Vapor Recovery Services Aid Oil Companies to Lower Rates of Potential Toxic Emissions

Vapor recovery services deal with recovering the vapors of crude oil or gas, so they don't escape to the atmosphere as easily. This is commonly done at oil filling stations, to minimize noxious and potential toxic emissions. Vapor recovery also takes place in the combustion chamber of a diesel engine. Crude oil is mostly composed of a combination of hydrocarbons (i.e., gasoline) along with other synthetic chemicals. The vapor that escapes during combustion is the byproduct of these reactions.

According to Energy Statistical Yearbook 2019, in 2018, carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. increased by 3.1% compared to that in 2017. Oil companies use vapor recovery services to lower emission rates. Diesel engines experience maximum pressure when at full steam, because that is how much fuel is available to the burner. This pressure in the tank causes an outgassing of steam, which can cause harmful air quality problems inside a factory and even increase the risk of fire. If the oil tank is not cleaned periodically, the byproducts can build up and threaten the stability of the entire tank system.

Vapor recovery services are often used to remove organic matter such as motor oil, antifreeze and brake fluid. In a typical oil tank, there is thickening and settling of the solids, as well as a growth of bacteria. Vapors from the organic content in the oil settle atop the solid material, depositing them in the bottom of the tank. During storage, these solids can expand and form cracks in the tank walls. If left alone, these cracks can open the tank lid, allowing the organic solids to escape and pollute surrounding areas.

Because vapor recovery units are so inexpensive and largely untested, companies that perform these services should always have a budget estimate prepared and be on hand to discuss it with their clients. One reason that companies that perform vapor recovery may be overstating their capabilities is that there can be such a wide range of potential problems with storage tanks that it is difficult to estimate the average number of unplanned escapes. However, because some escapes are relatively easy to identify and then repair, they tend to cancel out potential losses. Also, there can be a difference of a few hundred dollars per ton of released gas in each tank. That means an escape from a storage tank vent can cost a company anywhere from twenty to forty thousand dollars, depending upon the size and age of the storage tank. Even those assumptions, however, would still make vapor recovery units a top priority in any market growth or energy savings planning efforts.