In the demanding world of oil and gas production, midstream transmission and remote site infrastructure, one thing is abundantly clear: electricity isn’t just a convenience – it’s the lifeline of your operation. Pumps, artificial-lift systems, compressors, well-site instrumentation, camp power, water handling – if the power goes down, production stops, costs rise and regulatory/compliance risks mount.
This blog post lays out:
- The electrical power needs of oil & gas production operations and facilities.
- The options available to operators for powering those needs.
- Why natural gas turbine–based self-generation solutions from FlexEnergy Solutions (FES) deliver a compelling advantage.
READ MORE: Industry Solutions: Self-Generation Power Options for Oil & Gas
Trends Driving Oilfield Electrification – Understanding the Power Needs of Oil & Gas Operations
Three major trends are driving the electrification of oil and gas production:
Availability. Many operators are pushing into remote acreage outside of the defined “fairways” of unconventional plays, offshore platforms, or disposal/treatment sites that lie far from utility transmission infrastructure. In such cases, tying into the grid may be impossible, uneconomical or delayed. Some reports put the wait on utility power up to two years.
Reliability. Oil and gas production operations typically run 24/7 in harsh environments. Equipment like ESPs (electric submersible pumps), artificial lift, gas-lift systems, compressors, treatment facilities, remote camps, and even offshore modules all require continuous, stable power. Any unplanned downtime may directly impact production, safety and cost. A sudden loss of power can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment repair and replacement costs, not to mention extended downtime.
Emissions and Permitting. Operators face mounting pressure to reduce emissions from flaring, venting, and reciprocating engine gensets (both diesel and natural gas fueled) to keep emissions below major source thresholds amid increasingly stringent emissions regulations.
Right-Sizing Power Needs. A production pad’s power requirement typically grows in the short run from additional wells requiring more compression and treating capacity, and then fall with natural production declines over time. The ability to scale up or down efficiently is important.
READ MORE: Q&A on Gas Turbines for Oilfield Electrification
Power Generation Options for Oil & Gas Operators
The table below summarizes the primary power options available for oil and gas production operations, including their pros and cons.
READ MORE: Reliable Oilfield Electrification Strategies | Power You Can Count On
Why FlexEnergy Solutions’ Natural Gas Turbines Stand Out
Fuel Flexibility and Wide Operating Envelope. The Flex Turbine® from FES is engineered to operate on variable, low-BTU and even sour field gases, increasingly the kind of fuel gas found at well sites.
- Fuel range: ~350 Btu/scf to ~2,500 Btu/scf.
- Accepts acid gas containing up to 70% CO₂.
- Capable of burning gases with hydrogen blends and high H₂S content in certain configurations.
This means an operator onsite doesn’t need a pipeline-quality gas stream from an expensive residue gas line. It enables the use of associated gas, flare gas or other field sources – turning what might have been wasted or flared gas into power.
Emissions Leadership. In many oil and gas producing regions, the local utility grid’s emissions profile (especially NOₓ) are higher than what the Flex Turbine delivers.
- For example: some grids serving the Permian show NOₓ emissions more than double those of the Flex Turbine unit.
- The Flex Turbine meets very stringent emissions thresholds: ≤ 10 ppm NOₓ and CO (corrected to 15% O₂) in some test cases.
- Our self-generation systems typically deliver the lowest Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions of any off-grid option.
For an operator with corporate environmental performance objectives and/or who must stay under “Major Source” permitting thresholds (e.g., Title V), that translates into meaningful permitting and regulatory advantage.
READ MORE: Grid Emissions Factor vs. Self-Generation in the Oilfield
Extreme Uptime and Proven Reliability. FES highlights that their turbines have demonstrated 99 + % mechanical availability, backed by over 4 million runtime hours.
Advantages:
- Only one eight-hour scheduled maintenance interval annually.
- We are the OEM with service support available regionally (Permian, Bakken, Marcellus, Utica, California, etc.) – no middleman for fast problem resolution.
- Fewer moving parts (compared to reciprocating engines) means less maintenance, fewer breakdowns, and more uptime.
Rapid Deployment and Independence from the Grid. We emphasize that the time to deploy on-site turbine power is measured in days or weeks, not years of waiting for grid interconnect. We can also provide modular, transportable units suitable for remote or harsh oil and gas production environments.
Scalable and Modular: FlexGrid Microgrids. Beyond single-unit deployment, we offer the FlexGrid microgrid solution:
- For brownfield sites: switching from utility power to a self-contained FES microgrid to increase reliability.
- For greenfield sites: building a new microgrid/distribution network matching production growth and scaling down with natural production declines.
Our FlexGrid microgrids can scale up from 200kW to ~10 megawatts as needed.
READ MORE: Q&A on Gas Turbines for Oilfield Electrification
Key Product Options
- GT333S Microturbine (approximately 333 kW) — suited for single well pads, remote single-site deployments.
- GT2000S Gas Turbine Generator (Siemens-powered) — up to 2 MW clean electric power for larger production or midstream applications.
The FlexEnergy Difference
For oil and gas production operations where power needs are remote, critical, variable and tied to fuel availability/fuel-quality, FlexEnergy Solutions’ natural gas turbine systems deliver:
- Reliable, continuous power independent of long-grid-connection delays
- Very low emissions compared to both grids and reciprocating engines
- Fuel flexibility (well gas, flare gas, sour gas)
- High uptime, minimal maintenance
- Scalable modularity and rapid deployment
- Long-term OEM service and support
If your operation is struggling with grid constraints, diesel logistics, emissions or uptime issues – FlexEnergy Solutions deserves a serious look.
Don’t let power become your bottleneck. Make the smart decision now: secure reliable, clean, on-demand field power—and keep your operations moving forward without delay.
Call FlexEnergy Solutions today at +1 (720) 826-0708 or contact us online to schedule a power-strategy consultation.