Capstone Turbine Corporation Announces First Commercial Oilfield Installation; Microturbines to Convert Polluting Flare Gas into Clean, Usable Energy.WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 1999-- Capstone Turbine Capstone Turbine Corporation NASDAQ: CPST, incorporated in 1988, is a California based gas turbine manufacturer that specializes in microturbine power and heat cogeneration systems. Capstone has sold and shipped more than 3,000 of these one-moving-part systems worldwide. Corporation, developer and manufacturer of the first commercial microturbine power generator for the distributed energy market, today announced that it has installed and commissioned its first MicroTurbine units for commercial use in the petroleum industry. Two Capstone MicroTurbines(TM) are being used to reduce the amount of flare gas produced at Fletcher Challenge's Consort, Alberta Consort is a village in eastern Alberta, Canada, located about equidistant between Edmonton, Calgary, and Regina. It lies on the crossroads of Highways 12 and 41, about km ( mi) west from the Saskatchewan border. oil battery. This announcement follows Capstone's successful conclusion of sour gas Sour gas is natural gas or any other gas mixture which contains significant amounts of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). According to this reference [1], natural gas is usually considered sour if there are more than 5. testing in Hayter, Alberta. (See "Capstone Turbine Corporation Announces Successful Sour Gas Testing," August 26, 1999.) The clean-burning Capstone MicroTurbine units operating at Fletcher's oil battery are not only reducing flare gas volumes, but are converting the gas to clean energy for use in oilfield operations. The system is operating on nearly 2.0% sour gas. "By providing the first small-scale solution for reducing flare gas, Capstone will be instrumental on several fronts," said Dr. Ake Almgren, Capstone's president and chief executive officer. "First, by reducing harmful gases that are normally flared flare v. flared, flar·ing, flares v.intr. 1. To flame up with a bright, wavering light. 2. To burst into intense, sudden flame. 3. a. and emitted into the atmosphere, we will help solve an environmental problem that has created public concern in Alberta, the fifth largest oil-producing region in the world. Second, by capturing and converting this otherwise wasted gas to useable power, we are supplying producers and processors with "free" fuel to use in everyday operations, fulfilling energy needs and lowering operating expenses Operating expenses The amount paid for asset maintenance or the cost of doing business, excluding depreciation. Earnings are distributed after operating expenses are deducted. . Capstone is also creating new opportunities for oil and gas producers. When used independently of the electric utility grid as "stand-alone" power generators, Capstone MicroTurbines allow companies to operate oil and gas wells in remote locations without the expense and time required to install transmission and distribution equipment. The Flare Gas Problem Drilling for oil and gas produces associated gas. At smaller oil production sites or in oil and gas "batteries" - the segment of the petroleum recovery chain closer to wellheads - the associated gas is often burned, or "flared," which can cause environmental pollution. "Sour" gas, which contains a high percentage of hydrogen sulfide hydrogen sulfide, chemical compound, H2S, a colorless, extremely poisonous gas that has a very disagreeable odor, much like that of rotten eggs. It is slightly soluble in water and is soluble in carbon disulfide. , can create especially caustic caustic, any strongly corrosive chemical substance, especially one that attacks organic matter. A caustic alkali is a metal hydroxide, especially that of an alkali metal; caustic soda is sodium hydroxide, and caustic potash is potassium hydroxide. and harmful emissions. Until the introduction of MicroTurbines, there has been no small-scale technology available to deal with these flare gas emissions economically. In Alberta, faced with possible government-mandated emission reductions and increasing public concern, oilfield operators are seeking new, cost-effective ways to manage the problem. "We have just finished a successful test of the Capstone MicroTurbine's ability to burn sour gas," said Bob Taylor, spokesperson for Hal Kvisle, president of Fletcher Challenge Energy Canada. "We are now moving from proof of concept to actual operation at our Consort facility. The technology offers us an efficient, environmentally sound way to deal with waste gas and, in the process, generate electricity for our own use." "This resource recovery application is an excellent use of our clean, innovative microturbine technology," said Dr. Almgren. "The problem of flare gas is truly international -- from Alberta, where the government has gone so far as shutting down oil wells to prevent flare gas emissions -- to other oil producing regions, such as South America South America, fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. and Russia. We think the MicroTurbine can make a significant difference." About Capstone Corporation Located in Woodland Hills, California, Capstone Turbine Corporation is a leading developer of low-emission, compact power generating systems. The Capstone MicroTurbine(TM) is an adaptable clean power alternative for stationary power and vehicular markets. Capstone's compact power generator provides environmentally friendly Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.[1] options for remote power, distributed power, combined heat and power, resource recovery, load management, stand-alone power, standby power Standby power, also called Vampire power, refers to the electric power consumed by electronic appliances in a standby mode. A very common "electricity vampire" is a power adaptor built on a plug with no power switch. and hybrid electric vehicles A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a vehicle which combines a conventional propulsion system with an on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) to achieve better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle without being hampered by range from a charging unit like an . Company information may be found at www.capstoneturbine.com. |
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