Pollution control practices - hydrocarbon emission control in petroleum refineries

This paper describes several years of experience with refinery fugitive emission rules and analyzes it in terms of recommendations for practice. It is shown that the data from the valve IandM program show a net economic return due to reduced stock losses when the Radian emission factors are used. Using lower emission factors or increasing the inspection frequency would adversely affect the cost effectiveness. The IandM program for pumps and compressors is a relatively cost-effective program from a regulatory agency's viewpoint. It is an expensive program to operate, but the cost effectiveness is as good as most other hydrocarbon reduction strategies currently under consideration for petroleum refineries. Estimating fugitive emissions is a critical part of obtaining construction permits for most new projects. Current IandM programs provide valuable data which helps to expedite the permitting process. 3 refs.