GE’s Jenbacher engines help Russian O&G producer meet environmental goals

Benefiting from GE Energy’s experience providing high-level technology solutions for other customers in the Russian flare gas segment, Monolit has established a project that will use GE’s Jenbacher gas engines to reduce its emissions by using previously wasted gas to operate a Western Siberian production facility.

Jenbacher gas engines at Monolit site in Shapinskoe II

By utilizing the APG from nearby drilling fields at Shapinskoe for onsite power generation, Monolit can avoid the need to transport diesel fuel over long distances, thus delivering additional significant environmental benefits. By supplying the APG, Monolit is able to make use of a reliable electric power supply, eliminate flaring, while maintaining control of and access to a cost-saving, in-house gas treatment plant operation.  According to Monolit, using APG for onsite power generation will help the company save an approximate total of 536,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent at the gas processing facility and gas engine plant each year.

GE has supplied twelve Jenbacher units that will generate more than 15 MW of power to support production activities at the Monolit site in Shapinskoe, 150 kilometers southeast of Khanti-Mansiysk in the Western Siberian lowlands. The waste gas, or associated petroleum gas (APG), will be separated into liquefied natural gas and other easily transported gases, including propane, butane, and ethane.

Monolit will use the APG to fuel GE's containerized Jenbacher engines-the first time GE has installed its APG-standardized, Type 4, engine version. Each Jenbacher unit features a low-compression ratio that guarantees maximum output, as well as a specific engine management system and remote engine diagnostics to ensure high engine availability levels-even with varying gas compositions. The modular design of GE's containerized engines also enables them to be relocated to other sites when APG volume decreases.

Monolit's gas engine order was arranged by Max Motors, one of GE's authorized distributors for Jenbacher gas engines in Russia. The project's units were installed during the second half of 2009, and commercial operation will begin in the early 2010.

Monolit's CEO Andrey Nepomnyashchiy has noted that GE's containerized Jenbacher gas engines are able to withstand Russia's harsh climate conditions, making them ideally suited for the oil and gas industry's onsite power requirements in Western Siberia.

In 2008, Monolit's flare gas reduction initiative received first prize in an ecological project contest sponsored by the Russian Federation.

Monolit has chosen GE's Jenbacher engines to help reduce emissions and eliminate waste gas flaring. GE's success with this and other oil and gas companies in Russia is a demonstration of our commitment to tailor our products and solutions to meet the needs of customers in this region.

As the Russian government works to reduce flaring waste gas from 45 percent to 5 percent by 2014, GE wants to help customers meet the unique requirements of the Russian oil & gas industry by helping them comply with environmental regulations and by offering optimal cost predictability.

GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engine business is a leading manufacturer of gas-fueled reciprocating engines, packaged generator sets and cogeneration units for power generation. GE's gas engine technology covers an output range of 0.25 to 4 MW and can operate on a broad variety of gases, while offering high levels of efficiency, durability, and reliability.