Fugitive emissions: how to detect something you can't see or smell

摘要

Fugitive emissions are the release or leak of a substance to the atmosphere by equipment or piping connections in oil & gas processing units. Both valves and packing seals have been identified as the major source of this type of emissions in refineries and oil & gas plants. At best, accidental leaks from process equipment and the subsequent dispersal of leaked substances into the atmosphere cause "only" a bad smell in and around the facility, or create a nuisance to neighbourhoods around the plant.