Streamline Innovation’s vision is Eliminating Emissions Through Technology. We help industry around the world achieve environmental performance objectives, improve sustainability, and transition to a sustainable, lower-carbon future.
One of the benefits of using a Streamline Innovations VALKYRIE® H2S Treating System is the positive contribution to Environmental and Sustainability directives. Unlike like some hydrogen sulfide treatment processes that create pollution or toxic wastes, Streamline’s VALKYRIE destroys H2S, and creates elemental sulfur that can be used for soil amendment in agriculture.
Streamline’s VALKYRIE employs TALON®, a non-toxic, biodegradable Redox (“Reduction-Oxidation”) chemistry process that removes H2S from gas streams by converting it (“reduction”) to elemental sulfur and then regenerating the chemistry by introducing air (“oxidization”) so that the chemistry can repeat the treating process, over and over again. The elemental sulfur is filtered from the chemistry and is accumulated in a container that will be used to store and transport the sulfur.
The VALKYRIE® H2S Treating System doesn’t just capture H2S, it destroys it, eliminating the need to flare sour gas, which is critical for reducing routine flaring and SO2 emissions.
The infographic below aggregates the environmental sustainability benefits delivered to our customers by VALKYRIE units operating during 2023.
In 2023, the VALKYRIE fleet delivered substantial improvements in environmental performance, as compared to 2022:
20% increase in organic sulfur production
20% increase in avoided SO2 emissions
20% increase in avoided gallons of triazine waste
53% increase in avoided acid gas produced
“Leading E&P operators are using Streamline technology to unlock the value of their sour gas assets in a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly manner. The VALKYRIE Environmental Sustainability Scorecard demonstrates the quantifiable environmental benefits of our technology.”
– David Sisk, CEO
Simple Elemental Sulfur™
Streamline’s sulfur produced by the Valkyrie is listed as Simple Elemental Sulfur™ with the Organic Material Review Institute (“OMRI”) for use as fertilizer for Organic Production. OMRI certification approval standards are compliant with the USDA National Organic Program (“NOP”) regulations for organic cultivation processes. Simple Elemental Sulfur™ is a powdered, amorphous form of sulfur that can be beneficial as a soil amendment, increasing the pH of soil and improving the uptake of nitrogen.
About Streamline Innovations
Streamline Innovation’s vision is Eliminating Emissions Through Technology. We help heavy industry around the world achieve environmental performance objectives, improve sustainability, and transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy.
Streamline’s environmentally forward H2S treating solutions help achieve the “E” in ESG. H2S is present in many industrial processes throughout the world. Our technology can be applied across industries, delivering a sustainable solution that eliminates H2S, a leading cause of human inhalation accidents and source of SO2 emissions, a primary cause of acid rain. Talon treats effectively in both gas and water phases.
Streamline believes that achieving environmental sustainability directives requires data. Creating intelligent systems that operate effectively and efficiently without human intervention is critical to measuring and reducing emissions that harm the environment. We integrate advanced process control, data collection and analytics in our technologies to provide a total solution for customers.
We serve organizations in multiple sectors, including Energy/Oil & Gas, Biogas, Landfill Gas & Renewable Fuels, Municipal Wastewater and Industrial Air & Water.
SAN ANTONIO, TX (December 6, 2023) – David Sisk, CEO, and Jacob Pratt, Senior Vice President of Sales with Streamline Innovations, Inc. (“Streamline”) will be attending the annual RNG Conference 2023 on December 11-14, 2023. The conference venue is the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club in Dana Point, California.
Interested parties are invited to contact Jacob Pratt to schedule a meeting to learn more about Streamline’s solutions for removing H2S from biogas produced from Anaerobic Digestion and Landfills.
Streamline’s proven biodegradable chemistry and processes convert toxic H2S into OMRI Certified elemental sulfur and water, which can be cleanly disposed of or used in agriculture as fertilizer. Many alternative treatment solutions result in hazardous or toxic byproducts that require special handling. In addition, Streamline’s chemistry is regenerative, leaving a small environmental footprint and consuming much less raw materials than scavengers and adsorbent media, while handling changes in flow and concentration better than biological solutions.
VALKYRIE® Biogas-to-RNG Upgrading Technology – A Green Solution for Treating H2S
The VALKYRIE ECO Flex H2S treating solution is an expansion of the VALKYRIE ECO product line and utilizes Talon®, our non-toxic, biodegradable liquid redox chemistry for H2S treating in renewable natural gas (RNG) applications. The ECO Flex targets projects with higher gas volumes (1,000+ SCFM) such as landfill natural gas. The VALKYRIE ECO Flex can treat up to 3,300 SCFM and up to 14,500+ PPM H2S to a continuous outlet specification of less than 20 PPM of H2S.
The VALKYRIE ECO solution is designed specifically for H2S treating in RNG applications focusing on anaerobic digesters and landfills. The VALKYRIE ECO solution is highly effective in removing H2S from low pressure gas streams (-2 to 12 PSIG) with high and/or variable H2S concentrations.
Our VALKYRIE® H2S treating solutions use TALON® chemistry, a non-toxic and biodegradable Redox substance to remove H2S in an environmentally responsible way. The Simple Elemental Sulfur™ byproduct is approved by Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for use in organic food production.
