MODELING OF FLARE GAS UTILIZATION TECHNOLOGY AT OIL AND GAS REFINERIES USING RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

Each hydrocarbon fraction obtained from crude oil and produced at an oil and gas refinery is further transformed into other hydrocarbon components to produce marketable products. However, as the market demand is satisfied and the consumption/use of hydrocarbon fuels is growing, the environmental damage caused by flaring of substandard hydrocarbons with the formation of various combustion products (including greenhouse gases) is also increasing. Due to the anthropogenic impact on the environment, greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere are increasing every year, despite the tightening of environmental requirements, regulations and legislation, since by-products are produced at any production facilities, even if they are fully debugged in operation. Any technological processes used at oil and gas refineries in the world are not initially adapted to work with substandard flare gases, as they are designed to use a specific composition and volume of the required hydrocarbon feedstock, and the main tasks of all existing plants today are to produce products with the highest possible quality and low production of by-products. A new plant has been modeled that is capable of using substandard hydrocarbon gases from an oil and gas refinery as feedstock and returning the resulting products to the production cycle. The plant is powered by renewable energy sources, namely wind turbines, which allows the plant to achieve full carbon neutrality. Rational allocation of resources at oil and gas refineries provides environmental and economic benefits, the new unit allows to completely eliminate the use of flares for burning substandard hydrocarbon gases. Oil and gas refineries can sell products with high added value due to the complete processing of oil and gas raw materials, making a significant contribution to environmental conservation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.