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Measurement of VOCs Using Passive Sorbent Tubes Near Oil & Natural Gas Production Pads in Colorado and Texas
Citation:
Eisele, A., M. Miller, D. Smith, E. Thoma, S. Mukerjee, K. Oliver, D. Whitaker, AND H. Brantley. Measurement of VOCs Using Passive Sorbent Tubes Near Oil & Natural Gas Production Pads in Colorado and Texas. 108th Annual Conference of the Air & Waste Management Association, Raleigh, NC, June 22 - 25, 2015.
Impact/Purpose:
This is a poster presentation for the AWAM meeting. The extended abstract for this was previously cleared through STICs
Description:
Improved understanding of near-source concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) around oil and natural gas production pads is important for several reasons. Production pads serve as the initial collection and storage location of product extraction, where producing wells deliver natural gas, condensate, oil, and water to the surface. Extracted products can emit VOCs and HAPs which have the potential to impact air quality on local and regional scales. With new emission control requirements being rolled out in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) New Source Performance Standards for the sector,1 it is prudent to have methods in place that aid in rule effectiveness determination. EPA Draft Methods 325A2 and 325B3 focus on low-cost measurement and analysis of time-averaged fenceline concentrations of benzene near petrochemical refineries using passive-diffusive sorbent tubes (PSs). This study represents a first step in understanding the value of the PS approach to help inform VOC and HAP concentrations around upstream energy production operations. From fall 2013 through summer 2014, an EPA team deployed PSs as part of a method evaluation study around the two active oil and natural gas production pads, one in the Barnett Shale in Texas and the other in the Denver-Julesburg Basin in Colorado. PS deployments consisted of 14-day exposures at multiple locations around each pad, with preliminary benzene and toluene concentrations being discussed in this abstract. The study also compares the rural near-pad concentrations to PS data measured at an urban location in Denver, Colorado near a busy intersection with high traffic volume. Meteorological parameters were acquired from nearby weather stations and may provide additional insight in understanding VOC concentrations per location and by sampling period (described in the poster presentation).