Aereon
Heater treaters can be significant sources of “flash gas” from oil and gas production facilities. Flash gas is natural gas that is released from a wellstream when the liquid undergoes a pressure drop or when the liquid’s temperature is increased. In a heater treater, the crude oil/condensate and produced water experience a pressure drop and […]
Oil and gas production processes result in the venting of a portion of the produced natural gas. Vent gas management is a continuing issue for oil and gas operators. Companies must balance permitting requirements, regulatory compliance and corporate responsibility to minimize pollution, waste and liabilities. Recovery of the vent gas increases revenue to the facility […]
Enclosed combustion units (ECD) also called enclosed combustion devices or enclosed flares are widely used in oil and gas operations to control vent gas VOC and methane emissions. ECDs are a good alternative control device when a vapor recovery unit (VRU) is not feasible for the application. Many operators prefer ECDs over candlestick (open tipped) […]
Volume of gas to be recovered The gas to be recovered can be referred to as the suction gas to the VRU. This includes data on the cyclical flowrate of the suction gas (i.e., minimum, maximum and average flowrate). When possible, this is best determined using direct measurement. Chemical makeup of the gas to be […]
What is a VRU? A VRU, or vapor recovery unit, is a compression system used to collect and compress low volume gas streams for injection into the suction of a larger compressor, a meter run, a local site fuel gas system or directly into a gas gathering line. Mechanical VRUs consist of a driver motor or […]
Federal and State regulatory rules require oil and gas (O&G) operators to reduce natural gas venting and leaks from their operations. NSPS OOOO has standards for VOC emissions from storage tanks, compressor seals, pneumatic controllers and fugitive leaks (primarily natural gas processing). NSPS OOOOa has standards for VOC emissions from storage tanks, compressor seals, pneumatic controllers, pneumatic […]
For oilfield storage tanks, NSPS OOOO and OOOOa have similar requirements regarding applicability, emission limitations, recordkeeping and reporting requirements. Some exceptions for storage tanks are different applicability dates for the two rules and NSPS OOOOa has additional requirements for closed vent systems (piping) used to control NSPS OOOOa affected facility storage tanks. These rules affect […]
There is a continuing focus by regulators on the tightening of the regulation of vent gas (VOCs, methane) from oil and gas operations. These regulations place a large liability on industry to know the regulations and comply with all of the emission controls, standards, testing, record keeping and reporting requirements. As regulations are incorporated into […]
Air permits for oil and gas (O&G) production facilities include Federal EPA and State requirements for storage tanks for crude oil, condensate and produced water. The main EPA rules applying to O&G storage tanks are the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) OOOO and OOOOa. Individual state environmental regulatory agencies may have their own storage tank regulations that might […]
Flares as Emissions Control Devices Flares are combustion devices used to burn off associated, unwanted or excess combustible gases during many industrial processes, such as oil and gas extraction, refineries, chemical plants, coal mines, bioreactors, and landfills. Flares are used both as safety (pressure relief) devices and as emissions control devices. Based on tests […]