Pneumatic Control Devices In Production Areas - Significant Methane Emission Sources?

Abstract

Abstract Natural gas is commonly utilized as the supply source for pneumatic control devices at small and medium sized tank batteries and for onshore wellhead separation, dehydration, and compression equipment. A pilot study to determine the quantity of methane emissions from these control devices was performed as part of the Natural Gas STAR Implementation Plan for Marathon Oil Company. It was quite comprehensive in that emissions from approximately 160 pneumatic control devices at 50 different production sites were measured. Control devices measured included pressure, level, and temperature controllers. The total losses from these high and low-bleed pneumatic control devices were small, with continuous-bleed level controllers emitting the largest quantity of methane. Retrofitting of these level controllers with low-bleed nozzles should be considered to reduce these losses. Based upon this pilot study, there is no economic justification to further quantify emissions from high and low-bleed pneumatic control devices in the study area because emissions that justify corrective action can be detected without measurement.