Under the expansion of 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart OOOOb and OOOOc, tank batteries are under new scrutiny for emissions of VOCs and methane. Thermal mass flow meters provide direct mass flow measurement of vent gas in the oil and gas industry. Common sources include tank batteries, VRUs, separators, or other vented gases at the well site. Whether the vent gas comes from well completion, maintenance, or storage, an accurate flow measurement device is critical for emissions monitoring and safety.
Help Me Choose A Flow Meter
Our mass flow meter technology allows exceptional low-flow vent gas sensitivity, providing accurate measurement over a wide range of vented gases in gas operations.
Thermal mass flow rate measurement requires no additional temperature and pressure compensation equipment or calculations.
Fox Thermal’s meters are available with a variety of built-in alarms, totalizers, and communications protocols for easy interfacing with your emissions management system.
Thermal Mass Flow Meters from Fox Thermal can be used to continuously monitor the flow of gas in the pipes between the equipment found at these oil well sites:
Vent gas can often be tricky to measure. Some flow measurement technologies can only monitor flow accurately at high velocities, and others at lower velocities.
Thermal mass gas meter vent technology is a proven solution that is able to measure gas flows at very high and very low flow rates.
All Fox Thermal mass flow meters are rugged and accurate meters that can be used in a wide variety of applications involving both low and high-velocity gas flows. With repeatability and a low turndown, our flow meters were designed to be durable and versatile.
40 CFR Part 60 Subpart OOOO ("Quad-O") has been expanded under OOOOb and OOOOc to set a limit on emissions from tank batteries at 6 ton per year (tpy) of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and 20 tpy of methane. Any tank batteries emitting equal to or greater than the new limit must use a control device to reduce emissions by 95% or greater. Vapor Recovery Units (VRUs) are used commonly as control devices for tank batteries.
To monitor and quantify emissions for Quad-O compliance, methane and VOC flow rates must be measured to evaluate mass emission or reclamation rates. Vent gas flow meters are commonly used for this purpose.
In addition to providing information for environmental audits, methane and VOC monitoring can also help operators:
Thermal mass flow meters provide a direct reading of mass flow rate without additional pressure and temperature instrumentation, making it ideal for measuring flow rates in flare stacks, ducts, and tank vent pipes.
See how Fox Thermal flow meters are used for this purpose in this Fox Thermal case study on VOC emissions.
Oil & Gas tank batteries are storage vessels used in upstream production and processing at on-shore well sites. They are also commonly found at natural gas transmission and storage sites. Tank batteries are used to collect and store gas and can generate vent gas (VOCs or methane) that - when released to the atmosphere - contribute to an increase in greenhouse gases that impact the environment.
Vent gas may be composed of different gases depending on the site and can vary over time. When the gas composition changes, the Gas-SelectX® settings in certain Fox Thermal flow meter models can be accessed on the flow meter or by using the free FT View™ software to update the gas composition. This will ensure that the flow meter will continue to monitor the vent gas compositions accurately.
If you’re not sure which meter is right for your application, our Help Me Choose app walks you through a short series of questions to help you choose the ideal meter.
Next, enter your process data and flow meter requirements into our automated product configurator. Drop-down menus and Help icons will guide you to answer each question.
Save the data you entered into the configurator to create a PDF with a model code and AppID. When you're ready, submit your application to Fox Thermal for a quote.
The Fox Thermal Model FT1 includes a limited Gas-SelectX® gas selection menu and CAL-V™ calibration validation. It is CE, FM, and FMc approved, along with ATEX and IECEx. Applications include tank battery vent gas, methane emissions monitoring, and more.
The Fox Thermal Model FT4X thermal gas mass flow meter comes with an advanced data logger which maintains a 7-year history. Specially designed for all types of oil & gas applications including Quad-O compliance, vent gas monitoring, VRU gas monitoring, etc.
The Fox Thermal Model FT4A includes the Gas-SelectX® gas selection menu and CAL-V™ calibration validation. It is CE, FM, and FMc approved, along with ATEX and IECEx. Applications include gas separators, vapor recovery units, green completions, and more.
This field study by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) evaluated VOC emissions factors from oil and natural gas condensate storage tanks using Fox Thermal meters.
This discussion of the different types of flow meters will help you understand the best gas flow measurement technology for your application.
Download helpful whitepapers, product literature, and more, including Fox Thermal Application Guides such as Direct Mass Measurement of Vent Gas (Flash Gas) Flow Rates.
