Challenge

A West Coast midstream oil company needed to degass 20 miles of pipeline containing crude oil and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) vapors in preparation for scheduled pipeline maintenance and repair. The pipeline ran near residential areas, raising concerns about the release of toxic vapors, odors, and potential violations of air quality regulations. The customer required a safe, rapid, and fully compliant pipeline degassing solution that would prevent any benzene vapor release and ensure community safety.

Solution

Envent Corporation provided a custom-engineered solution using our advanced industrial degassing equipment:

• A vapor-liquid separation vessel was deployed to collect and manage up to 100 BBL of liquid hydrocarbons, ensuring effective pre-treatment before vapor destruction

• Vapors were routed to our EMTOS (Envent Mobile Thermal Oxidizer System), designed to exceed EPA BACT standards and specifically optimized for H₂S vapor control

• High-pressure flange hoses and fittings were used throughout the system to ensure vapor-tight integrity and prevent leaks during pipeline depressurization

• The process safely evacuated approximately 60,000 SCF of vapor from 100 PSIG to 0 PSIG in under one hour

• The separation vessel received fewer than 10 BBL of liquid, minimizing hazardous waste handling

Benefit

Envent’s pipeline vapor control solution delivered significant time and cost savings for the customer. The use of nitrogen purging and mobile thermal oxidation enabled the safe and rapid depressurization of the pipeline, completing the degassing operation in less than an hour—a fraction of the time required by conventional methods.

This solution also prevented a reportable benzene release under EPA emission standards (>10 lbs/day), ensuring full regulatory compliance. Envent’s expertise in H₂S vapor mitigation, pipeline evacuation services, and zero emission pipeline solutions helped the customer meet environmental and safety objectives efficiently and without incident.