Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
Date: Jan 2022, ongoing
Application: New gas drilling sites: measurement of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) for compliance with Regulation No7 (Control of Ozone via Ozone Precursors & Control of Hydrocarbons via Oil & Gas Emissions)
Product: Praxis/OPCube (with VOC sensor): 3 OPCubes per drilling station, plus 1 met’ station.
Argos Scientific (a distribution partner for South Coast Science) are currently supplying air quality stations for natural gas extraction plants, Colorado complete with Praxis/OPCubes for VOC monitoring. These stations form part of compliance requirements for the 8-Hour Ozone Control Areas and Denver 1-Hour Ozone Attainment/Maintenance Area.
Colorado accounts for 4% of US crude oil production, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Whilst gas drilling is important for global energy security, the drilling process also creates air pollution and the potential for harm to health.
The oil and gas industry is the largest industrial source of emissions of VOCs, which are a major contributor to ground level ozone, otherwise known as photochemical smog. VOC emissions also include compounds known or suspected to cause cancer, for example benzene ethylbenzene and n-hexane.
As a result, oil and gas production companies are required by law to monitor VOC emissions from drilling platforms.
As can be seen from the picture, the drilling sites are blanketed in snow at certain times of the year. The climate conditions can be harsh and the sites are relatively remote.
The installation for each drilling pad is as follows:
The three sites are situated to the North, West and East of the oil well and drilling pad.
In parallel with the monitoring equipment, data from the South Coast Science API is fed into a dashboard developed by Argos Scientific, which integrates meteorological data with the air quality monitoring data. The system includes an email based notification that alerts the users in the case of high VOC levels or if the system goes offline for any reason.
“The Praxis/OP Cube has allowed Argos to quickly deploy units for our clients on remote sites. Once powered up they start sending us data that the client can act on.”
Mark Baird, Managing Director, Argos South Africa
“Supporting compliance activity relating to the management of public health is one of the use cases our air quality monitors have been expressly designed for. The Praxis/OPCube is compact, lightweight and can be used in harsh environments with minimal on-site maintenance required. Once the instruments are installed, they just keep on doing their job. ”
David Johnson, Sales Director – South Coast Science
To see specifications and other use cases for our products designed for air quality monitoring for PM, gasses and VOCs visit the South Coast Science website or contact David Johnson, Sales Director.
