Blue Source Methane ULC
June 18, 2021
Executive Summary
Many oil and gas facilities depend on pneumatic chemical injection pumps to inject assorted chemicals into pipelines and vessels to inhibit corrosion, hydrate formation, and freezing amongst other purposes. To operate, pneumatic chemical pumps depend on the readily available instrument gas on site as their power source. Since pumps are powered by instrument gas, they release greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, including methane and carbon dioxide, upon each stroke as part of their normal operating design. The revision to the Quantification Protocol for Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Pneumatic Devices (the ‘Protocol’) in May 2020 provided a pathway for additional offset credit opportunities, including emission reduction projects for pneumatic gas driven chemical injection pumps that do not fall under Provincial methane regulation by removing the finite Protocol end date. Unfortunately, the economic feasibility of converting pneumatic gas driven pumps to electrified pumps, usually powered by solar, is limited by high upfront costs especially for marginally emitting pumps. As a result, many of these pumps in Alberta will not be converted, ultimately emitting a considerable amount of methane into the atmosphere for many years to come. Bluesource hypothesized that optimizing the size and configuration of a pneumatic pump, rather than its power source, could also lead to significant emission reductions. Therefore, Bluesource sought to test this hypothesis by collaborating with PTAC, Spartan Controls, PTW Energy, NAL Resources and Outlier Energy to conduct a pump optimization pilot project, with funding provided by PTAC through the Methane Consortia Program (‘MCP’). Existing pneumatic pumps were optimized by changing the plunger size and upgrading internal components to continue utilizing instrument gas, but with a lower emissions footprint.