Posted on: 10. 22. 26
There are many things to consider when you have new wells coming online or need to work with your current field situation. Many times we build stick-built facilities. These facilities are built with individual pieces at the well site. This is great when you’re building a large central plant, but it takes a lot of time to prepare the site and a lot of money to complete. Modular gas processing systems use skid-mounted equipment. These units are prefabricated and can be portable, depending on your site’s needs.
Companies are switching to modular systems for many reasons. One is that they can be put into service much faster. Site work is reduced, and scaling your system is easier. When gas volumes and pressures change over time, you want a system that can adapt. Many factors come into play when choosing the right system for your application.
What Makes a System Modular? How It Can Benefit Your Project
How can using modular engineering help with your wellsite?
Modular engineering can shorten your project schedule.
One of the main reasons to use a modular system is because of how quickly you can get to your field. With stick-built facilities, you have to wait for civil site work to finish before you can begin tying your piping and structure together. With skid systems, you can get them on your pad much faster and begin tying your piping and electrical together. This can allow you to get your gas to market sooner and start making money.
Another benefit of using a modular system is that you can scale it. Wells will change over time. You may see your gas volumes decrease or liquids increase. With a modular system, you can add or remove pieces of your system. If you need more dehydration, you can add it to your system, or remove it if your volumes have decreased. Once your pad is done producing, you can take your units down and put them on another pad. This will save you money in the long run.
Using modular systems can also benefit you when servicing your equipment. If you use similar systems on all of your pads, your field techs will know what to expect when servicing your equipment. You will have the same parts available to you and less risk when servicing your equipment. This can also help with troubleshooting if you experience a pressure drop or loss of flow.
Things to Keep in Mind When Designing Your System
What do you need to know when designing your skid system?
Consider site size, shipping dimensions and the ability to turn down your process when designing your system.
Footprint of Your System — Shipping Dimensions and Size of Equipment
You want to know how much capacity you need to process your gas and how big your skid can be to ship to your location. Certain dimensions let you ship your skid without needing permits. When designing your system, make sure you can fit all your equipment on a skid that can be shipped to your location.
Allowing for Process to Change — Turndown of Your System
At a wellsite, your process will not always stay the same. If you design your system for one flow rate, you will run into issues when your gas changes. You want your system to have a high turndown and work with your changing process. You can achieve this by allowing your system to handle higher liquids and lower/higher pressures.
Allowing for Different Equipment — Modular System Equipment Integration
When designing your modular system, make sure you can integrate all your equipment. You will need to separate your phases, dehydrate your gas, recover your liquids and possibly compress your gas. You want to make sure all of these pieces can work together and be placed on a skid or multiple skids that can be shipped to your location.
Make Sure You Have Utilities — Power and Other Utilities at Your Site
Many times you will not have utilities available at your wellsite. Make sure you have a way to power your equipment. You can do this by using fuel gas and a skid to condition that gas for your generators or drivers. Make sure you have low-powered instruments and controls that let you operate your system with minimal power.
Allow for Serviceability and Safety
Just because you want your system up and running quickly doesn’t mean you should skip serviceability and safety. Make sure your skids let field techs service your equipment safely. Have your filters and other serviceable items in easy-to-reach locations. This helps your techs service your equipment and stay safe.
Consider Environmental Factors — Vapor Recovery
Make sure you capture any vapors that may be lost from your system. You can do this by adding vapor recovery to your modular system. This will help you meet emission goals and capture more product that you may have lost by flaring.
Equipment That Can Be Used in a Modular System
What equipment can you use when creating your modular system?
Some of the many types of equipment you can use in a modular system include, but are not limited to:
- JT Skids and Fuel Gas Conditioners
- Separators
- Dehydrators
- Natural Gas Coolers
- Compressors
- Vapor Recovery Units
To see what we offer, visit our Natural Gas Production Facilities or Our Services pages.
What to Not Do When Ordering Your Modular Package
What should you not do when ordering your modular package?
Don’t design your system for only one case of gas; leave room for serviceability, and don’t forget your utilities.
1. Only Designing for One Case of Gas
If you design your system only for the gas you currently have coming into your facility, you will run into problems when your well changes. Make sure you can process different types of gas and have enough turndown in your system.
2. Not Leaving Room for Serviceability
Make sure you leave enough room on your skids to service your equipment. If you don’t, you will run into issues when servicing your equipment and may put your techs in unsafe positions.
3. Forgetting About Your Utilities
Make sure you know what utilities you will need to run your system. Fuel gas, instrument air and power are all things you will need to consider when designing your system.
Standard vs Custom Modular Packages
| Standard | Custom | |
| Install Time | Quicker | Longer |
| Portable | Yes | No |
| Money | Less Upfront | More Money Upfront |
| Footprint | Smaller | Larger |
| Value | Can be used on other pads | Will need to be torn down |
Pro-Gas LLC | Your One Stop Shop for Modular Systems
When looking for a modular system, make sure you have the right equipment to fit your needs. At Pro-Gas LLC, we can provide the equipment you need to process your gas. We can help you design a system that works for your field and lets you scale as your field changes.
Our team will work with you to make sure your system is built to your specifications. We will treat your field as if it were our own and ensure your equipment runs at its best. To learn more about what we can do for you, visit our Request a Quote page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is a modular gas processing system?
A. modular gas processing system is made up of skid-mounted equipment that can be shipped to your location and put into service quicker than a stick-built facility.
Q. Can I resize my modular system?
A. Yes, you can resize your modular system. If your well volumes decrease, you can remove equipment from your system; if your volumes increase, you can add more equipment.
Q. What equipment can I use in my modular system?
A. There are many pieces of equipment that can be used in a modular system. These include separators, dehydrators, coolers, compressors and vapor recovery units.