About the Renewable Natural Gas Conference
The Renewable Natural Gas Conference is managed by The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition). The RNG Conference describes itself as bringing together industry leaders – executives, principals and decision-makers – interested in RNG for purposes of achieving corporate sustainability objectives, complying with federal, state and or provincial policy requirements, for purposes of competing in relevant markets and maximizing related revenue, for purposes of helping realize sustainable development, deployment and utilization of RNG – and for increased energy independence and access to domestic, renewable, clean fuel and energy supply.
Contact
Jacob Pratt Senior Vice President – Sales Streamline Innovations, Inc. jacob.pratt@streamlineinnovations.com
About Streamline Innovations
Streamline Innovation’s vision is Eliminating Emissions Through Technology. We help heavy industry around the world achieve environmental performance objectives, improve sustainability, and transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy.
H2S is present in almost every industrial process in the world. Our technology can be applied across industries, delivering a sustainable solution that eliminates H2S, the leading cause of acid rain, a deadly greenhouse gases dangerous for work and living environments.
Streamline believes that achieving the E (“Environmental”) in ESG requires data. Creating intelligent systems that operate effectively and efficiently without human intervention is critical to reducing emissions that harm the environment. We integrate advanced data collection, process control, and analytics in our technologies to provide a total solution for customers.
We serve organizations in multiple sectors, including Energy/Oil & Gas, Biogas, Landfill Gas & Renewable Fuels, Municipal Wastewater and Industrial Air & Water.
Streamline Innovations will be attending the HART Energy Executive Oil Conference 2023 on November 15-16 at the Midland County Horseshoe Arena in Midland, Texas.
David Sisk, CEO, and Kade Horton, Director of Business Development, will both be attending the event. Interested parties are invited to contact Kade Horton to schedule an appointment to learn more about Streamline’s environmentally friendly solutions for removing H2S from oil and gas production streams.
Streamline offers the world’s most efficient H2S gas treating solution. This Redox process allows complete removal of H2S in natural gas with a resulting by-product of organic elemental sulfur and water. This technology is deployed at any stage of the natural gas life cycle: upstream production, midstream gathering and processing, and downstream refining.
Our VALKYRIE® H2S treating solutions use TALON® chemistry, a non-toxic and biodegradable Redox substance to remove H2S in an environmentally responsible way. The Simple Elemental Sulfur™ byproduct is approved by Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for use in organic food production.
Contact
Kade Horton Vice President of Business Development Streamline Innovations, Inc. kade.horton@streamlineinnovations.com
About Streamline Innovations
Streamline Innovation’s vision is Eliminating Emissions Through Technology. We help heavy industry around the world achieve environmental performance objectives, improve sustainability, and transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy.
H2S is present in almost every industrial process in the world. Our technology can be applied across industries, delivering a sustainable solution that eliminates H2S, the leading cause of acid rain, a deadly greenhouse gases dangerous for work and living environments.
Streamline believes that achieving the E (“Environmental”) in ESG requires data. Creating intelligent systems that operate effectively and efficiently without human intervention is critical to reducing emissions that harm the environment. We integrate advanced data collection, process control, and analytics in our technologies to provide a total solution for customers.
We serve organizations in multiple sectors, including Energy/Oil & Gas, Biogas, Landfill Gas & Renewable Fuels, Municipal Wastewater and Industrial Air & Water.
Treating natural gas streams for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a priority for Oil & Gas producers worldwide. In the United States, much of the associated gas produced from the strategically important producing regions in the Permian Basin and the Eagle Ford trend in southern Texas contains high levels of H2S, making it “sour.”
But there is a problem with sour gas. Because H2S is highly corrosive to infrastructure and presents a threat to human health, most pipelines have established strict limits on H2S concentration requiring Oil & Gas operators to remove or otherwise destroy it. In our article Gas Treating – Processing Solutions for Multiple Industries, we reported that The University of Texas found that the interstate pipeline specifications for H2S range between 0.25 grains per 100 cubic feet to 1.0 grain.
Although flaring or combusting associated gas contaminated with H2S is one way to dispose of it, the practice produces harmful sulfur dioxide (SO2), which is a major contributor to acid rain and regulated by the Clean Air Act.Alternatives to flaring are to capture or destroy the H2S using chemical, biological, or mechanical processes that have different trade offs in terms of capital and operation expenses, and have significantly different waste streams.
In this article we compare the two most common H2S Treatment strategies used by oil producers for treating H2S in the field: Scavenger and Next-Generation Liquid Redox.
H2S Scavengers
Using an H2S scavenger to treat sour gas is a common legacy method for “sweetening” sour gas by removing H2S from natural gas streams using a chemical reaction. A scavenger tower brings sour gas into contact with liquid or solid media, which captures the H2S.
Triazine is commonly used to treat H2S in natural gas streams. It is a clear to pale yellow liquid with a fishy smell. Because triazine cannot be used at full strength, it is usually mixed with other substances to bring the concentration down to field strengths ranging from 20-80%, depending on the application.
