Turning Tank Vent Emissions into a Valuable Energy Resource

Production tanks were releasing fugitive methane emissions through normal venting of vaporized hydrocarbons during production and storage operations.

Key challenges included:

• Managing fluctuating tank pressures and vent rates.
• Preventing vacuum or overpressure conditions.
• Maintaining blanket gas integrity.
• Integrating emissions control equipment with the site's existing Allen-Bradley PLC control system.
• Reducing methane venting while maintaining safe and reliable operation.

Environmental Performance

• Eliminated methane emissions associated with tank venting.
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by preventing atmospheric release of hydrocarbons.

Economic Impact

• Over $246,000 in projected carbon tax savings over ten years.
• Annual fuel savings projected to reach $7,070 by 2034 through beneficial use of recovered gas.

Operational Results

• Significantly less waste gas was produced than originally anticipated.
• No process upsets were experienced following installation.
• No vacuum conditions, overpressure events, or vented gas were reported after commissioning.

Strategic Insight

• Site gas volumes were lower than ideal for maximizing recovery economics.
• Project results demonstrated that higher-volume locations may provide greater value from VRU deployment.
• The end user is now evaluating deployment opportunities at higher-capacity sites.