ENV-06-144 Effective Flare Management in Refineries

Description:

Emissions from flares in oil refineries are increasingly coming into focus in the United States. Several regulatory agencies in the U.S. are currently implementing or contemplating new flaring regulations whose goal is minimization of discharges to the flare. The objective appears to be to maximize the recovery of flare gas and improving the management of refinery fuel gas/recovery systems to the point where all flaring at refineries, other than for emergencies, can be eliminated without compromising safety. In this paper good flare management practices are discussed including the impact on emissions from flared during different flaring scenarios. Options fro enhanced flare gas recovery are presented including its impact on the refinery fuel gas system. Finally, a typical methodology to determine the level of flare gas recovery is discussed.