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Ozone and the Denver NAA: An Oil and Gas Perspective

Ozone and the Denver NAA: An Oil and Gas Perspective. Curtis Rueter Noble Energy, Inc. Topics Covered. What is oil and gas doing about ozone? Past involvement Current activities Noble’s program What education is important for the public?.

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Ozone and the Denver NAA: An Oil and Gas Perspective

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  1. Ozone and the Denver NAA: An Oil and Gas Perspective Curtis Rueter Noble Energy, Inc.

  2. Topics Covered • What is oil and gas doing about ozone? • Past involvement • Current activities • Noble’s program • What education is important for the public?

  3. What is Oil and Gas Doing about Ozone – Past Involvement • 2002 – Development of flash emission factor and Reg 3 changes with APCD • 2003-04 • Support for Voluntary EAC process • Funding of WRI controls research project • 2005 • Exceeded 37.5% control level • Other oil and gas companies met engine and dehy standards

  4. What is Oil and Gas Doing about Ozone – Past Involvement • 2006 • Exceeded 47.5% control level • Reg 7 revisions for ozone deferred non-attainment area • COGA supported state-wide Reg 7 limits

  5. What is Oil and Gas Doing about Ozone – Past Involvement • 2007 • Industry met 75% control • Reduced oil and gas emissions to 1973 levels • Compliance challenges • Short time frame (< 5 months) and harsh winter field conditions • Approximately 2,500-3,000 devices and $30 million capital costs spent to date • Over ½ of units needed to be installed to go from 47.5% to 75%

  6. What is Oil and Gas Doing About Ozone – Current Activities • Active participants in the RAQC’s stakeholder process • WRAP Phase III • “Guiding Principles” • Voluntary early reductions

  7. RAQC Stakeholder Process – Oil and Gas Activities • WRAP Phase III Emission Inventory Initiative • Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP) • Industry is funding this more detailed basin-specific approach for developing emission inventories • Previous Phase I and Phase II data were developed on more of regional level

  8. WRAP Phase III – More Details • First comprehensive inventory of oil and gas area sources • Identifies and characterizes differences between regional basins • Refines future growth projections • Provides a mechanism for future updates • DJ Basin was the first basin covered • Provided improved emission inventory for modeling

  9. Natural gas processing plants Compressor stations Drilling/Workover rigs Artificial lift engines Vapor recovery unit (VRU) engines Oil/Gas well heaters Oil/Gas storage tanks Oil/Gas well completions Oil/Gas well fugitive emissions Venting Blowdowns Dehydration units Amine units Hydrocarbon loading Landfarms Water treatment/injection Flaring Pneumatic devices Produced water tanks WRAP Phase III Survey of Sources

  10. “Guiding Principles” • Adoption of ozone control measures should be based on good science • Should be specific to Front Range ozone • Learn from and build on previous strategies • Voluntary controls for 2008 • Institutional/societal barriers should be addressed • Education opportunity!

  11. Voluntary Reductions by Oil and Gas for 2008 • Letters at www.raqc.org • Voluntary measures by Anadarko, EnCana, Noble, and Petroleum Development (PDC) • Noble, Anadarko, and PDC are three largest operators in Wattenberg; EnCana is fifth

  12. Control of flash emissions beyond 75% requirement Retrofit / replacement of high bleed pneumatic devices Well completion management practices – minimize or control flowbacks IR camera programs for identifying leaks Equipment / site automation Employee education Employee trip reduction Examples of Voluntary Reduction Measures

  13. Noble’s Current Program • Currently achieving ~ 85% emission reductions of condensate flash • Approximately 1,300 control devices installed on 1,600 tank batteries • Burners are primary control • Issues with vapor recovery units • Controls installed on all new wells prior to production

  14. Flash Control Costs (Non-Capital) • Pilot gas (200-300 scfd/unit) • Compliance staff • Typically an Air Quality engineer plus ½-1 FTE contractor support • Field staff • Construction foreman and supporting staff • Inspections by field personnel at least every 2 days • Field contractors • 2-4 contract crews working on units (3 man crews) • Noble has 3 contractors for VRU operations • Sampling, maintenance, and R&D costs

  15. Noble’s Current R&D Program • Separator redesigns • Innovative vapor recovery approaches • Innovative burner designs • Paper at GPA Conference in March, 2008 to be published in Oil and Gas Journal

  16. What Education is Important for the Public? • What 3 messages do I wish everyone knew and understood? • Message #1: “Individual actions are very important” • Cars, lawn mowers, edgers, etc., are major contributors to Denver’s ozone issues • Individual decisions on car maintenance, driving, lawn mowing, and car refueling make an impact

  17. Rocky Flats Monitor – 2007 Source Apportionment with EAC ControlsTable A-1a of EAC Source Apportionment Report

  18. What Education is Important for the Public? • Message #2: “Not all emissions contribute equally to ozone” or “Different pollutants have different ozone contributions” • Cars, lawn mowers, and gasoline vapors have very high ozone-forming potential • Message #3: “Denver’s ozone problem cannot be solved by controlling industrial sources”

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