Title: Evaluating Methods for Determining the Vapor Pressure of Heavy Refinery Liquids
Institution(s) Represented: The University of Texas at Austin - Vincent Torres
Lead PI: Vincent Torres
AQRP Project Manager: Gary McGaughey
TCEQ Project Liaison: Russell Nettles
Awarded Amount: $205,500.00
Abstract
During the last five years, crude oil and natural gas production and petroleum refinery operations have seen an increased focus on their emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hazardous air pollutants (HAPS) and greenhouse gases (GHGs), especially those from storage tanks. These actions have been taken by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) "because EPA and state investigations have identified Clean Air Act compliance concerns regarding significant emissions from storage vessels, such as tanks or containers at onshore oil and natural gas production facilities" and to "collect information on processing characteristics, crude slate, emission inventories, and limited source testing to fill information gaps". State and federal laws require certain facilities to design, install, operate and maintain effective pollution control measures to minimize the emissions of VOCs and HAPs. For example, the federal New Source Performance Standards for Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production "requires that new, reconstructed or modified storage vessels with the potential for VOC emissions of equal to or greater than six tons per year reduce VOC emissions by at least 95%." The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) funded two projects recently to better understand the composition and properties of heavy refinery liquids and the most appropriate method of determining their true vapor pressure (TVP).
The purpose of this research is to improve the estimates of VOC emissions from storage tanks holding heavy refinery liquids. These tanks are found at storage terminals and refineries and are frequently heated in order to reduce the viscosity of their contents and make them pumpable. Evidence is mounting that the emissions from these tanks are underreported and may explain some of the VOC inventory gap in parts of Texas.
During the course of this project, the most accurate, reliable, convenient, and reasonably priced means of measuring the TVP of heavy refinery liquids stored in tanks will be identified. Identifying an appropriate means of measuring the TVP of these heavy refinery liquids is important because direct measurement of VOC emissions from storage tanks is inherently inexact and expensive, so equations are used to estimate emissions from storage tanks. The value used for the TVP in these equations has a profound impact on the results. The results of this research will facilitate efforts being made by the US EPA, TCEQ, and agencies in other states to better understand, more accurately estimate, and manage emissions from tanks holding heavy refinery liquids.
Work Plan: projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 Scope.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 MTR Oct 2016.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 MTR Nov 2016.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 MTR Dec 2016.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 MTR Jan 2017.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 MTR Feb 2017.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 MTR Mar 2017.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 MTR Apr 2017.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 MTR May 2017.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 MTR Jun 2017.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 MTR Jul 2017.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 MTR Aug 2017.pdf
Technical Report(s): projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 MTR Sep 2017.pdf
QAPP: projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 QAPP.pdf
Final Report: projectinfoFY16_17\17-007\17-007 Final Report.zip
