Compressor Seals Study – Preliminary Findings Laura Johnson, P.Eng. Technical Advisor, Climate Policy Assurance

November 28, 2018

Agenda

Background

Current State

Study Design

Field Campaign/Observations

Next Steps

AER 2

Background

Existing studies on compressor seals venting may not:

Reflect Albertan context Incorporate maintenance, mechanical and process conditions

Accepted emission factor feeds regulator limit

AER committed to using best available data

Identified need to increase certainty around compressor venting

AER 3

4

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

Base Case AER ClearstoneStudy

Company A Company B AERCompressorSeal Study

Vent

Rat

e m

3/hr

/Thr

ow

Study

AER 4

Current State - Reciprocating

Current State - Centrifugal

AER 5

-5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

0

0 <

x <

1

1 <

x <

2

2 <

x <

3

3 <

x <

4

4 <

x <

5

5 <

x <

6

6 <

x <

7

7 <

x <

8

8 <

x <

9

9 <

x <

10

10 <

x <

…

11 <

x <

…

12 <

x <

…

13 <

x <

…

14 <

x <

…

15 <

x <

…

16 <

x <

…

17 <

x <

…

18 <

x <

…

19 <

x <

…

Freq

uenc

y (#

of U

nits

)

Frequency

Relative Frequency

Accurata - 2018 M3/hr/unit

Rel

ativ

e Fr

eque

ncy

Study Design

Maintenance survey • Organizational maintenance culture

Measurement plan • 4 measurement tools (QOGI, Calscan, Alicat, Hi

Flow)

Site-specific survey • In conjunction with field measurement

AER 6

AER 7

Field Campaign

Measured • 124 reciprocating units at 71 sites • 11 centrifugal units at 7 sites

– 5 dry seal, 6 wet seal

Factors to consider in analysis – Difficulty following piping – Difficulty accessing some vents – Backpressure or leaks challenging the meter – Ambient heat interfering with electrical equipment

AER 8

Next Steps

AER 9

Study completion

Update modeling

Assess requirements in advance of 2022 regulatory review