Triazine can be injected directly into gas streams or used in a contact tower (scavenger). H2S scavengers using contact towers are considered up to 80% efficient, as compared to only 40% efficiency for direct injection.
Triazine works by binding itself to the H2S molecule. The reaction is defined as one mole of triazine reacting with two moles of H2S to form dithiazine. This is a one-time, non-reversible chemical reaction.
In a liquid H2S scavenger using triazine, produced gas is fed into a tower vessel where it bubbles up through the liquid. As the H2S contacts the triazine in the treating tower, it is rendered harmless.
Because triazine scavenging is a non-regenerative process, triazine must be replaced periodically and the spent liquid must be disposed of.
Triazine H2S Treating Pros and Cons
The benefits of using triazine for treating H2S in gas streams include:
Minimal installation cost.
Can be cost effective, depending on gas flow rate.
Zero air emissions.
Widely available in most oil and gas producing regions.
Skid-based units can be mobilized from one location to another quickly and easily.
Downsides include:
Contact towers are typically only 80% efficient, direct injection only ~40% efficient.
Disposal of spent triazine can be problematic in some areas.
Non-regenerative process, meaning frequent media changes.
Often requires use of other chemicals to mitigate negative downstream effects.
Contact towers (bubble towers) can be operationally complex and require frequent attention.
Can be costly when treating gas with high concentrations of H2S and/or high gas flow rates.
Worker exposure to chemicals at the worksite, potential health and safety concerns.
Next Generation Liquid Redox for H2S Treating
The Liquid Redox (Reduction-Oxidation) process converts H2S into elemental sulfur and water vapor byproducts using chemistry (Reduction) that can be regenerated and used again with exposure to air (Oxidation).
Using a Next Generation Liquid Redox process, sour gas is directed into a treating vessel containing specialized chemistry and then exits the system sweet (without H2S) into a gas sales line. The elemental sulfur byproduct is filtered out of the liquid, and the chemistry is then regenerated with exposure to oxygen. The regenerated chemistry is then recirculated back into the treating vessel to perform the reaction again. The regenerative nature of the chemistry reduces media changes, disposal costs and reduces chemical handling requirements on the well site.
The VALKYRIE® H2S treating solution from Streamline Innovations utilizes relatively recent technological advances in automation control to create the “Next Generation Redox” system. The VALKYRIE system utilizes TALON® chemistry, our non-toxic, biodegradable Redox chemistry.
Focus on Triazine Disposal
As previously noted, there are several downsides to H2S scavengers using liquid triazine. Because the triazine-H2S reaction is non-regenerative, the spent chemical must be replaced periodically and disposed of.
Dithiazine is the byproduct of using triazine to remove H2S from oil and gas streams and has no secondary use. It is a liquid waste product that requires proper disposal, in saltwater disposal (SWD) wells along with produced water, if the SWD operator allows, or at a hazardous materials disposal facility.
Comparison – Triazine H2S Scavengers vs. Next Generation Redox
We compare H2S scavengers using liquid triazine with the latest generation of Liquid Redox.
Spent Media Disposal. Because treating H2S using liquid triazine or solid media involve one-time, non-regenerative chemical reactions, the spent triazine must be replenished and the liquid byproduct disposed of properly. Solid media must also be periodically changed and disposed of at a hazardous materials landfill. Frequency of chemical and media changeouts is a function of several factors, including gas flow rates, H2S concentration, scavenger vessel size and other variables.
Chemical Handling and Safety. Liquid triazine is typically transported in plastic totes and delivered to the well site or production pad. Field personnel can be exposed to triazine when moving totes around the well site, installing H2S scavenger equipment and maintaining contact towers and injection equipment.
Exposure to triazine can cause skin rashes, eye irritation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers triazines as possible human carcinogens.
Operating Cost. Triazine H2S scavengers are often more expensive than Next Generation Liquid Redox, especially for high levels of H2S, because spent triazine must be replaced more frequently and can become overwhelmed at high concentrations, while TALON chemistry is regenerated, reducing the frequency of chemistry changes and chemical handling.
A Clear Advantage
The VALKYRIE Next Generation Liquid Redox system is the clear winner for treating high H2S sour gas when all the risks and costs are taken into account.
Benefits of the VALKRYIE gas treating system:
A green solution that converts H2S into the benign substances of water vapor and elemental sulfur.
Universal application for biogas, landfill gas, and oil and gas production.
Widest operating envelope of any H2S Treating method extending across the full spectrum of pressures, flow rates and H2S concentrations.
Treating to established specifications for sales pipelines, gas lift and fuel gas conditioning.
Flexibility of placement along the production stream whether at the anaerobic digester, at a landfill, wellhead, refinery, in a direct or tail gas treating configuration.
Easily adjusted for variation in gas flow and H2S concentrations.
We specialize in meeting the most stringent outlet specifications.
Contact us today to learn more about Next Generation Liquid Redox H2S treating technology and determine if the VALKYRIE system is right for your operation.
The move towards a decarbonized global energy system, otherwise known as the Energy Transition, is underway. In response to the concerns of key stakeholders, including the institutional investment community and regulators, energy companies are adopting initiatives to reduce emissions of Greenhouse Gasses, methane and other substances.
