You have questions, we have answers.

About the solution

  • Nitrogen is abundant, non-corrosive, non-flammable, waterless and is not a greenhouse gas, which makes it an ideal candidate to replace natural gas used by pneumatic devices.

  • 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 -196°C where it remains in liquid form.

    The Western Canada Sedimentary Basin currently has 10 under-utilized Air Separation Units, with a combined liquid nitrogen production capacity of ~4 million Sm3/day.

  • 100%. Nitrogen has an extensive safety record in many other industries around the world, including the medical, metallurgical and food industries.

    Even more, our nitrogen tanks are installed outside where ventilation is abundant.

    Inside process buildings, where instrument and tubing leaks could result in reduced oxygen levels, operators need to only use standard monitors along with building entry procedures to minimize risks, just as they would with existing fuel gas systems.

  • Bulk nitrogen is typically transported as a liquid in Transport Canada/US DOT-approved vacuum insulated tank trailers– all of which we handle through our supply chain and distribution network.

  • Absolutely!

    Due to the simplicity involved in installing units and the ability of our manufacturing partner to build up to 500 units per month of various sizes, the Kathairos system is the only solution that can efficiently and effectively address thousands of remote locations in a timeframe that meets government and industry targets.

  • Unlike alternative solutions, the Kathairos system can be in operation for 30 years, after which it is simply re-certified for continued operations.

    Other options requiring generators, batteries and solar panels can depreciate quickly and become non-operational in less than 5 years, after which they require costly replacement.

About the tanks

  • The Kathairos system is the most reliable solution available because there are NO moving parts.

    Liquid nitrogen converts to high pressure gas immediately when exposed to any ambient temperature.

    Unless there is a failure in the laws of thermodynamics, the system cannot fail.

  • Similar to the propane and industrial gas markets, we rent our systems and refill them as required. The actual cost is directly related to the amount of nitrogen used or methane emissions being eliminated.

  • The typical timeframe to delivery and operation is 6-8 weeks from receipt of order.

  • Tanks are typically refilled once or twice per month depending on site-specific demand requirements. Because of this, tanks are sized specifically for each location based on the rate of methane emissions being eliminated.

    The volume of nitrogen used may change seasonally, with some pneumatic pumps being idled through the summer months.

  • Our units are installed on galvanized steel pallets and are conveniently manufactured as compact free-standing integrated systems.

    Our largest pallet measures 2m x 2m.

  • 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, all of which require significant operator involvement to attend to generators, batteries, compressors and other equipment.

  • Our units come equipped with cellular or satellite telemetry, which wirelessly alerts our web-based data portal and the Kathairos distribution network when tanks require refilling.

    In the unlikely event that the tanks cannot be refilled (weather event, flooding, road closures, etc.), the well-site simply switches back to natural gas during the interim.

  • During extended shut downs, we will monitor the liquid level in your tank(s) and reschedule a refill based on your production timing.

  • As well production declines, your instrument gas requirements will also decline. We offer system right-sizing and will swap out your existing tank with a smaller size if necessary, to ensure that you optimize nitrogen use and maintain the lowest costs possible.

  • Absolutely.

    The units are highly reliable and can easily operate in -50°C weather for extended periods of time.

  • Standard supply pressure is 125 psi with flowrates varying from 0-170 Sm3/h, depending on the unit.

    High pressure (450 psi) units are available.

About the emissions

  • Absolutely. The Alberta Government has approved nitrogen for use in eliminating methane emissions from pneumatic devices.

  • Yes! The cost of the Kathairos system is driven by variable liquid nitrogen consumption, which is directly related to methane eliminated.

    All other systems need to be sized for maximum demand regardless of the fact that most operators run pumps only during the winter months. This means that for 7 months of the year, methane emissions are less than half of that of winter.

    In addition, thanks to our unique tank leasing and nitrogen refill model, there are no upfront capital costs.

    Whether you’re claiming offset credits or not, the overall cost of the Kathairos system is significantly less than other options, making it especially suitable for small and highly dispersed remote well sites.

  • There are no on-site emissions produced from using the Kathairos solution, since our tanks do not require any on-site power in the form of generators or catalytic heaters.

  • Quantifying eliminated emissions can be challenging for most air, solar and electric systems, due to inaccuracies resulting from estimations. This directly results in higher scrutiny of ESG claims.

    The Kathairos system is highly accurate by comparison due to a number of reasons: it is a closed system, the volume of liquid nitrogen is closely measured and we know with complete certainty that every standard cubic meter of nitrogen displaces exactly 1.2762 standard cubic meters of methane.

    In other words, the liquid nitrogen volume used is measured with a high degree of accuracy, and is directly proportional to the amount of methane mitigated thanks to the Gas Equivalency Ratio (GER) of 1.2762 Sm3 methane per 1.0 Sm3 nitrogen.

  • Kathairos provides a low carbon intensity solution to eliminating methane emissions.

    On average, the carbon emissions in making liquid nitrogen and delivering it to site accounts for less than 3% of the total CO2e eliminated from using the solution.