Technology Assessment of Alternatives for Handling Associated Gas Produced from Deepwater Oil Developments in the GOM

摘要

A technical assessment of options for transporting associated gas produced from deepwater oil developments in the Gulf of Mexico has been completed. The options considered included gas pipeline and several processes that convert the gas to another state or product for transport by a vessel to shore. The processes studied included Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), and Gas-To-Liquid (GTL). The purpose of this assessment was to: To generate consistent or analogous information on the various systems, To treat all systems in a uniform and consistent manner, but Not to attempt to determine which system is best. Best in a project sense will depend on project-specific factors and operator-specific drivers and opportunities both technical and economic. The results of this study provide information that will be useful to the MMS in assessing gas transportation options that might be proposed for deepwater development projects in the Gulf of Mexico during the next decade. The study also provides information that is useful for studies pertaining to alternative systems for deepwater oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico.