LNG for Exploration & Production - Frac Operations - Case Study

Stabilis provided the very first LNG and equipment solution for oil & gas frac operations in 2013 working with a major, integrated oil company in the Eagle Ford shale basin. Stabilis has experience supplying vaporized LNG to a 100% gas-powered turbine frac solution, as well as supplying more conventional pressure-pumping units powered by dual fuel reciprocating engines. Since 2013, we have supplied LNG and turnkey services to more than 10 different frac crews across North America without incident and with 100% LNG on-time supply performance and equipment on-stream factors in excess of 99.8%.

Challenge:

Stabilis custom-designed the first packaged LNG solution for fracturing operations, consisting of an LNG ISO container paired with a gas-fired, water/glycol bath vaporizer. The first two systems were deployed to a large Midcon operator in early 2014. A third unit was deployed in mid-2014 to the subject operator’s D-J operations. The systems are self-powered and require no external utilities. Initial operations on all three (3) of the units were smooth, reliable and without incident. These systems are also deployed in high-flow pipeline applications.

STABILIS Solution:

Stabilis provided a turnkey LNG solution to meet the peak demand needs of the utility. The equipment solution supplied 5,400 dth of LNG storage (approximately 1.5 days of storage at peak demand) and a gas-fired vaporizer solution capable of 280,000 scfh of natural gas supply. Stabilis provided the equipment, labor, and LNG supply to meet the on demand peak needs of the utility. The system operated from November to March during periods of peak demand. Stabilis and the utility worked closely on a weekly basis to ensure the system was dispatched according to the weather forecast. The mobile temporary solution provided a flexible source of natural gas supply to help the utility balance its supply portfolio and to meet the needs of its growing customer base.

Results:

During those periods that these systems have historically been required to supply gas, they have been on stream in excess of 99.9% of the time. As frac services providers move to all-gas, all-electric frac solutions, LNG will play an even more critical role to supply very large volumes of gas until field gas solutions are in place, and then provide critical back-up and complimentary blended fuel solutions longer term.