An important part of the Energy Transition is increasing the use of renewable energy sources, typically wind and solar, which emit zero emissions. Although renewable sources today make up less than 10% of total energy consumption in the United States, their share of the overall energy supply is rising rapidly.
Variability, however, is a critical factor hindering the widespread deployment of renewable energy sources. Because wind turbines don’t turn in calm conditions and solar panels have seasonality, can be substantially compromised on cloudy days, and do not provide power at night, these sources are not enough for long-term sustainability and reliability of the grid.
Battery storage has emerged as one solution for solving the problem of variability in renewable electricity production. Numerous battery storage projects are underway to provide long-term storage of electricity generated by renewables during ideal conditions (e.g., a bright sunny day for solar panels), so it can be supplied to the grid during peak demand.
Even considering battery storage, the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) forecasts that renewable energy will provide only 20% of total energy supply by 2050. Meaning, the Energy Transition, if it is to be successful, cannot rely completely on renewable energy.
Increasing Gas Consumption Driving Emissions Lower
Coal-fired power plants are major emitters of Greenhouse Gasses (GHG), primarily CO2. As a result, coal-fired plants are being phased out and being replaced by natural gas fired plants. Coal-to-gas switching is a major factor driving GHG emissions lower in the U.S.
EIA reports that emissions of CO2 have declined substantially, primarily because of power plants switching to natural gas away from coal fired power plants. Further, EIA expects adoption of natural gas for power generation to increase through 2050 as it displaces coal as a primary feedstock.
Whether natural gas is produced from geologic sources or captured from biogas operations or landfills, it burns cleaner than coal, making gas a vital component of a successful Energy Transition. But where will it come from?
The Howling Wolfcamp in the Permian Basin!
As we noted in our article Gas Treating – Processing Solutions for Multiple Industries, natural gas is expected to play a foundational role in meeting future energy consumption. In fact, the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) forecasts that U.S. natural gas consumption will grow by almost 25% through 2050 and maintain the second-largest market share overall.
In the EIA’s March 2022 update, the agency provided further detail on where the growth in geologic natural gas supply is expected to come from:
More than half of the growth in U.S. natural gas production will be sourced from oil formations, known as associated gas.
The largest increase in production of associated gas is in the Wolfcamp tight oil shale formation of the Permian Basin in the U.S. Southwest.
The proximity of the Permian Basin in general, and the Wolfcamp formation more specifically, to LNG export terminals on the U.S. Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana has encouraged production growth in this region.
The Permian Basin itself is the most active oil drilling region in the U.S. As of January 27, 2023, the Baker Hughes Rig Count reported 357 rigs were working in the Permian Basin, nearly half of all working rigs in the U.S. The reason is simple – the Permian is a prolific world-class oil and gas resource.
Demand for U.S. gas exports, namely liquefied natural gas (LNG), to Europe and other developed regions lacking local energy resources, is an important driver of natural gas production growth from the Permian, including the Wolfcamp and other formations in the Permian Basin. The nearby Eagle Ford Shale contributes significantly to the availability of gas for LNG exports.
The Sour Gas Treating Challenge
One of the challenges for oil and gas operators in the Permian Basin is gas treating for hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Much of the associated gas produced from the Permian Basin in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico and the Eagle Ford trend in southern Texas generally contains high levels of H2S, making it “sour.”
Since H2S presents a significant threat to infrastructure integrity, most pipelines have stringent limits for H2S concentration that require producers to treat sour gas to remove or destroy it. We provide more detail on natural gas pipeline gas specifications in our article Gas Treating – Processing Solutions for Multiple Industries.
Sour gas assets, typically located in established oil and gas producing regions equipped with infrastructure connecting them to national and international markets, have a critical role to play in meeting the nation’s energy needs and providing energy security. Gas treating solutions are required to unlock the value of these sour gas resources so they can be transported via pipeline, instead of burned or flared, which produces harmful sulfur dioxide (SO2).
In our article, Gas Sweetening, Sour Gas Treatment Strategies by Volume, we identified the three primary categories of traditional gas treating methods for removing H2S from associated gas, but they have numerous downsides, including:
Create negative downstream processing effects.
Require the use of chemicals that can be expensive and present a safety risk.
Require the disposal of contaminated media, creating environmental and safety risks.
Operational complexity, requiring frequent oversight on location and problem solving.
A Gas Treating Innovation – Liquid Redox
There is a proven, green solution for H2S gas treating not plagued by the downsides of traditional methods – Liquid Redox. The first generation of Liquid Redox enjoyed some mixed success treating H2S, but it was not reliable enough for large-scale applications. The next generation of Liquid-Redox gas treating for H2S, however, is a different story.
VALKRYIE® Liquid Redox (Reduction-Oxidation) technology from Streamline Innovations is based on new, updated chemistry and state-of-the-art process automation to reliably convert H2S into benign byproducts including elemental sulfur using chemistry (Reduction) that can be regenerated and be used again by exposure to oxygen (Oxidation).
