Oil platform 'flare gas' in SoCal?

[tadink]

Hey all -

doing a bit of research and thought that this crowd might know the answers if anyone did -

Are we still flaring excess gas off the oil platforms in SoCal? I know this was an issue at some point in my distant memory banks....

If there is gas being flared - why?

1. how much gas per platform?
2. what is the composition of it?
3. can it be captured and re-purposed?
4. who owns, operates, and maintains the oil platforms?
5. where might someone go to find out these answers?

Just south of Santa Barbara on the east side of 101 there is a HUGE gas flare...I saw it last time I was headed to LA. What's the deal with that?

Kind of surprised that with the value of Nat Gas that we'd simply burn it, but I suspect that there may not be enough volume to mess with, and that capture and transport may be more expensive than the value of the gas...yes?

Thanks for your help...

td

Tom Dinkel
Dos Lagos Vineyards, Napa
Dos Lagos Vineyards - HOME

[sammyg2]

Natural gas is cheeep. Really cheeep, as in almost free.

Drilling rigs are looking for oil, but with the oil usually comes nat gas, hydrogen, propanes, H2S etc.
That stuff is expensive to pump to a processing plant, expensive to clean, it costs more to produce than it's worth. Some of it is captured and pumped back down the well but not all.
So it's scrubbed to a certain point on the rig and then the cleaner stuff is burned. It doesn't hurt anything.


Would you spend $100 million to recover $50 million? Neither would I.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by tadink

Hey all -

doing a bit of research and thought that this crowd might know the answers if anyone did -

Are we still flaring excess gas off the oil platforms in SoCal? I know this was an issue at some point in my distant memory banks....

If there is gas being flared - why?

1. how much gas per platform?
2. what is the composition of it?
3. can it be captured and re-purposed?
4. who owns, operates, and maintains the oil platforms?
5. where might someone go to find out these answers?

Just south of Santa Barbara on the east side of 101 there is a HUGE gas flare...I saw it last time I was headed to LA. What's the deal with that?

Kind of surprised that with the value of Nat Gas that we'd simply burn it, but I suspect that there may not be enough volume to mess with, and that capture and transport may be more expensive than the value of the gas...yes?

Thanks for your help...

td

Tom Dinkel
Dos Lagos Vineyards, Napa
Dos Lagos Vineyards - HOME

Most platforms are collecting the gas and selling it.

The flare on the roadside may be from a landfill.

[Instrument 41]

As other have said gas is really cheap but it is coming up ($3 mmbtu now). The reason to capture flare gas, is for Money or environmental regulations. Land based sites are feeling the full weight of the newest Environmental regulations coming out now. This will bleed over to off shore.
The issue is methane and the current administrations war on emissions that are causing the global warming..bs.. which is really a battle against the Oil and Gas industry trying to regulate them out of business. By 2018 the mandate is that all flaring must be stopped and zero emissions, on land based operations.

[tadink]

Thanks guys -

I have a business idea that I'm cooking up - access to the gas where it sits would be very useful for what I'm developing....

If one were to try to 'purchase' the gas - to whom would you make an offer? Is there a registration of the ownership / operations of the wells?

Looking primarily at the offshore wells at this point....CA initially but potentially any offshore well with excess gas.

thanks!

td

[1990C4S]

There has to be cheaper ways to get NG than getting it 'free' offshore.

[JavaBrewer]

No help to the OP but that gas burn off South of Carpinteria has been around since I was kid - goes back to late 60's early 70's.

[Instrument 41]

Tadink you should contact a Mid stream company of your looking to purchase gas. The gas will be cheap, it will be the associate equipment to gather, monitor, and store that gas that will be expensive. You would have to get Air and land permits in order to receive and process.

Java, the flare at a refinery or chem plant is different that what the Upstream flares. But those sanctions are coming to the downstream market also.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

No help to the OP but that gas burn off South of Carpinteria has been around since I was kid - goes back to late 60's early 70's.

Same here is San Pedro, my first house was in full view of the refinery and the burn off would wake me at night.

[GH85Carrera]

There are a million variations. Much of it is a mixture of propane, methane, hydrogen and other gasses. It would be expensive to refine and separate into a product you could run equipment on.

Some oil leases have clauses that every bit of hydrocarbons that comes out of the ground is supposed to be paid for to the land owner. It is cheaper for the producer to flair off that gas and just not even tell the owner it ever existed. They just pay for the oil.

The natural gas piped to homes and industry is methane. It is odorless, tasteless and completely colorless. To make it safe for the consumer they add the stink so you know when you have a leak. They add the mercaptan to keep it safe or safer to use.

[tadink]

Gents -

thank you for all your comments -

I have a business reason and use for the gas where it is (offshore) - I'm happy to disclose the concept to any interested parties - pls reach out to me at tadink@yahoo.com. As the business idea is in the formative stage, I'm not at liberty to broadcast it here....

A remaining question - who owns / manages the offshore oil platforms off SoCal coast?

I do very much appreciate your input -

cheers

tom

[Instrument 41]

Tadink are you wanting oil from the ground with the entrained gas or just dead oil? If you are looking for oil that has already flashed your best and easiest route is to go to a midstream company, still a rough road or better yet find a jobber in your area and get it from them. To find out who's producing off the California cost look up California Oil Operators. It will tell you everything you want to know, offshore and inland.

[tadink]

thanks for the response I41....

I'm looking for just the gas, don't care about the oil.

thx again

td