Two Different Methods to Treat Unwanted Associated Gas - Reasons to Consider Zero Gas Venting/Flaring Future in the Permian Basin

The goal of this work is to encourage reducing gas venting/flaring practice to reach a zero gas venting/flaring future by providing detail analysis on the emission reality in Permian basin. The main concepts of two alternative methods will also be discussed along with details of a suggested method and its challenges. The first step is conducting a brief study in the location, geology, and oil production performance of the Permian basin. A report on greenhouse gas emission in the area including CO2 and methane emission are showed to reflect the bad effects of unwanted gas venting/flaring practice. There are two main methods discussed: associated gas reinjection and underground gas storage. After providing a comparison between two methods and considering challenges of the project, underground associated gas storage is suggested for a zero gas venting/flaring future in the Permian basin. Underground storage is a better fit for Permian basin than gas reinjection due to the high amount of gas produced in this area. Permian basin is observed to have many mature fields, therefor underground gas storage is not only good for the environment but also provides pressure support to enhance oil recovery. There are three main type of gas storage facilities: depleted gas reservoirs, aquifers, and salt caverns. Depleted reservoirs are the cheapest storage facilities with high total storage capacity, therefore they are suggested. There are a few challenges when consider underground natural gas storage in the Permian basin: the high investment cost and the difficulty in culture change.