Steffes Engineered Flare System

Presented by Todd Mayer, Steffes Corporation

Steffes Engineered Flare System Agenda
Why discuss this?
• Regulations put in place last year that required operators to look at gas being vented or
burned on their production sites
Clarification of the specific gases are we talking about
Types of devices for burning the gases
Types of devices required for given production levels
How has Steffes addressed these
regulations?
• Development of the Steffes Engineered Flare system that will be 3rd party tested in June
2012. This is only one option available to operators.
• Combustor, air assist flares, gas assist flares, and multi-orfice flares (not discussing today)
Regulations on bridge load
capacity???
 What regulations were put in place
requiring operators to look at gas being
vented or burned on their production sites?
Bakken Pool Oil and Gas Production Facilities Air Pollutions Control Permitting &
Compliance Guidance Document
• Issued by ND Department of Health, Division of Air Quality
• Effective Date May 2, 2011
 What regulations were put in place
requiring operators to look at gas being
vented or burned on their production sites?
2 Main Requirements need to be met:
• The overall well Potential to Emit (PTE) of VOC, CO, and Nox needs to be less than 100
Tons per Year (TPY)
 Greater than 100 TPY requires a permit to construct and Title V application.
• Oil Tank Potential to Emit (PTE) of VOCs:
 Tank PTE < 20 TPY—Ground Flare Acceptable
 Tank PTE >20 TPY—Utility Flare Required
 What are VOCs?
Volatile Organic Compounds
Organic Compounds—Compounds containing carbon
One way to destroy VOCs is to burn them using flares. One way flares are rated is their
Destruction and Removal Efficiency (DRE). A flare with a 98% DRE is burning 98% of the
VOCs contained in the incoming gas.
 Sources of VOCS on an Oil Site
Oil/Condensate Tanks
Produced Water Tanks
Treater Flares
Heater/Burners
Truck Loading
Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engine (RICE)
Pneumatic Pumps
Pneumatic Controllers
Today we will focus on VOCs from tanks and
treater flares
 Burning VOCs
North Dakota specifies 3 classifications of devices for burning VOCs:
Ground Pit Flare (includes, but not limited to pit flares or shop built flares). 90%
DRE allowed.
Enclosed Smokeless Combustor. 98% Destruction and Removal Efficiency (DRE)
allowed.
Utility Flare or Other 98% DRE device
At a minimum, all treater gas and tank gas must be burned with a ground pit flare.
We will be focusing on the utility flare (the Steffes Engineered Flare is a utility flare)
today.
 Definition of a Utility Flare
(reference 40 CFR 60.18)
Operates with no visible emissions (smoke) except for periods not to exceed a total of
5 minutes during any 2 consecutive hours.
Operates with a flame present at all times.
Gas exits the flare at a velocity within a specified range.
 What control device is needed on a
particular site?
The overall well Potential to Emit (PTE) of VOC, CO, and Nox:
Needs to be less than 100 Tons per Year (TPY). Greater than 100 TPY
requires a permit to construct and Title V application.
Oil Tank Potential to Emit (PTE) of VOCs:
Tank PTE < 20 TPY—Ground Flare Acceptable
Tank PTE >20 TPY—Utility Flare Required
What does all this mean in terms of production numbers?
Flared Treater Gas Flow Rate (mscfd)
Example: A well produces an average of 500
bopd during its first month of production. A
ground
Acceptable Combinations of Oil and Gas Flow Rates flare
to stay is not100
below acceptable
TPY Limitbecause flow is
of VOC emissions
900
greater than 118 bopd. Allowable treater gas to
be burned is 663 mscfd if burned with a utility
800 flare (98% DRE) or 154 mscfd if burned with a
ground flare (90% DRE).
700
118 bopd limit for using
a ground pit flare (90%
DRE) on tank gas.
600
Above this limit, VOC
emissions would be
500
greater that 20 TPY. Included in analysis (default values
from state):
400 • Treater Flare Gas, Tank Vent Gas,
Treater Burner
300 • And Truck Loading

200

100

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

Average Oil Flow Rate (bopd)

98% DRE Tank Gas, 90% DRE Treater Gas 98% DRE Tank Gas, 98% DRE Treater Gas

90% DRE Tank Gas, 90% DRE Treater Gas 90% DRE Tank Gas, 98% DRE Treater Gas
 What is a Steffes engineered flare?
One system to burn both tank and treater gas. Both burners qualify as utility flares (98%
DRE).
Also possible to use each burner as a stand alone system
Includes ignition system and monitored standing pilot
Handles a wide range of gas flow rates
Open Flare
Meets all requirements of EPA 40 CFR 60.18
Smokeless
Flame present at all times
Exit Velocity Requirements
Simple, Reliable, Easy to Maintain, and Safe
A flare that does not run destroys 0% of VOCs
Easy to set-up. Everything is included to make the system work.
Options to log or communicate with existing SCADA systems.
Overview of the Flare System
Ignition, Data Logging, and Monitoring

Optional pressure
gages for system
monitoring High
Temperature
Electric Fencer or
Insulated
Burner
Stainless Steel
Management
Conductor
Thermocouple System to provide
Data Logger or high voltage pulse
SCADA interface Powder to igniter
Coated Steel
Stands
Overview of Flare System
 Flare and Pilot Tips
Low Pressure Tank
Gas Tip. 4 osi

High Pressure
Treater Gas Tip.
3-8 psi.
All tips are modular meaning
that it is possible to configure
to only burn treater gas or to
only burn tank gas.
Standing
Pilot 8-10 psi
 High Pressure Flare Tip
The high pressure flare tip is a pressure assisted flare. When gas exits under pressure at a higher
velocity than a typical pit flare, it burns with a pale orange smokeless flame.

3. Gas exits through the

annular gap and is guided
upward by the plunger
radius. As the gas is
guided around the radius, 2. Plunger lifts a distance
significant combustion air proportional to the
is drawn in prior to gas flow.
ignition.

1. Gas fills main barrel of flare and

builds to a pressure of 3 psi.
This pressure is based on the
weight of the plunger and
preload of spring pack.
 Low Pressure Flare Tip
Similar operation to the high pressure
flare tip, but needs to operate at a much
lower pressure to handle tank vent gas.
3. Gas exits through the annular gap
and is guided upward by the
plunger radius. As the gas is
guided around the radius,
significant combustion air is drawn
in prior to ignition. 2. Plunger lifts a distance
proportional to the
gas flow.

1. Gas fills main barrel of flare and

builds to a pressure of 4 osi.
This pressure is based on the
weight of the plunger only.
Standing Pilot Overview
High Temperature Pilot System
Ignition Rod
High Temperature
Thermocouple

Looking in end of pilot nozzle Thermocouple

Ignition
Conductor

Pilot Gas
 Steffes Engineered Flare
Low Pressure Tank Gas High Pressure Treater Gas

Pilot
Engineered Flare System

Flare Tips in Berm

Electric Fencer
High Pressure Flare Tip Burning
Approximately 800 mscfd
Very Low Gas Flow
Low Pressure Flare Tip Burning
Approximately 30 mscfd
Low Pressure Tank
Pilot
Vent Gas Flare Tip
 Summary
Today we have discussed regulations that are in place guiding operators on what needs
to be done with gas emitted from production oil sites.
The Steffes Engineered Flare is one tool that is available to help operators meet these
regulations. The system will be 3rd party tested in June 2012.
Steffes is working with customers to develop other flaring technologies such as air
assist flares, gas assist flares, and multi-orifice flares. More technologies will be
introduced as regulations continue to evolve.
QUESTIONS?