Colorado – Front Range Nonattainment Area
Colorado’s fast-growing Front Range urban corridor stretches from Colorado Springs in the south up to Fort Collins and near the Wyoming border to the north. Increasing urban density combined with active oil and gas development in the region have contributed to high levels of ozone from VOC and NOx emissions.
On November 20, 2007, the Denver-metropolitan and Northern Front Range areas were designated as “nonattainment” with the 8-hour Federal ozone standard. The nonattainment area consists of a nine-county area, including the counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, and portions of Larimer and Weld. The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) enforces state and Federal emissions and requires oil and gas operators in the nonattainment area to apply for air permits and report their operations’ Potential to Emit (PTE). The Front Range nonattainment area has a current status of Moderate, which limits PTE of VOC and NOx to 100 Tons per Year (TPY). CDPHE expects that this area will be re-classified to a Serious status, requiring Title V permits for emission sources with PTE over 50 TPY.
EcoVapor’s solutions for capturing tank flash gas and putting it back into the sales line reduces both VOC and NOx emissions, unlike combustor systems that produce these compounds when they burn flash gas contaminated with oxygen. Operators using EcoVapor’s ZerO2™ oxygen removal system can claim increased vapor recovery efficiencies and reduced Potential to Emit (PTE) in their air permit applications in addition to physically reducing emissions during the lifecycle of a well. Capturing emissions at the wellsite also results in additional revenue for the operator and improves operations safety by lowering tank pressures.
- EcoVapor’s ZerO2 systems allow for 100% capture of tank flash gas, unlike VRTs that can only remove part of the entrained gas prior to the tanks.
- In Colorado, a 95% effective vapor control and capture system backed up by a 95% efficient combustor allows the applicant to claim as much as 99.74% reduction in PTE during permitting.
- This reduction would allow a site with a PTE of over 19,000 TPY to stay under 50 TPY, a critical factor for operators producing along Colorado’s Front Range, where the Ozone Nonattainment status is expected to change from Moderate to Serious this year and the Title V PTE threshold will drop from 100 TPY to 50 TPY.
In summary, adding the compact, simple and reliable ZerO2 solution to your production facilities makes obtaining air permits easier and much faster (lower PTE), reduces actual emissions (reduced TPY) and can generate incremental revenue (sell more gas and oil). Not to mention the financial benefits of not being shut-in due to emissions and avoiding possible fines by keeping tank pressures low and stable.
Contact us today to learn how EcoVapor can help make air permitting a breeze.
844-NO-FLARE (844-663-5273)
