Analysis of Emissions and Residue from Methods to Improve Combustion Efficiency of In-Situ Oil Burns

Efforts to improve in situ burning (ISB) of crude oil focuses on increasing burn and combustion efficiency in order to decrease potentially harmful emissions and residue. Through project 1096, BSEE and the US EPA partnered to monitor the contents of plumes from test burns associated with various research projects and were used to determine the burn and combustion efficiency of ISB related technology. Emissions monitoring was performed in association with the test burns with the BSEE Burner (BSEE #1106), Restricted Burning Tongue (BSEE #1134), and Flame Refluxer (BSEE #1136) technologies.

Using sampling packages suspended above the burns, measurements were made of CO₂, CO, PM2.5, Black Carbon, PAH, and VOCs. The burn and combustions efficiency calculations from these experiments were used to characterize emissions during standard operations, determine the effectiveness of ISB related technology, and determine optimal configurations for deployed equipment. The goal is to identify technological and/or operational solutions that will decrease emissions and residue associated with ISB.