Saudi Aramco: The Future of Oil and Gas - GineersNow Petroleum Saudi Aramco, The Future of Oil & Gas Industry | Page 21

Spotlight: In-field Power
Generation Technologies
But while the Asia-Pacific oil & gas sector is
gradually picking up the pace, the industry
players remain cautious about the volatile
prices, the challenges of exploration and
production in harsh remote areas and other
environmental and technological concerns. With
this in mind, oil & gas operators are constantly
in search of ways to enhance long-term
production, control operational expenditure
and minimize the environmental impact of their
operations.
One aspect that industry players aim to
optimize is in-field power generation,
considered the life-blood of oil & gas operation.
Temporary power plants can prove to be a
viable power generation option for oil & gas
operations. Turning to rental power solutions
can spare new and mature oil & gas companies
alike from making a huge investment in
permanent power facilities amidst this uncertain
economic climate. Opting to rent power plants
will not require a substantial capital investment,
and the power produced can be easily paid
from operational revenues. Because rental
power plants are completely scalable, they can
support the energy requirements of various
processes of oil & gas operations of any size.
Temporary power plants can be transported
from and to virtually anywhere in the world,
even in extremely remote areas where new oil &
gas facilities are being established. Equipment
comprising rental power stations are enclosed
in industry-grade containers so they are suitable
for safe and reliable operation even in the
harshest environments. They are modular so
they can be laid out and installed in various
configurations even in the limited spaces
available in oil & gas facilities.
At present, many oil & gas facilities are realizing
the economic and environmental advantages
of using natural gas to provide power for
its operations. While oilfield equipment is
traditionally powered by diesel generators,
natural gas generators are progressively gaining
utilization in oil & gas operations. Its growth
within the industry is largely spurred by the
development of modern power generation
solutions capable of running on-site natural gas,
the increase in unconventional gas resources
and the strict implementation of emission
regulations in many countries around the world.
What Lies Ahead
The Asia-Pacific is expecting continued
economic growth of 7.3% in the coming years.
What this means is that the region’s energy
demand will proportionally increase. This,
in addition to the modest recovery in crude
prices, drives the expansion of the oil and gas
market in the Asia-Pacific. But while national
and international oil & gas players are excitedly
looking to ride this new growth wave, they
remain optimistically cautious of the industry’s
prospects. Having said this, they remain on the
look-out for innovations and technologies that
can enhance their productivity and mitigate any
associated risks.
Oil & Gas Leaders • April 2017 19