One of the key sources of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions in a natural gas plant are leaks from equipment and pipes known as fugitive emissions. These are unintentional losses due to wear and tear on the facility and manufacturing defects or corrosion. Since 2011, Dolphin Energy has implemented an annual Fugitive Emissions Monitoring (FEM) Program to monitor potential leaking sources from equipment at its onshore Gas Processing Plant in Ras Laffan, Qatar. The objective of this paper is to highlight the progress made through implementation of the FEM Program. The first step of the FEM Program was to identify the process streams handling fluids that contain VOC ten percent by weight or more (>10%) and differentiate among streams handling gases/vapors, light liquids and heavy liquids. To perform its Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) Program, the company reviewed the inventory of potential leak sources to be included in the Program, then carried out source tagging, monitoring with gas detectors to identify leaks greater than 10,000 ppm, performed leak repairs by maintenance personnel, then conducted further monitoring of repaired leaks and reported on VOC emissions before and after repair. In 2015, The FEM Program covered a total of 82,916 potential sources of leaks out of which 64,983 were accessible and measured for fugitive emissions. Stem control valves were the source-type resulting in most of the leaks above the repair threshold and were the equipment to focus on to reduce significant VOC emissions. This FEM Program has led to an average of 44% reduction in fugitive emissions since the Program started in 2011. Successful implementation of the FEM Program enabled Dolphin Energy to increase its revenue by reducing the fugitive losses, reduce the fire and toxic gas leak risks in the plant, check the integrity of plant equipment, and reduce its carbon footprint on the environment.
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