VAPOR RECOVERY

Every day, billions of cubic feet of the world’s natural gas are flared or vented into the atmosphere.  Not only does natural gas have a detrimental effect on the environment, but its overproduction poses a risk to companies’ reputation and adherence to government restrictions.

DETRIMENTAL ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS:

Methane (CH₄), the major component of natural gas, is 80x more dangerous than carbon dioxide (CO₂) for the first 20 years after it reaches Earth’s atmosphere. Over time, methane remains 25x more dangerous than CO₂, because it traps far more heat and releases more energy. Flaring and venting methane gas contributes to an increase in greenhouse gases, which studies have linked to climate change and the disruption of weather cycles.

REGULATORY FINES:

Regardless of shifts in the political climate, it is a matter of time before greenhouse emissions become more tightly regulated by both federal and state governmental agencies. Environmental compliance is already enforced by many private landowner’s regulations and fines.

STAINED CORPORATE REPUTATION:

Many public and private companies face enormous pressure from the public, as well as investors and shareholders, to reduce greenhouse emissions. More and more, operators in the energy sector are worried about their corporate image due to increasing pressure from citizens and environmental groups. This could have a large negative impact on attracting additional investment, thus severely hampering future growth potential. To remain viable in the long term, capturing greenhouse gases is a must for all hydrocarbon producers.

LOST PROFITS:

The practice of venting and flaring methane is nothing short of wasting a valuable source of energy. Technology has evolved which makes capturing and utilizing methane gas more economically viable. Many parts of the world where methane gas is being wasted suffer from a severe shortage of electrical power. The current trend to move away from diesel power - which is used in drilling and fracking - towards electric power will only accentuate these electricity shortages.

Flaring and venting methane can be significantly reduced by compressing methane to feed miniature natural gas liquid (NGL) plants to capture valuable hydrocarbons, feed miniature power plants to generate local electricity on-site, or feed a sales pipeline. This can also result in significant additional revenue for the operator.

BAUER offers total solutions for on-site gas recovery and processing:

• Vapor recovery units for flash gas recovery
• Large-volume units for well gas recovery
• Booster compressor systems for high-pressure pipeline injection
• On-site electric power generation