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Williams to produce ethane/ethylene for Nova Chemicals
30 Mar '11
4 min read
Williams' Operations in Canada: Innovative Business, Emissions Reducer
When producers convert the Canadian oil sands into usable oil, the process produces an off-gas byproduct that includes a rich mixture of natural gas, NGLs and olefins. Williams pioneered the process of extracting the mixture from the off-gas at its Fort McMurray facility, which is located on-site at a third-party oil-sands production facility.
After it extracts the off-gas mixture, Williams returns the natural gas to the third-party oil-sands producer for its operations. It then transports the remaining NGL/olefins mixture to its Redwater facility outside of Edmonton.
At Redwater, Williams separates the NGL/olefins mixture into marketable products and removes the sulphurs. Currently, the facility produces the highest quality of propylene produced in Canada, as well as propane, butane, butylenes and condensate. When the expansions are placed into service, the facility will also produce ethane and ethylene.
Williams' off-gas processing reduces emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) — a greenhouse gas — in Alberta by approximately 200,000 tons each year and cuts emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) — a contributor to acid rain — by more than 4,200 tons each year. The new expansions will further reduce both carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide emissions in Alberta.
NGL Pipeline to Support Expansions
Williams is currently constructing a 261-mile (420 km), 12-inch NGL pipeline from its Fort McMurray extraction facility to its Redwater fractionator. The pipeline is designed to support the company's growing business in Canada.
The pipeline will have a capacity of 43,000 bpd of off-gas NGL/olefins and is expected to be placed into service in April 2012. The installation of additional pump stations in the future would enable Williams to increase capacity on the pipeline to 125,000 bpd.
When producers convert the Canadian oil sands into usable oil, the process produces an off-gas byproduct that includes a rich mixture of natural gas, NGLs and olefins. Williams pioneered the process of extracting the mixture from the off-gas at its Fort McMurray facility, which is located on-site at a third-party oil-sands production facility.
After it extracts the off-gas mixture, Williams returns the natural gas to the third-party oil-sands producer for its operations. It then transports the remaining NGL/olefins mixture to its Redwater facility outside of Edmonton.
At Redwater, Williams separates the NGL/olefins mixture into marketable products and removes the sulphurs. Currently, the facility produces the highest quality of propylene produced in Canada, as well as propane, butane, butylenes and condensate. When the expansions are placed into service, the facility will also produce ethane and ethylene.
Williams' off-gas processing reduces emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) — a greenhouse gas — in Alberta by approximately 200,000 tons each year and cuts emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) — a contributor to acid rain — by more than 4,200 tons each year. The new expansions will further reduce both carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide emissions in Alberta.
NGL Pipeline to Support Expansions
Williams is currently constructing a 261-mile (420 km), 12-inch NGL pipeline from its Fort McMurray extraction facility to its Redwater fractionator. The pipeline is designed to support the company's growing business in Canada.
The pipeline will have a capacity of 43,000 bpd of off-gas NGL/olefins and is expected to be placed into service in April 2012. The installation of additional pump stations in the future would enable Williams to increase capacity on the pipeline to 125,000 bpd.
The Williams Companies Inc
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