Methane and Other Hydrocarbon Gas Emissions Resulting from Flaring in Kuwait Oilfields
Air pollution is a major environmental health
problem, affecting developed and developing countries around the
world. Increasing amounts of potentially harmful gases and
particulate matter are being emitted into the atmosphere on a global
scale, resulting in damage to human health and the environment.
Petroleum-related air pollutants can have a wide variety of adverse
environmental impacts. In the crude oil production sectors, there is a
strong need for a thorough knowledge of gaseous emissions resulting
from the flaring of associated gas of known composition on daily
basis through combustion activities under several operating
conditions. This can help in the control of gaseous emission from
flares and thus in the protection of their immediate and distant
surrounding against environmental degradation.
The impacts of methane and non-methane hydrocarbons emissions
from flaring activities at oil production facilities at Kuwait Oilfields
have been assessed through a screening study using records of flaring
operations taken at the gas and oil production sites, and by analyzing
available meteorological and air quality data measured at stations
located near anthropogenic sources. In the present study the
Industrial Source Complex (ISCST3) Dispersion Model is used to
calculate the ground level concentrations of methane and nonmethane
hydrocarbons emitted due to flaring in all over Kuwait
Oilfields.
The simulation of real hourly air quality in and around oil
production facilities in the State of Kuwait for the year 2006,
inserting the respective source emission data into the ISCST3
software indicates that the levels of non-methane hydrocarbons from
the flaring activities exceed the allowable ambient air standard set by
Kuwait EPA. So, there is a strong need to address this acute problem
to minimize the impact of methane and non-methane hydrocarbons
released from flaring activities over the urban area of Kuwait.
[1] Khaireyah Kh. AL-Hamad and A. R. Khan, 2007. "Total Emissions
from Flaring in Kuwait Oilfields", American Journal of Environmental
Sciences 4 (1): 31-38, 2007, ISSN 1553-345X ┬® 2007 Science
Publications. http://www.scipub.org/fulltext/ajes/ajes4131-38.pdf.
[2] Khaireyah Kh. AL-Hamad, V. Nassehi and A. R. Khan, 2007. "Impact
of Green House Gases (GHG) Emissions from Oil Production Facilities
at Northern Kuwait Oilfields: Simulated Results", Accepted to
American Journal of Environmental Sciences 4 (5): 491-501, 2008,
ISSN 1553-345X ┬® 2008 Science Publications,
http://www.scipub.org/fulltext/ajes/ajes45491-501.pdf.
[3] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1999. "PCRAMMET User-s
Guide (Revised)", EPA-454/R-96-001. Office of Air Quality Planning
and Standards, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711.
[4] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1995." User guide for the
industrial source complex (ISC3) dispersion models", Volume I, User
Instructions", EPA-450/B-95-003a. Research Triangle Park, N.C:
Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards, Emissions, Monitoring and Analysis Division.
[5] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1992." User guide for the
industrial source complex (ISC) dispersion models", EPA-450/4-92-
008A. Research Triangle Park, N.C: Environmental Protection Agency.
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
[1] Khaireyah Kh. AL-Hamad and A. R. Khan, 2007. "Total Emissions
from Flaring in Kuwait Oilfields", American Journal of Environmental
Sciences 4 (1): 31-38, 2007, ISSN 1553-345X ┬® 2007 Science
Publications. http://www.scipub.org/fulltext/ajes/ajes4131-38.pdf.
[2] Khaireyah Kh. AL-Hamad, V. Nassehi and A. R. Khan, 2007. "Impact
of Green House Gases (GHG) Emissions from Oil Production Facilities
at Northern Kuwait Oilfields: Simulated Results", Accepted to
American Journal of Environmental Sciences 4 (5): 491-501, 2008,
ISSN 1553-345X ┬® 2008 Science Publications,
http://www.scipub.org/fulltext/ajes/ajes45491-501.pdf.
[3] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1999. "PCRAMMET User-s
Guide (Revised)", EPA-454/R-96-001. Office of Air Quality Planning
and Standards, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711.
[4] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1995." User guide for the
industrial source complex (ISC3) dispersion models", Volume I, User
Instructions", EPA-450/B-95-003a. Research Triangle Park, N.C:
Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards, Emissions, Monitoring and Analysis Division.
[5] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1992." User guide for the
industrial source complex (ISC) dispersion models", EPA-450/4-92-
008A. Research Triangle Park, N.C: Environmental Protection Agency.
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
@article{"International Journal of Chemical, Materials and Biomolecular Sciences:49885", author = "Khaireyah Kh. Al-Hamad and V. Nassehi and A. R. Khan", title = "Methane and Other Hydrocarbon Gas Emissions Resulting from Flaring in Kuwait Oilfields", abstract = "Air pollution is a major environmental health
problem, affecting developed and developing countries around the
world. Increasing amounts of potentially harmful gases and
particulate matter are being emitted into the atmosphere on a global
scale, resulting in damage to human health and the environment.
Petroleum-related air pollutants can have a wide variety of adverse
environmental impacts. In the crude oil production sectors, there is a
strong need for a thorough knowledge of gaseous emissions resulting
from the flaring of associated gas of known composition on daily
basis through combustion activities under several operating
conditions. This can help in the control of gaseous emission from
flares and thus in the protection of their immediate and distant
surrounding against environmental degradation.
The impacts of methane and non-methane hydrocarbons emissions
from flaring activities at oil production facilities at Kuwait Oilfields
have been assessed through a screening study using records of flaring
operations taken at the gas and oil production sites, and by analyzing
available meteorological and air quality data measured at stations
located near anthropogenic sources. In the present study the
Industrial Source Complex (ISCST3) Dispersion Model is used to
calculate the ground level concentrations of methane and nonmethane
hydrocarbons emitted due to flaring in all over Kuwait
Oilfields.
The simulation of real hourly air quality in and around oil
production facilities in the State of Kuwait for the year 2006,
inserting the respective source emission data into the ISCST3
software indicates that the levels of non-methane hydrocarbons from
the flaring activities exceed the allowable ambient air standard set by
Kuwait EPA. So, there is a strong need to address this acute problem
to minimize the impact of methane and non-methane hydrocarbons
released from flaring activities over the urban area of Kuwait.", keywords = "Kuwait Oilfields, ISCST3 model, flaring, Airpollution, Methane and Non-methane.", volume = "2", number = "8", pages = "165-9", }