Green Well Renewable Power

Potential Linear Power Technology Applications
Linear Power technology is designed around simplicity and efficiency. The most basic explanation is that it simply harnesses any form of kinetic energy and very efficiently converts it into electricity. While this is no different than any engine or generator that exists today, the Linear Driver differs in that it requires no combustion, does not interrupt or interfere with the flow of the power fluid, and produces absolutely no emissions.

The most important aspect in understanding the potential applications for Linear Power technology is that it is all about capturing Kinetic Energy. All particles that move have it. So where can it be harnessed without burning a fuel inside a cylinder (which just creates it) or interrupting a process that is otherwise intentional?

There are a few examples that are already in use. Typical geothermal electrical generation harnesses the kinetic energy of high pressure steam as it flows out of the ground. A hydro-electric plant harnesses the kinetic energy of falling water. Neither of these requires combustion or produces a single pound of CO2 emission. However, it can be called into question whether these technologies do a good job of harnessing that energy. It can also be pointed out that while both are admirable technologies, they are expensive, intrusive, and built solely for one purpose and one medium. Herein lays the advantage that the Linear Driver has in today’s energy hungry market.

The following are a few short and simplified examples of applications for the Linear Driver Technology. There are details and caveats to each one that require a certain amount of customization. This does not represent a full explanation of any of these potential applications, but only a summary of them.

Naturally Flowing Natural Gas Wells
This is the simplest and most obvious of the applications. It also has a potentially enormous market that is attractive to today’s oil & gas producers, who spend a tremendous amount of money on electricity for production purposes.

Most natural gas wells are choked at the wellhead for reasons beyond the scope of this article. Flowing wellhead pressures can range from a low as 15psi up to 10,000psi or more. Rarely is the pressure at the wellhead the same as that of the gas gathering system. This is where a change in pressure presents an opportunity for non-invasive, non-combustive capture of kinetic energy.

For example, a typical Barnett Shale gas well may have a flowing wellhead pressure of 1750psi while producing 1,200mcf of gas per day. This pressure is read right at the wellhead by a pressure gauge behind the choke. On the other side of the choke, the gas is being sold into a gathering line that is maintained at 750psi by gas compressors (often electrical) that are responsible for pushing all of the gas in the area into a large high pressure system for processing and distribution. The result is a 1000psi differential at 1200mcfpd that can be harnessed and turned into electricity

The installation of Linear Power Technology at the wellhead can be completely un-invasive and have absolutely no adverse impact on production. The Linear Driver would, in effect, become he choke for the well, maintaining the operator’s desired pressure on the wellhead while allowing the pressure drop on the exhaust side of the driver into the gathering line. This can be plumbed in with a bypass, should the Linear Driver require maintenance or ever pose a problem, then the gas can simply be produced as it had before the installation of the Linear Driver.

Enhanced Oil Recovery Fields
It is a recognized fact that most oil reservoirs are only capable of producing between 15% - 30% of the actual oil in place in primary production. This is mainly due to the depletion of reservoir pressure (amongst other factors) as oil, gas, and water are removed from the reservoir. Enhanced Oil Recovery, often referred to as Secondary or Tertiary recovery, is becoming more popular with the increasing demand for hydrocarbons and the subsequent price increase.

Originally, the most popular method of secondary recovery was re-injecting the formation with water and having the water “sweep” the hydrocarbons to the production wells. However, injection of gases like air, nitrogen, and CO2 are becoming increasingly popular as they have proven to be more effective in moving the oil, amongst other advantages. The use of these gases re-pressurizes the formation and moves the oil to the production wells.

As the injected gas is produced along with the oil, the opportunity exists to capture the kinetic energy of this gas in a similar manner as it is done with a natural flowing gas well. In the case of injected Air or Nitrogen, the gas can be vented to the atmosphere without harm, therefore providing a full pressure differential between well pressure and atmospheric.

The volumes of injected gas are large enough to make this application a substantial electrical generator. For example, the average 100-well flood project takes about 25MW worth of electricity for compression and produces and re-injects over 50,000mcf of injected gas daily at producing flow rates between 800-1200psi. The gathering line for the injected gas generally runs about 500psi, providing a pressure differential of 300-700psi at extremely large volumes. The large volumes and respectable pressure differential in this application provide the opportunity for substantial electrical generation above that used for compression by the operators. Therefore, this opportunity would be welcomed by the oil companies that implement these types of operations, as Linear Power Technology could eliminate the related electrical cost while selling excess electricity into the power lines.

Build-Own-Operate Re-Completions
This application provides the largest potential market and likely the most potential profit margin for Linear Power technology. By integrating oilfield knowledge and experience into the Linear Power organization, it is possible to re-complete almost any well that has even been drilled and convert it into an electrical generator using Linear Power technology.

It should be understood that oil & gas wells deplete over time and are eventually plugged by their respective operators. The most common plugging process consists of placing cement “plugs” in the well at various depths as required by that state’s regulatory commission. In most cases, the operator does not remove the steel casing in the well. It should also be understood that there have literally been millions of wells drilled in the United States alone over the last 100 years.

