June
2016
21
HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING
I
n the hydrocarbon processing industry, the practice of
flaring exhaust gases before their release into the
atmosphere requires regulation and constant monitoring. It
is widely acknowledged that flaring and venting of
associated gas contributes significantly to greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions and has negative impacts on the
environment. Regulatory tasks are often carried out by
government institutions, i.e. environmental authorities, which
have specific responsibilities relating to a country’s
management and usage of natural resources, including
assessing the environmental impact of flaring and venting of
associated gas. Flare emission regulations have become
stringent, and companies have increased investments to meet
regulatory requirements. Some countries’ jurisdictions have
In light of the increasingly stringent standards for process heaters and flaring systems in
industrial process plants,
Massimo Baldizzone, ABB Measurement & Analytics, Italy,
outlines analytical solutions to meet refinery flare monitoring requirements.
THINKING
ANALYTICALLY
