Tag: Zero Emissions

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 […]

USE ENFORCEABLE LIMITS TO AVOID NSPS OOOOA FOR STORAGE TANKS

Operators use enforceable limits in air permits to avoid triggering NSPS OOOOa applicability for crude oil, condensate and produced water storage tanks. To obtain an enforceable limit, the limits must be included in a legally and practically enforceable air permit or other authorization. Air permits granted by a federal, state, local or tribal authority typically […]

NSPS OOOO AND OOOOA AND STORAGE TANK REQUIREMENTS

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 […]

AIR QUALITY REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE

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 […]

SHOOTIN THE BREEZE ABOUT GHGS TO ENSURE GHG REPORTING COMPLIANCE

ƒAll over the media there is news about climate change and greenhouse gases (GHGs).  Many in the oil and gas industry do not work directly with GHG issues but most realize that this issue will greatly affect their companies.  This is a brief summary of GHGs and the oil and gas industry.   What are […]