Vapor Recovery in Offshore

Applications
Gulf Coast Regulatory and
Environmental Affairs Group Meeting
July 11, 2013

Air Quality Regulations

BOEM/BSEE has jurisdiction for Western/Central

Gulf of Mexico air quality for oil and gas drilling and
production operations.

East of 87.5 degrees longitude jurisdiction of OCS

waters is USEPA Region 4.

States have jurisdiction for air quality for onshore

and coastal/territorial seas.

Texas territorial waters (and county line) extend for

three marine leagues (10.36 statute miles) offshore
Texas

VRU Drivers Onshore/Coastal Areas

May need vapor recovery to meet state permitting rules

or federal standard that apply to onshore, coastal and
territorial seas.

Limits flash gas to meet permit limits in general permits

(Louisiana) or permit-by-rule (PBR) permits (Texas)

Normally an option for permits, not always mandated.

Option used to meet control requirements for storage

tanks in 40 CFR 60 Subpart OOOO New Source
Performance Standard - Oil and Natural Gas Sector

VRU Drivers Western/Central GOM

30 CFR 250.1160 When may I flare or vent gas?
(a)(5)

You may not flare or vent more than an average

of 50 MCF per day during any calendar month without
Regional Supervisor approval. Limit of 50,000 SCFD
average flash gas vent/flare gas limit (30 CFR
250.1160).

Recover

flash gas if economical to recover gas

VRU Drivers Western/Central GOM

30 CFR 250.1160 When may I flare or vent gas?

(b) states that must not flare or vent gas over the
volume approved in your Development Operations
Coordination Document (DOCD) or in Development
and Production Plan (DPP) submitted to BOEM.

Typically this volume is in the Air Quality Review

(AQR) spreadsheets submitted with DOCD

Typical Production Process

Tank Vent Gas Quantification

Must be something generally accepted by industry

and regulators.
Options include:
1. Direct measurement of tank vent
2. Collect/analyze pressurized oil and measure gas to
oil ratio (GOR)
3. Pressurized oil sample/analyses as input to
Equations of State computer simulation or API E&P
Tank computer pgm.

Data collection (Direct Measurement)

IQR Process
Measurement Protocol

Simple & easy way to

measure volume of vent
gas with 98% accuracy

Flow characteristics
identified
(very cyclical)

Gas composition
analyzed

Why Vapor Recovery?

Regulatory compliance
Recover very rich flash gas - $$
Reduce emissions of VOCs and greenhouse
gases
Improve safety of facilities

Engineered Solution Design

Volume & peaks of flow

Composition(s) of gas. H2S?

Pressures

Temperatures

Availability of utilities (power/motive gas)

Availability of booster compression

Markets for products

Types of Solution Package

Technologies

Traditional vapor recovery uses compressors

driven by electric or natural gas engines

Reciprocating compressors

Rotary screw compressors

Rotary vane compressors

Scroll compressors

Ejector Vapor Recovery Unit (EVRU)

Reciprocating Compressors

High pressure &

volumes

Automatic bypass
(recycle)

Not recommended for

wet gas

Flooded Screw Compressors

High pressure differentials

High volume capacities

Variable Frequency Drive

(VFD)

Oil dilution issues

Rotary Vane Compressors

High volume capacities

VFD or bypass

No oil dilution

Low pressure differentials

60 psig in single stage

Vane wear

Scroll Compression

Less moving parts

Less maintenance

VFD

Oil dilution issues

20 ppm H2S limit

Application of Scroll Technology

Recovering

gas from oil storage tanks and heater

treater and discharging pressurized gas to larger
compressor

VRU

system requires electrical power and purge

gas for recycle

High

molecular weight gas recovery

Scroll Compressor Case Example

Dual CVRU package for Offshore Application

Design criteria
Recovered gas throughput: 150,000 SCFD (150 MSCFD)
Vent gas source: atmospheric storage tanks
Suction Pressure: 1 to 3 inches water column
Discharge Pressure: 100 psig
Discharge to suction of onsite larger compressor

Offshore Scroll System

SPE-127153-PP Paper Conclusions

Recovers natural gas product

Lowers emissions of VOCs and GHGs

Lower maintenance costs than typical VRUs

System requires smaller footprint

Cost effective and efficient VRU for offshore

environment

COMM Patented EVRU

Motive

$$$$$$$$$

Suction

Discharge

EVRU Case Study Economics

Investment: $120,000

700 BOPD of 62 API Gravity

Average gas recovery: 175 MCFD

$709,560/year product recovery at $6/MMBTU

Payback period: 2 months

EVRU
Eagle Ford Onshore

Offshore Africa

Offshore GOM EVRU

EVRU System Advantages

Simple, non-mechanical vapor recovery

system

100% run time and on/off provides turndown

Handles rich, wet gas & H2S

No oil to maintain

Small footprint

Easy to modify

Texas allows emission control efficiency of

99%

Key Points for a VRU Solution

Determine regulatory requirements

Value of natural gas recovered
Cost of VRU capital costs and operation costs
Knowing facility process and gas to be recovered
critical to design and effective operation of VRU
Measure & sample gas if possible
Consider redundancy or easy replacement
options

1319 West Pinhook Road

Lafayette, Louisiana USA
Brian Boyer
Salah Mansour
(337) 237-4373
www.commengineering.com