Emerson recently partnered with Laramie Energy to help the Colorado-based oil and gas producer comply with state and federal emissions regulations. Using ASCO zero-emissions electric dump valves, the only such all-electric solution for separators, scrubbers, and compression units, Emerson helped Laramie Energy achieve compliance by eliminating both vented and fugitive emissions from the liquid dump stage of their separation process.
Conventional dump valves are often piloted by well gas, which can leak into the atmosphere as vented and fugitive emissions. Some states, including Colorado, have emissions regulations that include fines for noncompliance, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a waste emissions charge for methane emissions that exceed specified thresholds.
If fugitive emissions are detected, the EPA requires oil and gas producers to report their greenhouse gas data and conduct tests, surveys, and repairs. Companies that fall out of regulation must pay expensive fines and waste subsequent downtime to reestablish compliance.
In comparison, ASCO zero-emission electric dump valves use ultra-low-power electric actuation, which removes the need to vent well gas in upstream applications. And, unlike traditional dump valves, they are fugitive-emissions-free by design because they have no valve packing.
With precise control, ASCO electric dump valves actuate in 50 to 75 milliseconds compared to conventional valves that take several seconds, thus virtually eliminating any chance of gas blowby. This helped Laramie Energy better maintain the static pressure of their vessels which ultimately led to an increase in natural gas production. The valves also use 1.2 watts (W) of energy compared to a conventional electric retrofit kit that uses 96 W, reducing valve power usage by 98.75%.