Facing potential liabilities and a rapidly approaching compliance deadline, a Rockies-based E&P company needed a fast, field-proven way to eliminate methane emissions from thousands of pneumatics on hundreds of well sites. Conventional alternatives to using wellhead gas to power pneumatics can be expensive, unreliable and difficult to scale — the operator required a solution that was easy to deploy, reliable in remote environments and delivered benefits beyond regulatory compliance.

The operator turned to Kathairos Solutions’ liquid nitrogen (LN2) powered pneumatic system. Because the tank system is easily installed and ongoing operations are monitored by Kathairos, it minimizes unwanted operational burdens. With LN2, the operator was able to not only meet their deployment deadline but also improve the reliability of existing pneumatic systems without compromising operations.

About Kathairos

Kathairos Solutions partners with operators to eliminate methane emissions from pneumatics while improving operational performance. Its zero-emissions system replaces wellhead gas with liquid nitrogen, harnessing a 700:1 gas-to-liquid expansion ratio to power pneumatic devices using clean, dry, inert nitrogen gas. Because the system operates on simple thermodynamic principles, each tank stores an enormous amount of potential energy with no need for electricity, motors or routine maintenance. Real-time consumption data is monitored by Kathairos operators, enabling leak detection and accurate reporting of actual methane abatement. Backed by partnerships with Chart Industries and Kimray Inc., Kathairos supports operators on thousands of sites across North America.

The Challenge: Eliminating Methane with Minimal Impact to Operations

The operator’s Rockies asset portfolio spanned thousands of wells powered by wellhead gas-driven pneumatic devices. Methane venting from these systems represented one of the largest contributors to the company’s emissions footprint, and the operator faced an urgent need to retrofit sites without risking production downtime or overextending field resources.

The Solution: Scalable, Plug-and-Play LN2 Tanks

Working closely with Kathairos, the operator initiated a basin-wide conversion program that would be completed under a short timeline.

• Initial Sizing and Modeling: Within one week of project kickoff, a plan was generated to address 130 sites and more than 2,000 wells.
• Tank Selection: Tank sizes were determined by Kathairos project engineers after reviewing existing device inventories and throughput.
• Pilot/Consumption Trials: Tanks were initially delivered to pilot pads of varying sizes. Within 48 hours, actual nitrogen consumption rates were validated, enabling cost optimization and final logistics planning.

Results and Impact

• Compliance Deadlines Met: The full 130-tank program was completed in just nine weeks, allowing the operator to meet its scheduled compliance deadline on 2,200+ wells by eliminating emissions from 8,000+ pneumatic devices.
• Scalable Deployment Model: Thanks to the plug-and-play design and coordinated field services, the operator achieved up to five installations per day without interfering with ongoing production.
• Improved Reliability: The LN2 system delivers inert gas without freeze-off risk or power requirements. With minimal moving parts and electronics, common failure points are eliminated without the need for ongoing maintenance.

Industry Takeaways

Numerous technologies can successfully eliminate venting from pneumatics. As they evaluate options, operators should carefully weigh the reliability, scalability and cost-effectiveness of each solution. A strategic and effective approach will enable them to:

• Satisfy compliance requirements.
• Scale quickly across an asset with minimal impact on operations.
• Reduce long-term maintenance and optimize the total cost of ownership.

Kathairos’ system is trusted by operators and regulators across North America and, to date, has shown 99.99% uptime on 20MM+ operating hours.