How Dry Gas Seals Cut Methane Emissions: Data from the US EPA

Most of the methane gas leakage from the centrifugal compressor comes from the oil waste system. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Natural Gas STAR program has synthesized many cases of oil waste replacement with dry gas waste.

Why do we waste so much gas?

Oil sealing partially dissolves technological gas. When oil is de-gased, methane is released into the environment. Dry gas seals do not use oil so there is no escape route.

The noteworthy figures.

• One partner of the program recorded oil debris losses of about 75 Mcf gas per day, while dry gas debris only about 2 Mcf per day (Mcf is a thousand cubic feet).
• Flowserve documents state that oil debris can discharge 20 to 100 times more than dry gas debris.

Benefits besides reducing emissions

Dry gas waste does not need oil compensation, reduces oil system maintenance and saves the amount of gas that can be sold. However, when converting it is necessary to take into account the cost of replacement, the gas supply system and the condition of the existing compressor.

Source of reference.

EPA Natural Gas STAR, Flowserve presentation document. Article compiled and reinterpreted by SNS-VN; brand name belongs to the owner.