Using stranded gas for heavy oil production

Associated or stranded gas is being used with new microturbine technology to provide electricity for marginal heavy oil wells in California.

A recent Hart's E&Pnet.com article describes interesting research by the US National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) that uses stranded casing gas, that would otherwise be flared, to provide fuel for highly efficient microturbines in the production of low cost electricity for California's mature oil fields. California has a large number of mature and marginal heavy oil fields where electricity to power pump jacks and ESP's can be the primary cost of production. In reusing waste or stranded gas in the production of low cost electricity in the the field, incremental heavy oil can be produced economically. This is a great example where new technology and better planning are helping increase heavy oil recovery with improved economics. The full article can be found at: http://www.eandpnet.com/index2.php?area=article&articleId=825.

Kambiz.