Executive Summary

The objectives of this project were to:

  • Review available optical methods for characterizing and quantifying hydrocarbon emissions from upstream oil and gas (UOG) facilities,
  • Perform hydrocarbon emissions measurements with the optical methods at two gas processing plants and compare the measured data with the accepted CAPP methods for calculating estimated emissions from UOG facilities,
  • Review available optical methods or the potential to develop methods to characterize particulate matter (PM) emissions.

The main focus of this project was a hydrocarbon emissions survey of one sweet gas processing plant and one sour gas processing plant. This survey was performed from July 27 to August 4, 2004 and included:

  • Quantification of the emissions of methane, C2+ hydrocarbons and benzene from each plant using a mobile Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) unit operated by Spectrasyne Ltd.,
  • Identification of hydrocarbon leaks using the Hawk gas-leak imaging camera operated by Leak Surveys Inc. The sour gas plant surveyed during this project had also been surveyed with the DIAL unit during 2003.

Final Report