American Oil and Gas Reporter - May 2016 - 67

SpecialReport: Compression & Production Optimization
gas out of the crank case, so there are no
crank case emissions, Moore says. He
adds that it is lubricant-free. "This simplifies operations and reduces costs by
eliminating the need for an oil makeup
tank. Also, because we are no longer
adding oil to the cylinders, the valves
last longer," he explains.
The unit excels in vapor recovery, gas
lift, plunger lift, and dry air applications,
Moore says. "We have added to our website a sizing program for the LRG9 that
will automatically select a cylinder configuration based on the gas properties,
the inlet and outlet conditions, and desired
flow," he remarks.
"Since we introduced the LRG9 almost
two years ago, we have gotten great feedback from customers," he reports. "In
fact, we have sold more than 170 units to
a single Permian Basin operator through
our packager. Because the compressor
can take gas to high line pressures, it is
doing well in Colorado."
The feedback has been strong enough
that LeROI is developing a 100-horsepower variation, Moore concludes.
Vapor Recovery
As regulations governing upstream
emissions continue to tighten, efficient
and effective vapor recovery has become
critical, observes Inayat Virani, president
and CEO of HY-BON/EDI. "We have
seen a huge increase in competition as
other companies realize regulations will
make vapor recovery far more common,"
he remarks.
"Customers also are becoming savvier
with respect to vapor recovery," he continues. "Many of them now know that
the vapor from tanks is rich enough to
condense in the compression cycle, which
means vapor recovery units need to use
compressors designed for wet gas. Dry
gas systems cost less, but because of
downtime and service costs, they are
more expensive in the long run."
Even so, a few cash-strapped producers
are opting for dry gas systems, Virani
observes. "We know times are tough, so
we are extending payment terms to help
customers with cash flow. We also are
looking at agreements where we buy the
VRU for the customer and take payment
from the return provided by the gas it
captures," he says.
Virani adds that HY-BON/EDI is
streamlining its packaging operations and
working with its vendors to reduce costs.
"We also are developing smaller products
we believe will be more cost effective

Vapor recovery specialists such as HY-BON/EDI are helping producers comply with tightening emission standards at minimal cost by providing appropriately sized equipment
that handles the wet streams typical in vapor recovery applications.

and offer better run times," he reports.
One of the company's new products
employs LeROI Gas Compressor's LRG9
reciprocating compressor. "We have gotten
great feedback from customers in the
Marcellus Shale on that," Virani says.
"Our customers describe it is as a quality
package that is easy to use and maintain.
"We are looking at monitoring our
equipment constantly and developing
trending capabilities that will allow us to
do preventive maintenance," he reports.
"In the next few months, we expect to
test those capabilities in the field. I am
hoping we will be able to launch them
commercially before the end of the year."
James K. Sidebottom, HY-BON/EDI's
senior vice president of technical services,
encourages producers to select VRUs
carefully. "Spending the money to measure
and analyze the gas coming off the tanks
rather than relying solely on desktop calculations can be a big benefit," he maintains. "It often allows customers to buy
smaller, less expensive packages, and it
can save them from buying one that is
too small and getting out of compliance."
Producers must capture smaller and
smaller vapor streams to comply with
emission regulations, Sidebottom notes.
"With small gas streams, a vapor recovery
compressor may not pay out, especially
in an area with high pipeline pressures,"
he allows. "In many cases, an enclosed
combustor may be the only economic
option for controlling emissions."
In response, HY-BON/EDI has devel-

oped a combustor that Virani describes
as easier to install, use, and maintain.
"We have replaced what used to be a
piecemeal offering-where the combustor
and the ancillary equipment such as the
flame arrestor and knockout pot would
have to be assembled in the field-with
an all-inclusive unit. When the unit arrives
on site, the operator only needs to stand
it up, connect pipes to it, and turn it on."
The process is simple enough that Virani says he has had customers call out
of habit to request a startup technician,
then call back a day later to say their
field hands figured everything out. "We
are proud of that because we know it is
helping our customers cut costs," he comments.
"The combustor has a technically sophisticated burner management system
that controls gas flow to allow the system
to burn more consistently and keep the
combustion zone temperature high," Virani
says. "Compared with having the system
turn on and off constantly, this improves
destruction efficiency."
❒

Coming In June
The inside stories of the Lucius
and Heidelberg deepwater developments, both of which achieved
first oil within three years after
project sanctioning using look-alike
spar facilities.
MAY 2016 67

American Oil and Gas Reporter - May 2016

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