Using its oxy-fuel combustion technology, TriGen Energy is on a mission to produce ‘blue barrels’ to help oil and gas producers transition towards net-zero emissions.
In the oil industry, a barrel of oil is denoted by the unit ‘BBL’, representing 42 gallons or roughly 159 litres. The term BBL dates back to the 1860s when oil was transported in various containers, including beer, fish, and molasses barrels. By the 1870s, the 42-gallon wooden barrel became the standard, allowing for evaporation and leakage during transport. Standard Oil further solidified this standard by producing blue 42-gallon barrels for petroleum, giving rise to the term BBL.
Just as ‘blue hydrogen’ refers to hydrogen produced via steam reforming of natural gas with CO2 capture, we might envision ‘blue barrels’ of oil – oil whose equivalent CO2 emissions are ‘pre-captured’ during production. This concept could eliminate the need for additional, distributed CO2 capture in downstream processes, enabling zero-emission products for consumers.
TriGen Energy’s oxy-fuel combustion technology makes producing ‘blue barrels’ technically and commercially viable. This approach offers a transitional pathway for oil and gas producers to move towards net-zero emissions.
How TriGen Energy’s technology works
In oxy-fuel combustion, fuel – typically natural gas – is burned with pure oxygen, generating CO2, water, and heat. The heat can be converted into power, while the CO2 can be sequestered in gas fields or utilised in CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR). In CO2-EOR, most of the CO2 is stored in the oil reservoir, with the remaining CO2 either used in other EOR schemes or injected back into the original gas reservoir.
This process allows companies to assign captured CO2 to various products, effectively rendering them ‘clean’. Options include selling carbon credits, producing and selling ‘clean power’, or assigning certified CO2 volumes to oil production, thus creating ‘blue barrels’.
Benefits for oil and gas companies
The TriGen oxy-fuel solution offers oil and gas companies flexibility in navigating the transition to net zero, providing cost-effective options for their mid- and downstream clients. Critical to this approach is the independent verification and certification of CO2 volumes, enabling tokenisation and product assignment from source to end-customer.
Reducing scope 3 emissions, which account for over 80% of total emissions, is a significant challenge for oil and gas companies. The oxy-fuel route helps manage this by ensuring that CO2 produced from oil or gas is stored in the original reservoirs, allowing companies to monetise their reserves through clean power.
Aligning with emerging regulations
Another advantage of the oxy-fuel pathway is its alignment with the Carbon Take-Back Obligation (CTBO). This regulatory concept requires fossil fuel producers to offset carbon emissions by storing an equivalent amount of CO2 underground. Oxy-fuel solutions allow oil companies to meet these requirements more effectively, capturing greater value in the energy chain.
For oil and gas companies looking to decarbonise production and conversion, TriGen Energy offers the expertise and technology needed to make ‘blue barrels’ a reality.
Please note, this article will also appear in the 19th edition of our quarterly publication.
