Presidential Methane to Markets Partnership Announced

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that the U.S. will join efforts with Australia, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine to develop and promote cooperation on the recovery and use of methane that would otherwise leak into the atmosphere. The Partnership will focus on deploying cost-effective technologies in landfill gas-to-energy projects, methane recovery projects at coal mines, and improvements in natural gas systems. Canada, China, and Russia are seriously considering joining the partnership.

EPA's Natural Gas STAR Program will take the leading role to identify and implement cost-effective methane emissions reduction activities. The two main Gas STAR goals of this undertaking are to implement cost-effective natural gas system methane emissions reduction projects with measurable results, and to build lasting capacity, enabling these projects to continue and replicate. Gas STAR Partners with international holdings are strongly encouraged to become actively involved with this effort by considering methane emissions reduction project opportunities within the framework of this initiative.

The Gas STAR Program will assist in organizing the official Partnership Ministerial Meeting, which will be held November 15–17, 2004, in Washington, DC.

For more information, visit EPA’s (www.epa.gov/methane/inter
national.html) or contact EPA's Roger Fernandez (email Fernandez.roger@epa.gov).

Engineered Concepts, LLC, Farmington, NM, has developed new gas dehydrator technology, termed Quantum Leap Dehydrator (QLD), for dehydrating natural gas with lower emissions. The integrated QLD process reduces emissions by collecting water and hydrocarbons present in the glycol reboiler vent stream, both condensable and non-condensable fluids. The two primary condensable products are wastewater and hydrocarbon condensate, which can be sold. The reboiler burner combusts the uncondensable vapors as the system's primary fuel, lowering fuel requirements significantly compared to conventional glycol units.

The Greenhouse Gas Technology Center, Southern Research Institute (www.sri-rtp.com), verified performance in a seven-day field test at a Kerr McGee natural gas gathering station in Brighton,

Colorado, in spring 2003. The verification test manager noted that the QLD is "effective, efficient, and has an environmental impact that's lower than most standard technology." Full results of the verification test are available online (www.sri-rtp.com/Quantum_Leap.
htm).

Information extracted from www.findarticles.com/p/articles/
mi_m4PRN/is_2004_March_31/
ai_114770743, Greenhouse Gas Technology News (April 2004, Issue 9) and the verification report itself. Engineered Concepts, LLC (phone 505-325-4827).

GTI Creates Environmental Issues Consortium

The Gas Technology Institute (GTI) has formed the Environmental Issues Consortium (EIC). Through the EIC, participating companies pool their resources to identify industry needs and support collaborative research programs. High-priority industry environmental concerns include the need to develop:

• Advanced chemical forensic techniques for identifying industry-associated wastes

• Rapid field testing techniques for PCB detection

• Pipeline integrity management programs

• Sediments management programs

• Greenhouse gas inventory techniques

• Air-quality management methods

• Techniques and technologies for manufactured gas plant site management.

EIC hopes to come away with an understanding of where research is most needed in this area, the specific problems that need to be addressed first and the sources of funding for this research. The EIC's first meeting was held Aug. 6 in Chicago. Those interested in the EIC should contact Diane Saber (847-768-0538).