Capstone receives order for microturbines from Russian oil firm Tatneft
Capstone Turbine Corp. said it received another follow-on order from the oil and gas industry for its microturbines. The new order is for C600 and C800 power packages from Tatneft, one of the largest Russian oil companies.
The 600 and 800 kilowatt microturbines will be installed at two prominent oil fields in Russia and will replace a portion of grid electricity currently powering infrastructure at the Tatneft sites, the company said.
Tatneft selected Capstone turbines for their high reliability in remote locations and for decreased energy costs, Capstone officials said.
In addition, the microturbines will help the company meet its goal to use 95% of associated gas produced from its oil wells for power generation by 2012.
This could help Tatneft comply with a Russian government resolution for oil and gas producers to decrease air pollution from gas flaring sources.
Capstone distributor BPC Engineering in Moscow secured the follow-on order and will supply and commission the microturbines, the company said.
When commissioned in December, the C600, fueled by associated petroleum gas, will operate alongside three existing C65s to supplement grid electricity that provides power to Tatneft's OAO Tatoilgaz site in the Urmyshla oil field.
The C600 and C65 microturbines will operate in grid-connect mode, which will significantly limit the site's grid reliance.
BPC Engineering will also install and commission the associated petroleum-gas fueled, stand-alone C800 in December at Tatneft's ZAO Tatex site in the Onbiyskoye oil field.
Associated gas at oil fields throughout Russia contains high amounts of hydrogen sulfides – 4% at the Urmyshla oil field and 2.5% at Onbiyskoye.
Because Capstone microturbines can run on wet gas and tolerate gas with hydrogen sulfide content up to 7%, Tatneft will use associated gas directly from the separator to fuel the microturbines, which reduces operating costs and avoids costly gas treatment systems.
"We estimate generation of power with Capstone microturbines to be three times cheaper than the existing tariff associated with the grid utility," said Alexander Skorokhodov, BPC Engineering CEO. "This will significantly reduce electricity costs and help Tatneft avoid emission penalties.”
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