WASHINGTON—The new U.S.-Canada accord on reducing carbon emissions underlines how fluid sealing containment devices and technologies can help the oil and gas industry meet pending, ultra-low emissions limits, according to the Fluid Sealing Association.
In a March 10 news release, the FSA—which has established itself as an advocate for effective environmental compliance policies involving sealing devices—said it looks forward to working with the oil and gas industry to help it reduce methane emissions from existing sources as required by the new U.S.-Canada agreement.
The FSA also is in contact with government entities on the methane issue, FSA President Mike Shorts said.
Shorts, also vice president and general manager of Belleville, Ontario-based Triangle Fluid Controls Ltd., said FSA officials are scheduled to meet with policy makers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on April 14 to discuss pending methane emissions regulations.
According to Shorts, the FSA has been in constant contact with officials of Environment and Climate Change Canada about the Canadian methane standard due out in 2017.
“As an organization, we've been on top of this process for the last two years,” he said. “We are making sure government officials know where fluid sealing technologies can help them meet the targets they're trying to achieve.”
The FSA issued its release the same day that President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in Washington their pact to implement the Paris Agreement to limit carbon emissions and promote clean development.
“The two leaders regard the Paris Agreement as a turning point in global efforts to combat climate change and anchor economic growth in clean development,” according to the joint statement released in Washington and Ottawa.
“They resolve that the United States and Canada must and will play a leadership role internationally in the low-carbon global economy over the coming decades,” the statement said.
The FSA release affirmed the readiness of fluid sealing technology manufacturers to aid in this effort.
“As the leading trade association for American and Canadian fluid device manufacturers, the Fluid Sealing Association recognizes the importance of addressing these challenges, and believes sealing and containment device technologies can play an important role,” the association said.
“Cost-effective, American- and Canadian-made sealing device technologies are a proven solution to limiting methane emissions from the oil and gas sectors,” it said.
A wide range of fluid sealing technologies—including mechanical seals, shaft packing seals, flange gaskets and expansion joints—can help oil and gas operations meet any standards for methane and other emissions, no matter how stringent, Shorts said.
Furthermore, it won't represent a major financial outlay, because the fluid sealing devices oil and gas companies are buying now are all that is required to meet the new standards, he said.
“What our association does is to educate the industry on how to properly install and use our products,” Shorts said. “When our products are properly installed, emissions levels by default become low. We can take emissions down to the ultra-low levels the new standards will require.”
The FSA announced in 2015 that it had remade itself as an environmental advocate.
Since that time, Shorts said, the association has spent most of its time on methane, because that has been the overriding emissions issue.