The gas (i.e., Methane, CO2, other process gases) or air containing the H2S exits the system sweet (i.e., without H2S) and the elemental sulfur is filtered from the regenerated chemistry. The chemistry is then recirculated to perform the reaction again and the sulfur is collected in a container available for use or disposal.
The Streamline VALKYRIE H2S removal system is the next generation of Liquid Redox (Reduction-Oxidation) to cost-efficiently help oil and gas operators unlock the value of sour gas resources.
The VALKYRIE system utilizes TALON® chemistry, our non-toxic, biodegradable Redox chemistry. In combination with our advanced automation and control technology, Streamline has created “The Next Generation Redox” system.
Benefits of the VALKRYIE gas treating system:
A green solution that converts H2S into benign substances including water and elemental sulfur.
Universal application for biogas, landfill gas and oil and gas production.
Widest operating envelope of any H2S gas treating method extending across the full spectrum of pressures, flow rates and H2S concentrations.
Treating to established specifications for sales pipelines, gas lift and fuel gas.
Flexibility of placement along the production stream whether at the anaerobic digester, at a landfill, wellhead, refinery, in a direct or tail gas treating configuration.
Streamline Innovation’s vision is Eliminating Emissions Through Technology. We help industry around the world achieve environmental performance objectives, improve sustainability, and transition to a sustainable, lower-carbon future.
One of the benefits of using a Streamline Innovations VALKYRIE® H2S Treating System is the positive contribution to Environmental and Sustainability directives. Unlike like some hydrogen sulfide treatment processes that create pollution or toxic wastes, Streamline’s VALKYRIE destroys H2S, and creates elemental sulfur that can be used for soil amendment in agriculture.
Streamline’s VALKYRIE employs TALON®, a non-toxic, biodegradable Redox (“Reduction-Oxidation”) chemistry process that removes H2S from gas streams by converting it (“reduction”) to elemental sulfur and then regenerating the chemistry by introducing air (“oxidization”) so that the chemistry can repeat the treating process, over and over again. The elemental sulfur is filtered from the chemistry and is accumulated in a container that will be used to store and transport the sulfur.
The VALKYRIE® H2S Treating System doesn’t just capture H2S, it destroys it, eliminating the need to flare sour gas, which is critical for reducing routine flaring and SO2 emissions.
The infographic below aggregates the environmental sustainability benefits delivered to our customers by VALKYRIE units operating during 2022.
In 2022, the VALKYRIE fleet delivered substantial improvements in environmental performance, as compared to 2021:
42% increase in organic sulfur production
42% increase in avoided SO2 emissions
42% increase in avoided gallons of triazine waste
38% increase in avoided acid gas produced
“Leading E&P operators are using Streamline technology to unlock the value of their sour gas assets in a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly manner. The VALKYRIE Environmental Sustainability Scorecard demonstrates the quantifiable environmental benefits of our technology.”
– David Sisk, CEO
Simple Elemental Sulfur™
Streamline’s sulfur produced by the Valkyrie is listed as Simple Elemental Sulfur™ with the Organic Material Review Institute (“OMRI”) for use as fertilizer for Organic Production. OMRI certification approval standards are compliant with the USDA National Organic Program (“NOP”) regulations for organic cultivation processes. Simple Elemental Sulfur™ is a powdered, amorphous form of sulfur that can be beneficial as a soil amendment, increasing the pH of soil and improving the uptake of nitrogen.
About Streamline Innovations
Streamline Innovation’s vision is Eliminating Emissions Through Technology. We help heavy industry around the world achieve environmental performance objectives, improve sustainability, and transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy.
Streamline’s environmentally forward H2S treating solutions help achieve the “E” in ESG. H2S is present in many industrial processes throughout the world. Our technology can be applied across industries, delivering a sustainable solution that eliminates H2S, a leading cause of human inhalation accidents and source of SO2 emissions, a primary cause of acid rain. Talon treats effectively in both gas and water phases.
Streamline believes that achieving environmental sustainability directives requires data. Creating intelligent systems that operate effectively and efficiently without human intervention is critical to measuring and reducing emissions that harm the environment. We integrate advanced process control, data collection and analytics in our technologies to provide a total solution for customers.
We serve organizations in multiple sectors, including Energy/Oil & Gas, Biogas, Landfill Gas & Renewable Fuels, Municipal Wastewater and Industrial Air & Water.
Contact
Steve Bagley Director, Corporate Development Streamline Innovations, Inc.
As we noted in our blog article Gas Treating – Processing Solutions for Multiple Industries, natural gas is expected to play a critical role in fulfilling future energy needs. The U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) forecasts that natural gas consumption will keep growing through 2050, maintaining the second-largest market share overall.
Coal-to-Gas Switching Driving Emissions Reduction
One of the major factors driving the forecasted increase in natural gas consumption is coal-to-gas switching. As coal-fired power plants are phased out, natural gas fired plants are picking up the slack.
EIA reports that emissions of CO2, a primary Greenhouse Gas (GHG) have declined substantially, primarily because of power generation switching to natural gas away from coal fired power plants. Further, EIA expects adoption of natural gas for power generation to increase through 2050 as it displaces coal as a primary feedstock.
