23 May 2013
Dolphin Energy's flaring rates rank "among the best" for all oil and gas companies in Qatar, the company said in a report.
Dolphin Energy's flaring volume stood at 3,373mn standard cubic feet, down 8.5% from the 2011 volume, said the company in its '2012 Sustainability Report'.
Flaring, which is the controlled combustion of excess gas, is a necessary and essential component of gas refinery operations, despite being one of the main contributors to oil and gas companies' carbon footprint.
Flaring is used to eliminate waste gas or as a safety system to release non-waste gas; the latter is necessary to ease the strain on equipment and protect it from damage due to overpressure, especially when restarting production.
Reduction of flaring while maintaining optimal safety and productivity is a goal of all oil and gas companies, Dolphin Energy said.
During normal operations, the flares are continuously lit by pilot flames so that any gas released to the flares will be ignited safely.
These pilot flames are maintained by a steady supply of natural gas, referred to as "purge gas."
In early 2012, a safety review of flare operations raised a concern over the potential for the pilot flame to extinguish during high wind conditions.
Since the only available method of assuring the pilot flame's presence was by visual observation, Dolphin Energy increased the flow of natural gas to the flares so that the pilot flame could be observed by operators in the control room.
This additional purge gas sufficiently increased the overall amount of gas flared in 2012 to result in non-compliance with the company's overall flaring rate of 0.3% of sweet gas production.
This issue was resolved in December 2012 through the installation of infrared cameras. The cameras enable the operators to view the pilot flame in the infrared spectrum, allowing Dolphin Energy to reduce significantly the flow of purge gas while guaranteeing constant presence of the pilot flame.
Installation of these infrared cameras has resulted in a significant reduction in routine flaring amounts.
This incorporation of new equipment and alteration of Dolphin Energy's operating practices is representative of the company's environmentally responsible policies, the report said.
Company actively working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Dolphin Energy is "actively working" to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) as part of its commitment to environmental sustainability, the company said in a report.
Greenhouse gas emissions are universally recognised as a significant contributor to the earth's changing climate.
Highlights of the company's emission reduction initiatives include monitoring of flaring, using infrared cameras to detect flaring that is invisible to the naked eye and the initiation of numerous studies assessing the feasibility of natural carbon capture opportunities.
In order to help monitor the company's carbon footprint, Dolphin Energy follows EU guidelines to account for and report GHG emissions.
Additionally, Dolphin Energy is an active member of the Qatar Petroleum GHG Accounting and Reporting Programme and the Qatar Petroleum Global Gas Flaring
Reduction Initiative, formed to develop and implement methods to reduce flaring and venting volumes.
These initiatives enabled Dolphin Energy to reduce its total GHG emissions by 4.6% in a year up to 2012.
In the same period, flaring decreased by 8.5% as a result of several programmes, including the implementation of the use of infrared cameras that allow for lower flare purge volumes and more accurate monitoring of flare tip flame presence.
Dolphin Energy's operations result in emissions of other non-greenhouse gases, including nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx).
Qatar's "consent to operate agreement" requires companies to adhere to strict limits on these types of emissions, Dolphin Energy said in its latest "Sustainability report".
Dolphin Energy employs Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) on some 22 of its onshore combustion emissions sources.
These monitors operate continuously recording data on NOx and SOx emissions.
In 2012, a project was initiated to ensure that the raw data collected by the CEMS and stored in the Real Time Data Base (RTDB) system is properly utilised to provide valid and reliable emissions data.
This project was initiated because some errors were discovered in the emissions data.
A specialist consultant has been retained to review and revise any errors in logic and programming.
Qatar's Ministry of Environment requires that CEMS are tested annually based on USEPA Relative Accuracy Test Audit (RATA) protocols.
This testing checks the CEMS against a certified test instrument to ensure that accurate data is being collected by the CEMS.
As preparation to this test programme, Dolphin Energy will be conducting a review of its CEMS against the RATA protocols to determine if any deficiencies exist that must be corrected before the test programme can begin.
The review will take place this year.
To ensure Dolphin Energy's readiness to meet future compliance requirements, a strategic air programme review was completed in 2012, resulting in the recommendation of a five-year environmental programme improvement plan.
This plan will focus on improving Dolphin Energy's ability to meet all future expectations regarding air emissions and management of waste and wastewater, the report said.
© Gulf Times 2013
