Fugitive Emissions Monitoring

A strategic tool for a safe, healthy and environment-friendly plant

Fugitive Emission Challenge for Volatile Organic Compounds

Fugitive emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a growing concern in oil and gas industrial plants (petrochemical and chemical plants, FPSO, offshore platforms, etc.) and their control has become strategic. 

They are mostly composed of thousands of micro-leaks, called fugitive emissions, seeping out from equipment such as valves, flanges and pumps. 

Due to operating conditions (pressure, temperature, etc.), aging, deterioration of sealing devices and equipment solidity, there can be a substantial increase in fugitive emissions that have an impact on health, safety and the environment.

What is Fugitive Emissions Monitoring for Volatile Organic Compounds?

Fugitive emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) are monitored according to the EN 15446 and US EPA 21 standards elaborated by the European Committee for standardization (CEN). 

A VOC analyzer (a flame ionization detector) is used to detect leaking sources. A periodic monitoring campaign with software tools permits rapid collection of thousands of data in a process unit. It also gives a precise look at equipment behavior in order to make decisions with objective and verified data. 

Identification of faulty equipment, routing, leak detection, repair programs and management of data are the main steps of a complete Leak Detection And Repair Program (LDAR).

Why Choose Bureau Veritas?

Expertise 

• Proven field implementation method and procedures 

• Advanced IT tools (GEF on-line software) 

• Experienced and trained teams 

• European leader since 1990 

Participation in the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) 

• Co-writing of the European standard for fugitive emissions (EN 15446) 

• Development of the European Software ‘Fugitive Emissions’ for the EN15446 standard 

Participation to the AFNOR Committee X43B 

• 2009 – 2011: Projects on VOC fugitive emissions including the Infrared Camera User Guide

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the difference between sniffing and the use of an infrared camera?

  The standardized current practice (EPA 21 or EN 15446) called 'sniffing' aims to detect all leaks regardless of size for any product. 

  Sniffing is the only program that can quantify leaking sources on your equipment. It helps to identify emergencies and establish an adapted maintenance program. 

  The use of an infrared camera is an alternative practice and allows you to detect leaking sources in a qualitative way. This approach is cheap and fast but won't provide you with any quantitative information as it detects only large leaks from certain products.