renewable Identification Number (RIN) or Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credit, and the value of the fuel credit is due at least in part to a transfer of the environmental attributes from the gas comprising biomethane to said one or more withdrawal locations in the pipeline system or to a user or intermediary that obtains such withdrawn natural gas, said transfer being effected by calculating the value of the energy delivered for the gas comprising biomethane as determined in step (iv) and the value of the energy delivered for the third amount of withdrawn natural gas as measured in step (vi) and selecting the lower value.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the transfer is evidenced by a title transfer.

14. The process of claim 6 , further comprising combusting or causing the combustion of the mixed gas with air.

15. A process for producing a transportation fuel comprising:
(i) introducing or causing the introduction of a gas comprising biomethane having a heating value of less than 925 BTU/cubic foot into a pipeline system;
(ii) combining or causing the combination of a first amount of the gas comprising biomethane having the heating value of less than 925 BTU/cubic foot with a second amount of natural gas having a heating value that is greater than that of the gas comprising biomethane by at least 50 BTU/cubic foot, said combining or combination occurring at a combination point in the pipeline system to produce a mixed gas downstream of the combination point having a heating value less than 925 BTU/cubic foot;
(iii) measuring or causing a measurement of a value representing energy content and a value representing a volume of flow of all or a portion of the gas comprising biomethane in steps (i) or (ii);
(iv) from the values measured in step (iii), obtaining a value representing energy delivered for the gas comprising biomethane in one or more time periods;
(v) withdrawing or causing the withdrawal of a third amount of natural gas from the pipeline system, said third amount of withdrawn natural gas being withdrawn at one or more withdrawal locations in the pipeline system to which the mixed gas does not flow, wherein the withdrawn natural gas has an average heating value that is greater than the heating value for the gas comprising biomethane by at least 50 BTU/cubic foot;
(vi) measuring or causing a measurement of the volume of flow of the withdrawn natural gas at said one or more withdrawal locations in step (v), wherein a value representing the volume of flow is recorded for the withdrawn natural gas at said one or more withdrawal locations, and the value of the energy delivered for the third amount of withdrawn natural gas is at least equal to value of the energy delivered for the gas comprising biomethane in step (iv);
(vii) using or causing the use of the withdrawn natural gas measured in step (vi) as a transportation fuel, or as a fuel intermediate or a feedstock to produce a transportation fuel; and
(viii) generating a fuel credit.

16. A process for producing a transportation fuel comprising:
(i) introducing or causing the introduction of a first amount of a gas comprising biomethane having a heating value in the range of 350 BTU/cubic foot to 925 BTU/cubic foot into a pipeline system or a pipeline connected to the pipeline system, said pipeline system connected to at least one source of natural gas having a heating value of at least 950 BTU/cubic foot, wherein the gas comprising biomethane combines with the natural gas to produce a mixed gas having a heating val

Assignees

• Iogen Corp

Inventors

• Foody Patrick J

Classifications

• C01B3/34

  by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents · CPC title

• C10L3/10

  Working-up natural gas or synthetic natural gas · CPC title

• G06Q30/0223 Primary

  based on inventory · CPC title

• C01B2203/1241

  Natural gas or methane · CPC title

• C10L1/04

  essentially based on blends of hydrocarbons · CPC title