Global Heating Technologies (GHT) Advances State of the Art In Low Cost, Environment Neutral Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, November 4, 2013—GHT announced successful testing of its new steam generator, designed for subterranean operation. For the first time, heavy oil recovery operations will be able to place a steam generator at optimal depth for EOR operations, at lower cost than electric units, and with zero atmospheric emissions. Water vapor is a natural byproduct in flameless catalytic reactions, so in some installations feed water can be eliminated.

GHT’s underground design yields double digit savings in direct energy costs and dramatically reduces the quantity of produced water in steam cycling and steam drainage EOR operations. GHT’s systems can be used underground to replace surface steam generators, or as an underground steam booster enabling the de-rating of surface unites--or the underground heater’s off-gas mixture, rich in water vapor, may be used as the heat transfer medium on its own.

The patented flameless heater GHT employs in this design is fuel agnostic, as it is capable of hydrogen, natural gas, methanol, ethanol, or diesel fuel operation. All off-gases follow the steam down hole.

“With this fundamentally new design exploiting our core competencies in flameless catalysis, we view GHT as providing a key enabling technology to a new horizon in lower cost, high efficiency EOR,” said Giampaolo Vacca, CEO of GHT. 

Applications Résumé
Underground heat/steam = lower energy costs, smaller surface footprint and reduced emissions.

• Steam booster: dramatically increase effective depth and efficiency of steam injection for EOR. De-rate above ground systems with this add-on.
• Complete EOR steam generation system, operating at specified depth.
• Complete EOR hot exhaust gas generator placed at optimal depth.
• In situ and/or mobile heavy oil upgrade systems.
• In situ shale oil extraction systems.
• In situ thermal desorption system for site remediation.

GHT's Heat Engine Design: A New Alternative for Green Energy

GHT is excited to announce successful initial testing of our new heat engine design powered completely by methanol, a clean fuel. How does it work? Through a process called flameless catalytic heating technology, methanol is oxidized to create heat energy. The only byproducts of this reaction are CO2 and water vapor. There are no harmful byproducts, therefore eliminating the need to pretreat recycled CO2.

GHT's new heat engine design is approximately 75% fuel efficient (35-45% more fuel efficient than coal-fired powered plants). Methanol is a great fuel alternative to coal because it produces 32% less CO2, and is also water soluble and biodegradable. If carbon emissions are to be avoided entirely, the GHT system can be fueled by hydrogen.

“With this fundamentally new design exploiting our core competencies in flameless catalysis, we are on the verge of an exciting era of cleaner electric power using less fuel, with reduced waste streams and an off-gas suitable for carbon recycle, and without the safety hazards that have become associated with nuclear energy,” said Giampaolo Vacca, Chairman of GHT.