Geologic Natural Gas Still Dominant
Although Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) production is increasing quickly as we noted in our article Gas Treating Solutions for Renewable Natural Gas, the vast majority of natural gas production in the U.S. is sourced from oil and gas wells, otherwise known as geologic natural gas. The Argonne National Laboratory estimated total RNG production capacity in the U.S. at 3% of total natural gas consumption in America. That means geologic natural gas will continue play the most essential role in meeting future energy demand.
The chart below illustrates where geologic natural gas production is sourced from. Production from shale natural gas resource plays is driving the increase.
Why Does Sour Gas Need to be Treated?
The composition of geologic natural gas production varies widely between different regions in the United States. “Dry” natural gas produced from the Marcellus shale in the Northeast consists almost entirely of methane with very little contaminants and can be produced directly into commercial pipelines with very little or no treating.
In contrast, associated gas produced from the Permian Basin in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico and the Eagle Ford trend in southern Texas generally contains high levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and CO2, making it “sour.”
Because H2S presents a significant threat to infrastructure integrity, most pipelines have stringent limits on H2S concentration that require producers to treat sour gas to remove or destroy the H2S. We provide more detail on natural gas pipeline gas specifications in our article Gas Treating – Processing Solutions for Multiple Industries.
Sour gas assets, typically located in established oil and gas producing regions equipped with infrastructure connecting them to national markets, have a critical role to play in meeting the nation’s energy needs and providing energy security. Gas treating solutions are required to unlock the value of these sour gas resources and sell the energy commercially into a pipeline.
These conventional H2S treatment methods are plagued with numerous downsides, including:
Create negative downstream processing effects
Require the use of chemicals that can be expensive and present a safety risk
Require the disposal of contaminated media, creating environmental and safety risks
Operational complexity, requiring frequent oversight on location and problem solving
Gas Treating Innovation – Liquid Redox
An innovative, proven solution for H2S gas treating is the current generation of Liquid Redox. Liquid Redox has been around a while with mixed success. The Streamline Valkyrie® Liquid Redox (Reduction-Oxidation), with upgraded chemistry and automation, converts H2S into benign byproducts including elemental sulfur using chemistry (Reduction) that can be regenerated and be used again by exposure to oxygen (Oxidation).
The gas (i.e., Methane, CO2, other process gases) or air containing the H2S exits the system sweet (without H2S) and the elemental sulfur is filtered from the regenerated chemistry where the chemistry is recirculated to perform the reaction again and the sulfur is collected in a container available for reuse or disposal.
Our VALKYRIE H2S removal system uses this cost-efficient Redox (Reduction-Oxidation) process to help oil and gas operators unlock the value of sour gas resources.
The VALKYRIE system utilizes TALON® chemistry, our non-toxic, biodegradable Redox chemistry. In combination with our advanced automation and control technology, we have created “The Next Generation Redox” system.
Benefits of the VALKRYIE gas treating system:
A green solution that converts H2S into benign substances including water and elemental sulfur
Universal application for biogas, landfill gas and oil and gas production
Widest operating envelope of any H2S Treating method extending across the full spectrum of pressures, flow rates and H2S concentrations
Treating to established specifications for sales pipelines, gas lift and fuel gas
Flexibility of placement along the production stream whether at the anaerobic digester, at a landfill, wellhead, refinery, in a direct or tail gas treating configuration
We specialize in meeting the most stringent outlet specifications.
Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is poised to play an essential role in helping provide reliable energy to a growing world population while reducing emissions of methane and other substances that cause climate change.
The World Bank forecasts solid waste will increase nearly 70% by 2050, as the world population grows. Landfills are significant sources of methane emissions. An article in Science Advances describes using satellite imagery and analysis to estimate that landfills are the third largest source of methane emissions globally, trailing oil & gas systems and agriculture.
The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) notes, “Because RNG captures emissions from society’s waste streams and redeems its energy value, it has the lowest lifecycle carbon intensity (CI) of any clean energy source available today. RNG helps decarbonize energy and combats climate change.”
RNG is not just about landfills, it is potentially about all organic wastes. For example, agricultural operations are the second largest source of methane emissions. According to U.S. Dairy, there are approximately 29,000 dairy farms in the United States, supplying humans with nutrient-dense milk and other dairy products. Cows stand at the top of the dairy product stream providing the milk supply, but their manure is a significant source of methane emissions. Collecting the manure into Anaerobic Digesters and capturing the methane it produces as it breaks down creates a potentially lucrative source of biogas.
Simply put, RNG whether it is sourced from landfills or agricultural operations is a win-win for humanity and the environment.
The Problem with Selling Biogas and Landfill Gas
Biogas and landfill gas in their raw states have some of the same problems that affect geologic natural gas produced from oil and gas wells – these raw gas streams typically contain impurities at levels that often exceed pipeline specification. Most commercial pipelines have specifications for contaminants, including oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and other substances, to protect infrastructure and maintain safety.
Before biogas and landfill gas can be added to the gas grid, it must be upgraded or purified into RNG by removing carbon dioxide and other contaminants such as H2S, water, oxygen, and siloxanes to meet pipeline specifications. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is one of the most common contaminants of gas sourced from Anaerobic Digesters and Landfills, however, H2S is highly corrosive to metal pipelines, valves, and other equipment. It is critical to keep H2S out of the system to avoid the risk of a catastrophic failure.
