Overview
Vista’s integrated engineering services on this project included a preliminary front-end engineering design (pre-FEED) to integrate flash steam generation (FSG) technology with an existing large scale in-situ heavy oil processing facility.
Project/Facility
Foster Creek is a largescale processing facility that uses in-situ steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) technology to extract bitumen.
Situation
The Alberta oilsands industry is always looking for new ways to reduce operating costs and improve environmental performance.
Seeking to do just that, Cenovus partnered with an industrial technology startup to help develop an FSG pilot project.
The client needed an experienced engineering consultant to oversee the implementation.
Solution
Vista was hired to complete a pre-FEED level design of how to implement the FSG module at a commercial steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) facility. The current project plan calls for the FSG module to produce 8,300 kg of steam per hour. While this project is still in development, when compared to conventional steam generation and water treatment methods, the projected benefits of this FSG technology include:
- up to 14% GHG emissions reduction
- up to 20% reduction in capital expenditures
- up to 15% reduction in operating expenditures
- up to 95% water recycling
Outcomes
Vista was able to assign a highly-effective multi-disciplinary team of SAGD engineering specialists. The team had many years of combined experience working on several expansion phases at this in-situ heavy oil processing facility.
Given Vista’s familiarity with the client and the facility, the team was able to efficiently deliver a quality fit-for-purpose pre-FEED. As the full-scale FSG unit uses a modular concept, Vista’s leading modularization optimization experience also played an important role in developing this pre-FEED.
Flash Steam Generation Equipment & Technology
FSG is an alternative steam generation method for in-situ SAGD oil recovery. The technology essentially generates steam without water could possibly eliminate the need for water treatment at SAGD facilities. The FSG technology is patented by FSG Technologies and includes:
- a modular design concept
- natural gas heating units
- centrifugal pumps
- multiple-path heat exchangers
- economizer and air pre-heater
Engineering Applications
The technical knowledge and engineering capabilities demonstrated on this project apply in many other industrial processing markets.
