In support of Crestwood’s ESG & Sustainability strategy and ongoing commitment to emissions reductions, WeldFit recently provided gas recapturing services for this midstream operator using its patent-pending and state-of-the-art ReCAP® Emissions Recovery System.
Located in southern Eddy County, the project required the depressurization of an isolated 2.5-mile section of 8” pipeline to allow Crestwood to conduct a tie-in to their Willow Lake System. ReCAP’s ability to quickly depressurize and recompress gas to keep it in the pipeline presented Crestwood with an ideal alternative to the release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with a blowdown.
Less than two hours after hooking up and starting the ReCAP system, nearly 52,000 standard cubic feet (SCF) of methane, which would have otherwise been vented to the atmosphere, was recompressed and transferred into an adjacent pressurized pipeline system. The final system pressure was 0 pounds per square inch gauge (PSIG). With all the gas removed from the system, Crestwood personnel could safely access the pipeline to conduct the tie-in.
Eric Heinle, President of WeldFit’s Pigging & Performance Products business, said the value that ReCAP brings to pipeline operators, aside from its inherent ability to eliminate virtually all GHG emissions during planned depressurization events, is its gas transfer speed.
“Knowing that any given pipeline project could potentially have multiple contractors lined up on-site waiting to get to work, one of our main areas of focus when developing ReCAP was to ensure it provided industry-leading depressurization rates,” Heinle said.
Ben Hansen, Senior Vice President, Operations of Crestwood, explained the important role ReCAP serves in helping Crestwood reduce emissions.
“At Crestwood, we are committed to environmental stewardship. We continuously seek ways to utilize industry best practices across our assets to minimize our emissions as we advance sustainability within our company and across the midstream sector,” said Hansen. “Utilizing WeldFit’s ReCAP technology supports this commitment.”