“About 1.5 million oil wells have been drilled in Texas, yet less than a third of them have been plugged.” – Texas Center for Policy Studies

Additionally, it is also recognized that almost every one of these wellbores contains potential access to a brine water reservoir capable of producing large volumes of hot brine water. While temperature gradients vary geographically and geologically, a simple rule of thumb is about 20 degrees F for every 1,000’, starting at 80 degrees at the surface. For example, a South Texas well that is 5,000’ could access a brine water zone that could provide 180 degree F water.

This heat energy is available in almost every wellbore in the country and can be converted to kinetic energy with the simple injection of CO2 into the well. This is due to the particular properties of CO2. While the specifics are beyond the scope of this article, it should be understood that CO2 expands much more rapidly than most other gases when exposed to heat. Further evidence and discussion of this phenomenon can be provided on request.

In order to demonstrate this opportunity, please examine the following example. A 5,000’ well is perforated in a brine reservoir, providing 180 degree brine. CO2 is injected down tubing installed inside the steel casing of the well. The CO2 flows up from the bottom of the tubing, into the space between the tubing and the casing, contacting the hot water. This heat exchange causes the CO2 to expand rapidly, creating enormous pressure in the well. If the injected CO2 were at an ambient temperature of 85 degrees F when injected, the resulting pressure change for a full heat exchange would provide over 1400psi to run through the Linear Driver.

This “Circulation Model” is limited only by the volume of water that the well can provide. As the Linear Driver output is a ratio of pressure and volume, the volume of expanded CO2 can be increased or decreased to meet the brine inflow that the well provides to maximize power output. Please note that recompression of the CO2 for re-injection is a minor parasitic load compared to the potential output of the Linear Driver.

This is not a claim at perpetual motion or power production! This model very closely resembles a Stirling Heat Engine, only using the wellbore as the heat exchanger. In this case, it is the heat energy of the earth, as provided by the hot brine water and the transfer of its heat to the CO2, which provides the continuous energy.

Pressure Letdown Stations
Natural gas is used all over the Americas for power generation, as well as for individual home heating, kitchen appliances, etc. This natural gas is in scattered concentrations and therefore must be distributed by an extremely large integrated system of pipelines that cross the entire continent. Moving natural gas across the continent requires large pipelines, high pressures, and incredible amounts of compression power. The nature of this system provides some potentially large opportunities for Linear Power technology.

Pressure letdown stations are facilities where gas is siphoned from a higher pressure distribution pipeline and distributed via a lower pressure line. The pressure differential across the valve(s) controlling this transfer presents an enormous opportunity to capture kinetic energy. These stations are in operation all over the existing pipeline infrastructure. The companies that operate these pipelines and transfer facilities would jump at the chance to buy cheaper, baseline, abundant electricity to help offset the enormous compression costs involved in moving these volumes of gas.

CO2 Dome Production
As mentioned previously in the discussion of Enhanced Oil Recovery, many companies are using CO2 as an injection fluid for re-pressurizing depleted oil reservoirs. While there are now many incentives for capturing waste CO2 from power production facilities and other industrial waste sources, many of these EOR operators are also producing CO2 from natural underground reservoirs, similar to a natural gas well.

Natural CO2 reservoirs are often called CO2 domes as the geological characteristics of the formation that contains this gas are often dome-shaped. CO2 dome production is currently underway in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The two largest companies in this industry, Kinder Morgan and Denbury Resources, are both building distribution pipelines hundreds of miles across the country in order to feed their EOR projects.

These CO2 domes produce large volumes at extremely high pressure and often do not require compression for long distances, as it carries enough of its own kinetic energy to travel. A single CO2 production well can produce over 100,000mcf of CO2 daily at pressures over 5,000psi!

The application here is very similar, if not identical, to that of a naturally flowing gas well. Similarly, there is the opportunity for Linear Power Technology to follow these distribution lines from their production well to their letdown stations, and all the way to the EOR field, with the opportunity to produce power at every site.

Nitrogen Production
Similar in nature to a CO2 dome, there are many locations across the continent that produce naturally pressured Nitrogen. While many of these locations are known, it is not often that they are produced, as Nitrogen is not a valuable commodity. However, tapping the existing wells that are abandoned or plugged presents a simple opportunity for power production from the kinetic energy of the flowing Nitrogen.

Traditional Geothermal
Even a traditional geothermal well presents an opportunity for Linear Power technology. The concept is identical to that of a flowing Natural Gas, CO2, or Nitrogen well, in that there is no combustion of the gas, only the capture of the kinetic energy available in the pressure differential. A flash steam plant works in the same way, only Linear Power technology can provide more power at a remarkably lower cost.

Summary
There are many other potential applications and extensions for this technology. The success of this technology will present further opportunities such as hydrogen generation and synthetic fuel production, both of which are currently too expensive for economical mass production, largely due to their energy intensive production processes.

The market potential for this technology is astounding. The applications listed here alone present the opportunity to provide economical baseline power for a much larger portion of the energy market than has ever been predicted by the experts in the field of geothermal energy. A full grasp of the potential size of that market share is difficult to ascertain at this point in the development. Regardless, the numbers involved are astronomical.

The Linear Power technology itself is simple in design and nature, yet genius and unprecedented in its application. Best of all, it can be implemented easily, inexpensively, and can withstand the inevitable environmental abuse and changes in flow-rate and pressure that are a part of the natural world, all with little or no change in major parts or equipment or interruption of service. The Linear Power technology makes energy relatively inexpensive and surprisingly abundant, renewable, and clean