In January 2025, a specialty chemical company near Jones Creek, TX, contacted Zeeco about upcoming propylene pipeline work involving decommissioning, nitrogen packing, and recommissioning a pipeline segment to increase capacity. Although the company initially requested only flaring equipment and services, Zeeco helped them understand local regulations that mandate specific flaring technology, monitoring, and recordkeeping, particularly the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rule 30 TAC Chapter 115 Subchapter H, which governs the flaring of Highly Reactive Volatile Organic Compounds (HRVOCs). The customer wanted to install a temporary combustion and monitoring system that fully complies with TCEQ regulations during their pipeline upgrades.
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Temporary flares are commonly used in various industries, including petrochemical pipelines and the downstream petrochemical sector, for routine pipeline maintenance within and between facilities. The main challenges with these systems involve their instrumentation and monitoring needs.
Pipeline decommissioning, nitrogen packing, and recommissioning pose many challenges for flaring and record-keeping. These include fluctuating flare gas composition caused by nitrogen being packed into and evacuated from the line, available utilities, limited and unimproved plot space, and tight timelines throughout the project to minimize line downtime.
The customer began by providing pipeline dimensions, content data, and the project timeline. Zeeco helped its customer understand local flaring, monitoring, and recordkeeping requirements to ensure a safe and environmentally responsible project. Zeeco handled all aspects of flaring and recordkeeping, including supplying the temporary flare, piping, instrumentation, utilities such as power and propane fuel, and all personnel needed to set up and operate the equipment throughout the project.
The next step was to conduct a thorough walkdown at the jobsite. Zeeco mobilized the Rentals team to visit the location, gather information about the site's plot space and flare tie-in point, and develop an operational plan for the customer's project. After the walkdown, Zeeco confirmed the project scope and finalized plans with the customer. As the project approached, the Rentals team supplied several pieces of equipment, controls, instrumentation, and personnel to ensure a smooth operation, meet customer needs, and comply with TCEQ requirements:
Zeeco also provided our combustion specialist team to set up and fully operate this equipment during the project. Technicians stayed in close contact with the customer and other involved vendors to smoothly coordinate flaring operations with planned pipeline work.
By partnering with Zeeco to operate the temporary flare system and monitor the flare gas stream, the project maintained TCEQ-compliant flaring of HRVOC compounds, ensured thorough documentation for regulatory compliance, and operated efficiently to keep the project on schedule. The system safely eliminated harmful chemicals, protecting both the environment and public health. Zeeco’s experts ensured the timely completion of the project, allowing the pipeline to be quickly restored to active service. This support enabled the customer to focus on pipeline maintenance and modifications, while Zeeco managed the pipeline contents and ensured adherence to environmental standards. As a result, the customer successfully completed the project on time and achieved enhanced production following the pipeline upgrades.
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