Adoption and Demand
Nitrogen Certainty and Supply
Where does nitrogen come from?
All around us! Nitrogen makes up about 78% of the air we breathe, and air separation plants can easily separate and chill constituent nitrogen to -320°F / -196°C, where it remains in liquid form. North America’s oil and gas-producing basins are equipped with an abundance of these ‘ASU’ facilities, and able to provide the continuous, ample and affordable liquid nitrogen supply our operations require.
Where does Kathairos source its liquid nitrogen from?
Kathairos takes advantage of existing air separation plants, which are abundant across North America’s oil and gas producing regions. This means there is no shortage of capacity available to produce the nitrogen needed to address hundreds of thousands of well sites on an ongoing basis, or to refill Kathairos’ purpose-built liquid nitrogen delivery vehicles and proximal storage tanks.
How is liquid nitrogen transported to remote sites?
Bulk nitrogen is typically transported as a liquid in US DOT and Transport Canada-approved vacuum-insulated tank affixed to a transport trailer or smaller chassis – all of which we own and operate through our expansive liquid nitrogen distribution network, which are purpose built for the region they operate in. Our larger trailers service the flat roads of the prairies and Permian basin, while our smaller, more rugged vehicles handle the mountains of Colorado and the tight turns of West Virginia. Our drivers and delivery vehicles can cover it all, and with more than 5.3 million operating hours and a 99.999% uptime record to date, there’s no site too far or road too snowy for our crews.
Operations, Dispatch and Reporting
How much operator involvement does the Kathairos solution require?
Kathairos’ units are fully automated, with system operation and isolation reduced to a single on/off valve. This is a major difference from other solutions, which require significant operator involvement to attend to generators, batteries, compressors and other equipment.
What happens if a well is shut in for an extended period of time?
During extended shutdowns, we will monitor the liquid level in your tank(s) and reschedule a refill based on your production timing.
How does Kathairos ensure the tanks are refilled on time and there is no risk of a negative impact on its customer’s operations?
Kathairos’ dispatch teams and field operation crews are responsible for the continuous monitoring of every tank in their assigned area. They meticulously monitor tank level data and schedule refills when the level passes the 50% reorder line. Multiple notification systems are in place to further flag low (15%) and critical low (5%) level points. Additionally, high-use alarms effectively identify increased nitrogen consumption rates, so that a rescheduled fill date can be planned, along with immediate communication to the customer that process conditions have changed.
How does Kathairos account for inclement weather, impassable roads, or other challenging site access conditions?
Our local field crews monitor weather forecasts and work with the customer to refill ahead of anticipated weather events or periods of restricted site access. If a site is known to have profoundly difficult winter access or impassable roads, we may work with them to upsize a tank so that longer refill periods (i.e. 60-90 days) can be utilized.
Does Kathairos have a local representative for us to call in case of emergency or concern?
Yes. Prior to deployment of a tank to our customer’s site, their operators are introduced to our local field managers and supervisors and given complete contact information. They can be contacted at any time for any operational questions or concerns.