New low emission packing reduces gas loss from compressors: in early tests the system reduces gas loss by about 83%.

Compressor Engineering Corporation is helping operators address lost gas challenges with a new low-emission packing.

Fugitive natural gas emissions result in a significant loss of revenue as well as contribute to environmental concerns. Stricter regulations and self-governing are currently

Studies conducted by the Pipeline Research Committee at numerous compressor stations nationwide indicate an average rod leakage rate of 0.9 to 1.86 cfm per compressor rod. This figure is almost double that of the findings of the EPA Gas Research Institute. While this was not considered an industry problem several years ago, with gas prices now well above $5/Mcf, lost revenue as well as greenhouse gas emissions now compel companies to seek ways to minimize leakage.

The technology to reduce fugitive emissions has been in place for many years in the refining, petrochemical and air separation industries. However, the natural gas industry has largely been ignored until now.

EPA Initiative

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working with CECO and other alliance partners to identify, monitor and reduce methane emissions at compressor stations.

Using proven designs, unique materials and engineering expertise, CECO offers customers technical training in the field, troubleshooting and cost-effective solutions based on corporate goals and requirements. Several companies are now working with CECO to reduce and monitor emissions from compressor packing cases. CECO Low Emission Packing (LEP) has proven to help reduce lost gas and save money.

Important Steps

CECO has identified a number of important leak reduction steps. Proper maintenance is critical as there are a number of impediments to effective sealing. There are numerous leak paths within a packing case, any of which can cause an unacceptable emissions release.

Early test results look extremely promising. At one compressor station, initial leakage of over 30 scfh was detected before installing CECO LEP.

After continuous monitoring, the leakage rate stabilized at 5 scfh, a reduction of about 83% in the amount of lost gas. Over one year, this would equate to a significant savings. When companies consider this savings for one compressor rod, multiplied by the number of compressors they have in operation, it is easy to understand their need to save money.