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The management of fuel gas consumption during shutdowns at Booster Gas Compressor Plants( GCP) represents a significant, yet often overlooked, opportunity for efficiency improvements and greenhouse gas emission reduction in upstream hydrocarbon production facilities.
By Farid Bellahdid & Abdulwahab S. Subae,
Saudi Aramco
Fuel gas optimisation during booster gas compressor plant shutdown
Conventional shutdown procedures typically maintain gas turbine drivers in hot standby mode, sustaining continuous minimum fuel gas flow to preserve restart readiness. While operationally convenient, this practice contributes to unnecessary fuel wastage, elevated CO2 emissions, and increased operational expenditure. This case study from a major upstream production facility in Saudi Arabia demonstrates that the complete closure of main fuel gas supply valves during GCP shutdown events- while retaining only the pilot valve system for safety assurance- yields measurable reductions in standby fuel gas consumption and associated emissions.
Reducing carbon footprint
The global energy industry faces mounting pressure to reduce its carbon footprint while maintaining operational reliability and economic competitiveness. In upstream oil and gas operations, fuel gas is consumed by gas turbine drivers that power compressors, pumps, and auxiliary equipment. A portion of this consumption occurs during non-productive periods- specifically, when equipment is held on standby during planned maintenance, operational upsets, or scheduled shutdowns. This standby fuel gas burn, though continuous and often sustained over extended periods, has historically received limited engineering attention relative to process-phase consumption optimisation. Gas Compressor Plants( GCP) play a critical role in maintaining pipeline pressure and enabling efficient gas distribution to the customers. Their associated turbine drivers require a continuous minimum fuel supply when maintained in hot standby mode, ready to start at any time, generating unnecessary hydrocarbon combustion with no productive energy output. The cumulative effect of standby fuel consumption across multiple GCP units, over multiple annual shutdown events, represents a non-trivial source of GHG emissions and direct fuel cost. An innovative approach was implemented at a GCP facility within the Central Area Pipeline Department( CAPD) of Saudi Aramco’ s Eastern Province operations. By modifying the shutdown logic to fully close main fuel gas supply valves while retaining pilot valve functionality for safety, the initiative eliminates standby combustion without compromising operational readiness or safety integrity.