| BMP ID: |
6293 |
| Title: |
Use flareless or green completions |
| Text: |
"In flareless or green completions the gas that comes to the surface is separated from fluids and solids using a series of heavy-duty separators (sometimes referred to as "flowback units"). The water is discharged to tanks to be reused, the sand is sent to a reserve pit, and the gas is either cycled back through the well bore, or sent to a pipeline to be sold rather than vented or flared." |
| Source Publication Name: |
Oil and Gas Accountability Project, Best Practices |
| Citation Section: |
Flareless Completions |
| Citation Page: |
1 |
| Supplemental Documents: |
See the Source Document for links to supplemental information
|
| Usage Type: |
Recommended |
| Timing: |
• Drilling
|
| Oil / Gas Field: |
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| Surface Ownership: |
• Federal
• State
• Private
|
| Mineral Ownership: |
• Federal
• State
• Private
|
| Primary Contact: |
Earthworks
1612 K. St., NW, Suite 808
Washington, DC 20006 United States |
|
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| Alternate Contact: |
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| |
| Categories: |
Water Quality and Pollution
Land Surface Disturbance
Air Quality and Emissions
|
| Location: |
General / Federal |
| Species: |
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| Vegetation Types: |
|
| General Comments: |
|
| Cost-Benefit Analysis: |
The capital costs for companies include the use of separators, sand traps and tanks. One company reported these costs as being $180,000. The equipment, however, can be moved from site to site, so if a company were to complete 60 wells per year the annual capital charges would be less than $10,000. Operating costs are less than $1,000 per year. EPA has estimated that "green completions" can pay back their costs in about 1 year. |
| BMP Efficacy: |
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), benefits of this system include: the elimination or reduction in venting or flaring of natural gas; sale of the gas and condensate provides the operator with an immediate revenue stream; there is a reduction in solid waste and water pollution; and the system enables safer operating practices. |
| Date Entered: |
2009-12-01 09:41 UTC |
| Last Updated: |
2011-07-17 13:20 UTC |
