There are major changes taking place within the energy production industry in the US. Multiple factors are driving these changes such as environmental regulations and the newly found abundance of natural gas.

The new environmental regulations have put tighter restrictions on pollutants and emissions from coal fired power plants which have led to many being decommissioned or converted to natural

gas fired operation. At the recent ðÌð”Electric Power ConferenceðÌð• held in Chicago the keynote speaker stated ðÌð’it is virtually impossible to build new or add capacity to a coal fired plant todayðÌð“.

The new abundance of natural gas being harvested form the various shale plays has lowered the price of gas to such a level that has become very attractive for the power industry. This low cost fuel and combined cycle technology will drive the industry for the next several decades. In fact current forecasts indicate that 80% of all new electric generating capacity between 2013 and

2035 will be combined cycle plants. It is estimated there are about 200 combined Cycle Power

Plants currently in front end engineering.

The news of more and more shale gas plays being discovered is also affecting the energy infra- structure in the US. Where the US was previously and importer of oil and gas we are now shifting the paradigm to that of an energy exporter. Additionally where we previously were flowing various energy products from refineries and import terminals in the gulf coast to various regions in the US, we are now looking at reversing the flow of these pipelines to take the gas and NGLs

from the various shale plays to the gulf refineries and convert the import terminals to export facilities.

As a result of all these changes, TM Filtration is gearing up for this explosion in growth to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the ðÌð’new gas industryðÌð“. For example you will now see this catch phrase on the TM Filtration web page (www.tmfiltration.com) and in the next several weeks we will have a totally redesigned web site to address the gas market.

More importantly TM Filtration gas coalescing filters are now being used in the various ðÌð’streamsðÌð“

of the new gas market. Our equipment is being used in custody transfer stations in the

mid-stream transmission from the shale wells. We are also providing our coalescing filters to be used on Fuel Gas Conditioning packages that will be used to clean the fuel gas to enhance the performance of the downstream gas turbine generators. The illustration below shows typical applications for TM Filtration gas filters.

We are continuing to gather as much information as we can with regard to the shale oil and gas industry. We will send out information on a periodic basis as we discover projects in your various sales territories. Potential customers for our products will be energy and power engineering design firms, exploration and production companies, midstream gathering and distribution companies, refineries and power generation plants, including Simple Cycle and Combined Cycle technology. Keep in mind the power plants will also have requirements for the Fluid Engineering line of strainer products for cooling tower, water make up, and steam condensate

recovery applications.

With our newest plate, the ND double-wall series, GEA PHE Systems has successfully combined a high efficiency heat transfer plate with an extremely reliable double-wall design that eliminates any risk of two fluids intermixing as they pass through the heat exchanger.

This series combines a pair of identical heat transfer plates that are laser welded together at the inlet and outlet port holes to form a small leakage gap between the two plates.

In the event of erosion due to harsh media, a gasket or weld defect due to pressure changes, this clever solution ensures no intermixing of the two non-compatible media while making the leak clearly visible.

A good example of where this design works well is in

oil coolers that use portable water to cool an engine.

Intermixing can create a lot of damage and the extra layer of protection and early leak detection is a must!

The new ND double-wall is more thermally efficient than the former Saftytherm plate line.

Your benefits are:

ðÌðÁ Competitive pricing

ðÌðÁ Shorter lead times

ðÌðÁ A more efficient heat transfer design

ðÌðÁ A plate that gives an extra layer of protection where needed

The ND double-wall plates are currently available in the

4ðÌð“ port hole sizes and come with all the design features of our NT series:

ðÌðÁ Optiwaveðåð» a design for even flow across the plate resulting in maximum heat transfer and less plates.

ðÌðÁ PosLocðåð» self-aligning plates for faster maintenance, shorter down time, longer gasket life.

ðÌðÁ EcoLocðåð» tool and glue free gasket attachments with plate alignment guides

For more information, contact your Sales Manager.

**Taken from GEA newsletter

published by NGI’s Shale Daily: July 10, 2013

Colorado drillers may face more scrutiny about emissions from their oil and natural operations under regulations being pondered by the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

The Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission has primary oversight of exploration and production and the state’s growing 500,000-plus wells. The CDPHE oversees the state’s air quality, and air pollution emissions from drilling operations are the No. 1 source of volatile organic compounds and the third-largest source of nitrogen oxides, officials said.

Several proposals are on the table to revamp CDPHE’s regulations, all part of a 2013 rulemaking effort by the department’s Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC). Among other things, regulators want to adopt in full the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) within the Clean Air Act.

