UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced that its UOP Separex™ membrane system has been selected for the removal of contaminants from natural gas produced from a large shale formation found in British Columbia.
Apache Corp. will use the UOP Separex membrane system to remove carbon dioxide from shale gas at its operations in the Horn River Basin of northeastern British Columbia. Removing impurities is a required step in upgrading the gas so it can be transported by pipeline for commercial use.
Shale gas, sometimes referred to as an unconventional gas, is natural gas found in shale rock formations. According to the International Energy Agency, there are an estimated 921 trillion cubic meters of shale resources around the globe, which is more than five times the proven amount of conventional natural gas reserves.
When complete, the land-based Separex system will remove carbon dioxide from 150 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas processed at the facility. Engineering will be complete this summer and the fabricated system will be delivered in the first quarter of 2011.
For more information, read the press release.



