Strategic Petroleum Reserve Recognized for Environmental Excellence

Strategic Petroleum Reserve Recognized for Environmental Excellence

SPR's Degasification Plant Wins Best Environmental Technology Award

Washington, DC – The National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) presented its annual Environmental Excellence Award for Best Environmental Technology to the Department of Energy’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The award jointly recognizes the efforts of the Department of Energy and DynMcDermott Petroleum Operations, Inc., the management and operating contractor for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

The SPR received the award for its construction and successful operation of a portable degasification plant that removes excess methane and ethane from crude oil stored in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

The SPR is the world's largest stockpile of emergency crude oil. Stored in deep underground caverns in salt domes along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana, the Reserve can be called on by the President in the event of a disruption in commercial oil supplies.

The degasification plant was developed as a cost-effective treatment of a naturally occurring phenomena associated with long-term storage of crude oil in underground salt formations. That is, over years of storage the oil temperature can rise and excessive levels of methane and ethane can intrude from the salt formation, resulting in unacceptable vapor pressure of crude oil stored in the cavern. As a result, when oil is withdrawn from the caverns the methane and ethane quickly vaporize creating increased emissions that may result in undesirable environmental consequences.

Personnel at the SPR sites monitor the temperature and vapor pressure in the caverns and use the data to establish a schedule for the degasification procedure. Oil stored in the caverns is processed through the degasification plant – removing the methane and ethane and lowering the vapor pressure of the crude oil. The oil is then reinjected into the caverns as “safe oil” for use in an emergency. The degasification plant was built to be transported from one site to another for use where needed.

The award was accepted by John Shages, DOE’s Deputy Assistant Security for Petroleum Reserves, and Bill Bozzo of DynMcDermott.

The SPR previously received the NAEP Environmental Excellence Award for Environmental Management in 2003, which recognized the business value orientation of the SPR Environmental Management System. Many of the unique and innovative elements of this 2005 Best Technology Award reflect the success of the Environmental Management System in organizing projects so as to minimize their impact to the environment.

The NAEP is a multi-disciplinary association dedicated to the advancement of the environmental professions in the United States and abroad. SOURCE: Fossil Energy

For more information, contact:
Jo Ann Rochon, DOE Strategic Petroleum Reserve, 504-734-4731
David Stoltz, DOE Strategic Petroleum Reserve, 504-734-4918