EPA last year gave industry until 2015 to eliminate harmful emissions from drilling sites (see Shale Daily, April 19, 2012). The state may adopt rules, but they would have to be at least as stringent as EPA’s. The AQCC also is reviewing “overlaps and gaps” in state/federal oversight. The nine-member AQCC last year postponed fully adopting the EPA standards.

“As we move toward adopting EPA’s rules, we are also looking at cost-effective enhancements to the state’s existing air quality regulations,” CDPHE Air Pollution Control Division director Will Allison said.

The nine-member AQCC has several goals in mind that it hopes to achieve through the expansive rulemaking effort:

Identify and implement strategies to improve the program’s effectiveness and efficiency;

Find ways to reduce permitting burdens on both the division and the regulated community “without impacting environmental benefits” from the permit program;

Address oil and gas development growth by adopting “reasonable” emission reduction strategies; and

Lay the groundwork for ongoing efforts to reduce oil and gas emissions “while minimizing burdens that don’t provide environmental value.”

In line with those goals, proposed regulations are being considered to increase and streamline permit threshold criteria pollutants, and to remove catchall provisions that require permits for all sources subject to NSPS or maximum available control technologies.

New rules being considered include rules governing ozone and ozone precursors for tanks that would include more covered tanks (condensate, produced water, crude oil, etc.) and rules covering emission capture and routing to control devices or sales lines. Rules also are proposed to address:

Fugitive emissions and leaks by increasing their identification and requiring leaks be repaired;

Wellhead venting and flaring; and

Timely tie-ins of wells to natural gas sales lines to reduce venting or flaring.

Doug Flanders, policy director for the industry-led Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA), said the industry has pledged a commitment “to the continual pursuit of emissions reductions,” and COGA “will continue to partner with our communities and state regulators” to achieve it.

A meeting to present the AQCC proposals is set for Aug. 7, with a request for a hearing scheduled for Aug. 15

DSIRE: A Comprehensive Database for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Incentives

The DSIRE web site provides information about renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives and policies in the United States. Relevant incentives and policies established by the federal government, state governments, local governments, utilities and non-profit organizations are included in DSIRE.

Incentives & Policies

The DSIRE home page features a U.S. map for easy access to incentives and policies available in each state. Clicking a state or territory yields a list of available incentives and policies in that state, organized into two categories: (1) Financial Incentives and (2) Rules, Regulations & Policies.

The list of incentives and policies provides links to individual summaries with the following details:

• The incentive or policy type (e.g., tax credit, rebate program, net metering)
• The implementing sector (e.g., federal, state, utility)
• Eligible sectors (e.g., residential, commercial, government)
• Eligible technologies (e.g., solar water heating, wind energy, insulation)
• Links to authorizing statutes, regulations and other relevant legal documents
• A summary of the incentive or policy
• A link to the incentive or policy web site
• Contact information

DSIRE includes information on federal incentives and policies for renewables and energy efficiency technologies, with an emphasis on incentives for end-users. DSIRE does not include research & development incentives, outreach programs, or non-programmatic funding opportunities. Click Federal Incentives on the DSIRE home page to see what’s available.

National & Regional Policy Trends

DSIRE’s Summary Maps provide a geographical overview of certain financial incentives and regulatory policies that promote renewable energy. DSIRE’s Summary Tables provide an overview of renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives and policies available in each state.

DSIRE Searches

The Search tool on the DSIRE home page allows users to search all incentives and policies by state, incentive type, technology type, implementing sector and/or eligible sector. Searching by any of these criteria provides a comprehensive list of applicable incentives and policies, with links to each program summary. To view or print all summaries, click "See All Summaries" at the top of the page.

Other DSIRE Resources

DSIRE also offers the following resources, accessible via the DSIRE home page:

• Lists of new and updated incentives and policies (What’s New?)
• A glossary of relevant terms
• A library of relevant DSIRE publications and presentations
• Links to other organizations and useful resources 
• Solar-specific policy resources (DSIRE Solar)

 

Thanks to Kansas City Deaerator for providing some of this information

Many deaerators in the past have been built with vent piping that protrudes through the water box to the external portion of the heater allowing the oxygen to be eliminated from the deaerator. Many manufacturers provided a dog leg type vent with a miter joint which typically fails due to inadequate welding where the vent pipe supports the valve plate. This can cause significant loss or performance and effect your energy savings long term. Annual inspections of the welds are recommended to detect such failures or you may be better off just replacing the piping with a sound solution for your physical conditions. Its easy to overlook or push back these inspections but doing so can lead to more problems than it’s worth.

If your facility is operating an ageing deaerator we’d be happy to discuss modern energy efficient solutions with you specific to your application. We have a great deal of experience that may help you reducce costs through smart energy efficiency.