Tag: Vapor Recovery Systems

Capturing & turning vapors into sale-able gasoline with Carbon Bed VRUs

Activated Carbon Bed Vapor Recovery Units The transportation of petroleum liquids (crude oil, gasoline, other refined products) and organic chemicals is often done by tank truck, rail tank cars and marine barges and ships. Also, gasoline is delivered by tank truck to service stations. The loading of products to the transportation vessels and service station […]

Carbon Credits Explained

Carbon Credits Explained Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) have been a worldwide concern for several years. Based on models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other reported data, GHG emission reductions are needed to limit global warming to less than 2.0 degrees Celsius (preferably less than 1.5°C) compared to pre-industrial levels. The […]

USE THE POWER OF THE VAPOR RECOVERY TOWER

Operators are always looking for ways to improve vapor recovery unit (VRU) performance and to avoid the regulatory requirements of NSPS OOOOa.  Using a vapor recovery tower (VRT) along with a VRU, a facility can increase production of natural gas and decrease air emissions. VRTs are tall, vertical separators used to recover flash gas emissions that […]

EPA NEW OWNER CLEAN AIR ACT AUDIT PROGRAM FOR OIL AND GAS

On March 2, 2019, the USEPA finalized a voluntary New Owner Clean Air Act Audit (CAA) Program custom-made for the oil and natural gas sector.  The program can be used by new owners of upstream exploration and production sites to voluntarily find, correct and self-disclose Clean Air Act violations. This can result in timely and cost-effective CAA […]

OIL AND GAS VENTING EMISSIONS

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 VAPOR COMBUSTORS UNITS AND AIR QUALITY REGULATIONS

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) […]

TEN THINGS TO KNOW FOR VAPOR RECOVERY SYSTEM SELECTION

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 […]

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT VAPOR RECOVERY UNITS (VRUS)

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 […]

GLYCOL DEHYDRATION PROCESS AND EMISSION CONTROLS

Process Description To meet pipeline specifications, operators are often required to dehydrate their produced natural gas that is saturated with water vapor.  Water vapor in natural gas pipelines can result in the formation of hydrates that can obstruct or plug the pipe.  Also, water vapor in a pipeline can cause corrosion due to the presence of carbon […]

IDENTIFY, QUANTIFY AND RECTIFY (IQR) VENTING AND LEAKS

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 […]