cross reference on insitu gasification from oil drum http://www.theoildrum.com/story/2006/3/5/010/09681 On Feb 14, 2011, at 10:54 AM, Henri Naths wrote:
> > Dear list and all > I believe there some techincal issues involved with this gasification > process. All comments are appreciated. > Thanks > Henri > > > $1.5 Billion Swan Hills Synfuels Project > was announced by the Alberta Government. This project will manufacture > clean synthetic gas from > deep coal deposits to fuel a new 300 Megawatt Power Plant to be built at > Whitecourt. This transformative project > is a whole new way to generate clean electricity, using Alberta's vast, deep > stranded coal reserves. > Whitecourt will have the Province's first clean power source ! > In July 2010 Town Council approved the next 20 acre Phase of the Hilltop > Industrial area. Infrastructure work will commence immediately in order to > have lots available for early spring 2011 to support the growth form the > above project. In addition Pembina Pipelines announced the final approval of > their NIPISI & MITSUE pipeline projects in the Judy Creek area. They are > expected to provide 1,000 short term construction jobs. > > In situ coal is converted into a gas by piping saline water and pure oxygen > down an injection well. > The resulting combustion, plus the steam created by it, converts the coal > into gas that flows up a production well to a surface gas-separation plant. > > The project will drill about 20 pairs of injection and production wells. > > “The gas is taken to a plant where the CO2 is removed,” said Shaigec. > (managing director for Swanhills Synfuels ) > > “We then have finished syngas, that is dispatched to a pipeline and then to > the generator.” > > This low-carbon gas will be used to fuel a new 300 MW power plant to be built > near Whitecourt, Alberta. > > Gasification History > > Gasification was first developed in the 1800s and has been used commercially > throughout the world for more than 100 years. A variety of industries have > utilized the technology including chemical production, fertilizer > manufacturing, and electrical power generation. Today, the majority of the > operating gasification plants worldwide are surface gasification plants > designed to produce chemicals, fuels, electricity, and fertilizers. > > Gasification Market > > As of 2008, there were 420 gasifiers at 140 facilities in operation globally, > the majority of these being surface gasification plants (source – GTC). World > gasification capacity is projected to grow by more than 70% by 2015 with much > of the growth occurring in Asia (source – GTC). A number of factors > contribute to a growing interest in gasification, including volatile oil and > natural gas prices, more stringent environmental regulations, and a growing > consensus that CO2 management should be required in power generation and > energy production. > > How does Gasification work? > > Feedstock (for ISCG it is deep coal) is exposed to high temperature and high > pressure. In the presence of steam at these conditions a series of chemical > reactions occur which convert the feedstock into syngas. > > In the case of ISCG, this chemical conversion of the deep coal happens in > place in its original seam. The resultant syngas created consists primarily > of hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. > > To create this chemical conversion, two wells are drilled into the deep coal > seam. A horizontal injection well is used to introduce oxygen and water into > the seam; the oxygen supports a limited and controlled amount of combustion, > raising the temperature of the coal and boiling the water to generate steam. > > The naturally existing deep underground pressure, along with the elevated > coal temperature and the presence of steam, together form the right > conditions to gasify the coal. The vertical production well is used to > conduct the raw syngas to the surface. Char and ash, which are remnants of > the original coal, remain deep underground. > > Figure 1. ISCG Well Pair Schematic > > > The coal seam for ISCG development at the Swan Hills Synfuels site is 1400 m > beneath the surface, approximately 800 m below the Base of Groundwater > Protection (depth limit of fresh groundwater – below this depth, groundwater > is saline), eliminating potential for fresh groundwater contamination. Saline > water is used for injection into the coal seam through the horizontal well, > virtually eliminating the need for fresh water in the ISCG process. > > _______________________________________________ > Gasification mailing list > > to Send a Message to the list, use the email address > [email protected] > > to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page > http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/gasification_lists.bioenergylists.org > > for more Gasifiers, News and Information see our web site: > http://gasifiers.bioenergylists.org/
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