As we noted in our article Gas Treating – Processing Solutions for Multiple Industries, The University of Texas found that the interstate pipeline specifications for H2S range between 0.25 grains per 100 cubic feet to 1.0 grains. Natural gas producers must take steps to decontaminate, purify and/or otherwise upgrade their produced gas to meet pipeline specifications.
Gas Treating for Upgrading to RNG
In our article, Gas Sweetening, Sour Gas Treatment Strategies by Volume, we identified the three primary categories of gas treating to remove H2S from landfill gas, biogas and natural gas produced from oil and gas wells:
Scavengers and Adsorbents
Catalytic reactions
Mechanical destruction or Injection into disposal wells
Conventional H2S treatment methods, including scavengers, adsorbents and catalytic reactions are plagued with a variety of downsides:
Create negative downstream processing effects
Require the use of chemicals that can be expensive and present a safety risk
Require the disposal of contaminated media, creating environmental and safety risks
Operational complexity, requiring frequent oversight on location and problem solving
In our VALKYRIE™ H2S removal system, we have commercialized a Redox (Reduction-Oxidation) process for converting H2S into elemental sulfur using chemistry (Reduction) that can be regenerated and be used again by exposure to air (Oxidation).
The gas (i.e., Methane, CO2, other process gases) containing the H2S exits the system sweet (without H2S) and the elemental sulfur is filtered from the regenerated chemistry where the chemistry is recirculated to perform the reaction again and the sulfur is collected in a container available for reuse or disposal.
The VALKYRIE system utilizes TALON® chemistry, our non-toxic, biodegradable Redox chemistry. In combination with our advanced automation and control technology, we have created “The Next Generation Redox” system.
A green solution that converts H2S into benign substances including water and elemental sulfur
Universal application for biogas, landfill gas and oil and gas production
Widest operating envelope of any H2S Treating method extending across the full spectrum of pressures, flow rates and H2S concentrations
Treating to established specifications for sales pipelines, gas lift and fuel gas
Flexibility of placement along the production stream whether at the anaerobic digester, at a landfill, wellhead, refinery, in a direct or tail gas treating configuration
100% turndown
We specialize in meeting the most stringent outlet specifications.
In an effort to strategically support the continued growth and development of green solutions for treating hydrogen sulfide (H2S), Streamline Innovations is pleased to welcome Jacob Pratt as the Senior Vice President of Sales.
Mr. Pratt joins Streamline at a time when demand for green solutions for treating H2S is rapidly increasing in both Oil & Gas and Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) markets.
Randy Rohlfs, Chief Commercial Officer with Streamline, said, “We are excited to welcome Jacob Pratt to Streamline in his new sales leadership role. His experience in sales management, systems and leadership will help scale our business development processes and improve our responsiveness to the market. In particular, his expertise in Renewable Natural Gas markets will be a strong asset to our team and uniquely positions Streamline to become the leading provider of green H2S solutions in the markets we serve.”
Streamline Innovations offers the Energy, Renewable Natural Gas, Wastewater and Industrial markets green solutions for treating H2S and odor control. Our flagship VALKYRIE® solution is a cost-effective, green technology that permanently dismantles the hydrogen sulfide molecule into harmless substances, eliminates flaring and allows customers to unlock the value of their sour gas and biogas assets in an environmentally friendly way.
Mr. Pratt has more than 16 years of professional experience in sales, sales management, gas treating and leadership. Most recently, he served as the Senior Development Director for Strategic Accounts and Virtual Pipeline Solutions at Vision RNG where he developed opportunities to help landfills reduce emissions, mitigate odors and supply the market with RNG. Prior to that, he served as the Vice President Renewable Natural Gas for Certarus Ltd. where he led development and management of the Certarus RNG platform to assist Anaerobic Digestion (AD) and Landfill projects get their RNG to market where pipeline is not an option.
Jacob Pratt, Senior Vice President of Sales, remarked, “As the RNG market continues to generate momentum and energy companies continue to seek environmentally friendly solutions to reduce emissions, I am thrilled to join the Streamline team. The company’s innovative technology offers natural gas, biogas and landfill gas producers a green solution for decontaminating and upgrading their production to meet pipeline specification, unlocking the value of sour gas assets and creating new revenue streams. The Streamline team has built a fantastic platform and I look forward to helping the company scale up aggressively.”
About Streamline Innovations
Streamline Innovations’ vision is Eliminating Emissions Through Technology. We help heavy industry around the world achieve environmental performance objectives, improve sustainability, and transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy.
Streamline’s environmentally forward H2S treating solutions help our customers achieve environmental performance by significantly reducing emissions with our green H2S solutions for gas treating and gas sweetening. H2S is present in many industrial processes throughout the world, and our technology can be applied across industries, delivering a sustainable solution that eliminates H2S, a leading cause of human inhalation accidents, corrosion and SO2 emissions, a primary cause of acid rain.
