Linde has introduced a new, mobile technology that economically scrubs carbon dioxide (CO2) from early flowback natural gas, giving producers a cost-effective way to increase recovery and achieve green completions.

Linde's new mobile gas cleanup unit (MGCU) uses a novel membrane technology to remove up to 98 percent of the CO2 in the production stream. It was designed to improve well economics, with an emphasis on the 3 E's: Enhanced productivity or Estimated Ultimate Recovery (EUR), Environmental footprint reduction, and improved Economics of the field.

"Linde created an economical and environmentally friendly alternative to flaring" said Robin Watts, Program Manager, Well Completions, Linde North America. "Our mobile gas cleanup unit scrubs CO2 so producers can monetize early flowback natural gas while minimizing flaring and greenhouse gas emissions. One of the many challenges producers face is finding a way to improve well economics while complying with environmental regulations. Linde designed the unit so an operator can monetize CO2 in the flowback natural gas during a relatively short window of operation, at low natural gas prices. It is designed to be cost-effective at lower process volumes – including associated gas rates from oil wells."

San Antonio-based Mortimer Exploration Co. used the Linde technology in a one month deployment to clean up gas from one of their newly completed South Texas wells.

"The results were way better than we had even hoped," said Glenn Mortimer, President of Mortimer Exploration Co. "Without the mobile gas cleanup unit, we would have incurred significant additional costs with alternative solutions and lost the revenue we were able to monetize by eliminating flaring and selling the gas into the pipeline."

The trailer-mounted skid unit can be field deployed to well sites and remote locations. It can be operational within half a day depending on location logistics. It also can be shut down, purged and driven to the next location very quickly.

The new MGCU design flexibility results in an operator only paying for the gas scrubbing capabilities needed, based on length of use and volume of gas flow.