Capstone Scores Follow-up Order

Capstone Turbine Corp. received a follow-on order for two C1000 Signature Series (C1000S) microturbines to be installed in a primary power application in the Yaguara Oil Field.

Supernova Energy Services, Capstone’s exclusive distributor for Colombia and Venezuela, secured the order for the 2 MW project, which is expected to be commissioned in January 2021.

Ecopetrol is the largest and primary petroleum company in Colombia. In the 2020 Forbes Global 2000, Ecopetrol was ranked as the 313th largest public company in the world. In addition, the company belongs to the group of the 25 largest petroleum companies in the world, and it is one of the four principal petroleum companies in Latin America.

“It’s an honor to again be selected by Ecopetrol and to assist them in meeting their commitment to cut emissions by 20% by 2030 as part of a push to fight climate change,” said Darren Jamison, president and CEO of Capstone Turbine Corp. “In addition, it’s always great to get another repeat customer.”

After a full year of successful operation with their initial C1000S at the Rio Ceibas Field, the customer elected to continue using Capstone’s microturbine technology, pointing to its ability to run on flare gas without a major investment in gas conditioning.

The microturbines, fueled by minimally processed flare gas, will produce electricity and provide prime power for the end-users on-site equipment at their Yaguara Field operation. Capstone’s microturbines can run on a wide range of fuels with various BTU content, requiring minimal treatment compared to reciprocating engines, helping to reduce the project’s overall cost while improving system reliability.

“This follow-on order demonstrates that Ecopetrol values the low maintenance and high reliability of the Capstone technology, but most importantly has experienced the economic benefits for their operation compared to the traditional technologies they have generally used in their oil fields,” said Nestor Moseres, president of Supernova Energy Services.

Early this year, Ecopetrol announced that it endorsed the World Bank-led Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 global initiative to stop routine gas flaring at its operations. Signing up to the initiative is part of Ecopetrol’s commitment to cut its emissions by 20% by 2030 as part of a push to fight climate change. This plan seeks to reduce and offset the company’s emissions by implementing energy efficiency measures to reduce routine gas flaring in their oil and gas fields.

During oil production, associated gas is produced from the reservoir together with the oil. Much of this gas is used in productive ways or conserved. Capstone microturbines are able to use the associated natural gas as an input fuel source with minimal gas pre-treatment. This allows the end-use customer to monetize the associated gas, keep operational costs low by avoiding extra fuel-cleaning equipment, and significantly reduce the negative impact on the local environment.