We also believe that achieving climate-improving directives requires data. Creating intelligent systems that operate effectively and efficiently without human intervention is critical to measuring and reducing emissions that harm the environment. We integrate advanced process control, data collection and analytics in our technologies to provide a total solution for customers.
We serve organizations in multiple sectors, including Energy/Oil & Gas, Biogas, Landfill Gas & Renewable Fuels, Municipal Wastewater and Industrial Air & Water.
Contact
Randy Rohlfs Chief Commercial Officer Streamline Innovations randy.rohlfs@streamlineinnovations.com
Every realistic forecast of energy demand recognizes the critical role of natural gas in fulfilling future energy needs. The U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) forecasts that natural gas consumption will keep growing through 2050, maintaining the second-largest market share overall.
In the EIA Reference case (base case charts referenced above), the industrial sector has the largest share of natural gas consumption, starting in the early 2020s, driven by greater use of natural gas as a feedstock in the chemical industries and by increased heat-and-power consumption across multiple industries.
Where Does Natural Gas Come From?
Natural gas most commonly is produced from oil and gas wells. The consistency of the produced gas varies widely in North America, based on the characteristics of the oil and gas reservoir from which it was produced. More recently, however, gas production from sources other than the oil and gas industry are becoming more prominent.
Oil and gas. “Natural gas,” as it is most commonly thought of is produced from oil and gas wells.
Biogas. Produced from agricultural operations or other sources of organic wastes using anaerobic digesters to convert waste organic materials into methane and other gasses are a growing source of “natural” gas.
Landfill gas. Landfills are often prolific sources of methane production. Landfills have long been gathering gas to prevent leakage, but more and more they are producing gas commercially.
Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). Before biogas and landfill gas can be added to the gas grid, it must be upgraded or purified into RNG by removing carbon dioxide and other contaminants t such as H2S, water, oxygen, and siloxanes to meet pipeline specifications.
Why Does Natural Gas Need to be Treated?
Natural gas produced from oil and gas wells, landfills or agricultural operations (biogas) almost always contains contaminants that must be removed before it can be sold commercially into a pipeline.
Midstream operators, namely pipeline transportation companies, have stringent specifications for natural gas quality to protect infrastructure and maintain safety. H2S is highly corrosive to metal pipelines, valves and other equipment. It is critical to keep H2S out of the system to avoid the risk of a catastrophic failure.
The University of Texas found that the pipeline specifications for H2S, for example, for interstate pipelines range between 0.25 grains per 100 cubic feet to 1.0 grains. The same study also discovered that the typical oxygen content specification ranged between 0.2% to 1.0% by volume. Natural gas producers must take steps to decontaminate, purify and/or otherwise upgrade their produced gas to meet pipeline specifications.
Gas Treating for Industry
Given the importance of natural gas to meeting future energy demand and reducing emissions of Greenhouse gasses, gas treating to remove contaminants becomes a critical problem to solve.
In our article, Gas Sweetening, Sour Gas Treatment Strategies by Volume, we covered how natural gas, biogas, and water that contain sulfur compounds or ammonia are considered “sour.” In low concentrations, these contaminants can cause maleficent odors, and in higher concentrations they can create serious hazards to both infrastructure and human health.
We identified the three primary categories of gas treating to remove H2S from landfill gas, biogas and natural gas produced from oil and gas wells:
Scavengers and Adsorbents
Catalytic reactions
Mechanical destruction or Injection
Conventional H2S treatment methods, including scavengers, adsorbents and catalytic reactions are plagued with a variety of downsides:
Create negative downstream processing effects
Require the use of chemicals that can be expensive and present a safety risk
Require the disposal of contaminated media, creating environmental and safety risks
Operational complexity, requiring frequent oversight on location and problem solving
In our VALKYRIE™ H2S removal system, we have commercialized a Redox (Reduction-Oxidation) process for converting H2S into elemental sulfur using chemistry (Reduction) that can be regenerated and be used again by exposure to oxygen (Oxidation).
The gas (i.e., Methane, CO2, other process gases) or air containing the H2S exits the system sweet (without H2S) and the elemental sulfur is filtered from the regenerated chemistry where the chemistry is recirculated to perform the reaction again and the sulfur is collected in a container available for reuse or disposal.
The VALKYRIE system utilizes TALON® chemistry, our non-toxic, biodegradable Redox chemistry. In combination with our advanced automation and control technology, we have created “The Next Generation Redox” system.
A green solution that converts H2S into benign substances including water and elemental sulfur
Universal application for biogas, landfill gas and oil and gas production
Widest operating envelope of any H2S Treating method extending across the full spectrum of pressures, flow rates and H2S concentrations
Treating to established specifications for sales pipelines, gas lift and fuel gas
Flexibility of placement along the production stream whether at the anaerobic digester, at a landfill, wellhead, refinery, in a direct or tail gas treating configuration
100% turndown
We specialize in meeting the most stringent outlet specifications.
Role of Natural Gas in Reducing Emissions
EIA reports that emissions of CO2, a primary Greenhouse Gas (GHG) have declined substantially, primarily as a result of power generation switching to natural gas away from coal fired power plants. Further, EIA expects adoption of natural gas for power generation to increase through 2050 as it displaces coal as a primary feedstock.
