Am engineering breakthrough from a South Yorkshire company could solve the problem of flaring and venting from oil and gas fields and help clean up energy production.
Rotherham-based AESSEAL has invented new technology that seeks to eliminate or reduce both intermittent and continuous emissions and could be retrofitted to oil and gas facilities across the world.
The company has partnered with pump manufacturer Torishima UK to develop EcoGuard, which will be made in Glasgow. The product has been hailed as a game-changer for the oil and gas industry and could extend the life of existing rigs.
Chris Rea, founder and group MD of AESSEAL, said: “My interest is in the environment. AESSEAL does not make pumps and the EcoGuard technology does not use seals, but I would like to turn off the industrial-scale bunsen burners that are destroying the planet for my grandchildren. On a case specific basis, I will give our competitors a royalty-free licence as the environment needs all the help it can get.
“In Scotland, which has nearly 90 per cent of UK oil and gas production, more than one billion cubic metres of gas was flared in 2019, releasing 2.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions – 21 per cent of the total.
“Not only is this damaging, it is extremely wasteful. The gas flared off could have been used for heating and is the same as the total energy consumption of Glasgow, where EcoGuard will be produced at Torishima’s plant in the city.”
EcoGuard is a small but powerful booster pump that transports gas around a rig’s compressor in a similar way to a central heating system circulating water around a house. The booster maintains the flow of gas during intermittent shutdowns, an established practice that removes the need for deliberate emissions to prevent contamination of the system. In the inventive step, the booster also keeps the seal clean to stop leakage throughout continuous operation.
The EcoGuard is at prototype testing stage and will be ready to market in early next year, six years before the UK government deadline for the oil and gas industry.
