Capturing Carbon and Transporting Hydrogen
CO2 by-product from the HPU and CO2 from the manufacturing process is captured by adding modular carbon capture unit(s), right sized for the field. To increase the volumes available for injection, CO2 emissions from the original gas processing site can also be captured.
The circle is closed by compressing the CO2 and injecting all CO2 volumes deep in the gas field (at the edges/periphery/down-dip) via a small number (two or three) newly drilled vertical or horizontal CO2 injection wells.
Hydrogen transportation is a critical part of the process, and is 24/7 reliable through pipeline. Pipeline ‘line-pack’ (the pressurised volume in the pipeline) can provide hydrogen during interruptions to the process.
Hydrogen can be transported via:
i) the existing natural gas line if the pipeline is ‘hydrogen-ready’
ii) a natural gas pipeline that is relined to become ‘hydrogen-ready’, or
iii) a relatively short new hydrogen pipeline to connect into an in-country hydrogen pipeline network to an industrial complex.
iv) Alternatively, hydrogen can be blended with natural gas from other fields, piped and unblended at the industrial complex for companies requiring the hydrogen molecule for their process.
Our Process
The Starting Point: A Gas Field
Take an existing gas field (an onshore field is illustrated here) with gas wells and gas processing to remove impurities: H2O, Nitrogen, H2S, perhaps naturally occurring CO2.
Today the purified natural gas is sold, almost exclusively by pipeline, to the customers who use natural gas:
as a starter molecule in chemicals manufacture (including methanol and ammonia, fertiliser, as well as higher end chemicals) and steel production. Also to manufacture of some 70 million tons per year of high carbon (Grey) Hydrogen. The other 30 million tonnes per year is Brown Hydrogen, produced from coal. Our process can tackle that as well, but in a two-step process. Coal to gas to hydrogen.
or for the intense heat required in the manufacture of products such as glass, ceramics, cement, and the above process of steel manufacture.
Switching to Hydrogen Production
The gas field can be adapted to produce hydrogen by bringing a hydrogen production unit (HPU) to the site of the gas processing plant that is right-sized for the volume of gas being produced.
A steam methane reformer (SMR) is the most common HPU from natural gas, although more efficient processes, such as Autothermal Reforming (ATR) are also available in modular format.
Using the purified natural gas as feedstock for the HPU, the hydrogen produced can then be sold to industrial customers who need either the hydrogen molecule or a low-carbon fuel.
Hydrogen is a more valuable product than natural gas. Thus, this process can add value to the company.
