Abstract:
An on-line accessible information management system for management of environmental, safety and regulatory compliance issues provides smart links to major information centers for any industry to provide easy access to relevant information. The system of the subject invention is designed to assist the user in determining the regulatory requirements of a relevant industry, provide the resources for complying with the requirements, prepare reports, and electronically submit the reports to agencies having on-line reporting capability. The system is secure for each user, but will permit the sharing of public data in order to increase each user&#39;s data base. The system of the invention also includes a digital library providing each user with a full complement of regulatory information and research services. The system provides data collection, calculation, and reporting capabilities for environmental and regulatory compliance. Client data is collected from a variety of sources and locations by a data collection module through a variety of means and is entered into the system database. A companion database, the system library, is maintained by an automated harvesting engine which updates the library with the latest statutory and regulatory information from all levels of government, as well as any forms or other necessary information. The system library is also populated with various constants and curves which are used in calculations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of Invention  
           [0002]    The subject invention is generally related to automated methods for collecting data and generating reports relating to the data and is more specifically directed to a method for the on-line development and collection of data required to be submitted to regulatory agencies and the generation and submission of reports to such agencies  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    It is widely recognized that most industries find themselves buried in a sea of regulatory compliance requirements. As industry is faced with this myriad of government regulatory requirements, the application and implementation has resulted in a significant impact to profitability. In response to this challenge, industry in general has been required to establish entire departments within their organizations in order to comply with these regulations, ranging in application from basic accounting and financial procedures to the very complex and costly environmental, industrial hygiene, and safety regulations. The staff required to deal with these government requirements include accountants, lawyers, medical doctors, engineers, chemists and other associated support staff.  
           [0005]    As an example, there are over 8,000 producers of oil and gas in the United States, operating approximately 884,000 oil and gas wells. Each of these wells has its own specific and definite regulatory requirements. At present, the operator of each well must collect the critical information from each well, assimilate it into a data base and develop the required reports for each of the various regulatory agencies at both the state and national level. The task is expensive, time consuming and inefficient, at best.  
           [0006]    There have been numerous attempts to automate this process. However, prior art system are not compatible with one another and, while each may be useful for a portion of the various required tasks there are not any systems that provide a comprehensive method for collecting, assimilating and storing data and generating therefrom the required reports for the various regulatory agencies.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0007]    The subject invention is directed to a method for collecting, assimilating and utilizing data from a variety of sources for determining the regulatory requirements and for generating the related compliance reports for an industry. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the steps of collecting external data for compliance requirements of a compliance model, collecting data from a user, assimilating the external data and the user data in a processor to determine compliance by the user, and automatically generating a report unique to the user data containing required compliance information.  
           [0008]    One aspect of the subject invention is directed to an on-line accessible information management system designed to assist most industries in worldwide management of environmental, safety and regulatory compliance issues. It is intended to offer “one-stop shopping” for regulatory compliance and represents a substantial savings in costs and time over traditional means for complying with government regulatory reporting requirements. The subject invention is on-line and provides smart links to major information centers for any industry to provide easy access to relevant information. The system of the subject invention is designed to operate as an on-line consultant for assisting the user in determining the regulatory requirements of a relevant industry, providing the resources for complying with the requirements, preparing reports, and electronically submitting the reports to agencies having on-line reporting capability.  
           [0009]    The system is secure for each user, but will permit the sharing of public data in order to increase each user&#39;s data base. The system of the invention also includes a digital library providing each user with a full complement of regulatory information and research services. Specifically, the subject invention is directed to a convenient, cost effective method for assessing regulatory requirements, researching various databases to meet the requirements and preparing and submitting required reports. In a nutshell, the subject invention provides data collection, calculation, and reporting capabilities for environmental and regulatory compliance.  
           [0010]    The subject invention is an on-line system designed to assist companies in managing their environmental, safety and regulatory compliance requirements. The system enables a user to assess the compliance requirements for a particular operation, and once the requirements are defined, permit the tools necessary to perform the appropriate regulatory compliance tasks. The information and tools consist of explanations of the regulations, text of regulations with appropriate annotations, information regarding forms, fees and penalties, and the like, agency contacts and compliance procedures. The system is designed to perform the calculations required to complete the regulatory filings and then populate the reporting forms with specific results unique to the user.  
           [0011]    As an example, an operator of an oil well will be required to determine the air compliance of a production compressor. Using the system of the subject invention, the operator will initially log on to the system to determine the related regulatory compliance requirements. He would access the “air module” of the system and enter his specific facility and equipment, i.e. location, equipment, specifications and the like. The system then provides the user with a list of applicable regulations for the compressor stations for that specific location and guides the user through the required steps for reporting the regulatory performance of the facility, including the automated processing of forms and reports, and in many cases the electronic submission of same.  
           [0012]    Client data is collected from a variety of sources and location by a data collection module through a variety of means and is entered into the system database. A companion database, the system library, is maintained by an automated harvesting engine which updates the library with the latest statutory and regulatory information from all levels of government, as well as any forms or other necessary information. The system library is also populated with various constants and curves which are used in calculations.  
           [0013]    The subject invention contains a number of calculation modules. Each calculation module is designed to take the appropriate client data stored in the system database and use that data as the input to a series of calculations that are necessary for the generation of various required reports. Each of these calculation modules may have one or more submodules and may generate several different outputs or reports. These reports are sent either electronically or on paper to the various agencies and departments that require them.  
           [0014]    It is, therefore, an object and feature of the subject invention to provide a fully-integrated, on-line compliance system for regulated industries, including, but not limited to oil and gas, exploration and production, refining, manufacturing and retail in the energy and power exploration, development, production, and distribution industries, medical, banking and finance industries.  
           [0015]    It is a further object and feature of the subject invention to provide a compliance system for regulated industries using a combination of full-featured, commerce-enabled, interactive web site along with offline data entry capability.  
           [0016]    It is also an object and feature of the subject invention to provide method for collecting, assimilating, storing and distributing data required for regulatory compliance.  
           [0017]    It is another object and feature of the subject invention to provide a method for generating reports required for regulatory compliance.  
           [0018]    It is also an object and feature of the subject invention to provide a method for on-line, electronic submission of required regulatory compliance reports.  
           [0019]    Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent from the accompanying drawing and detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a system overview.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 shows detail of a sample air emission compliance module. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]    The subject invention is directed to a system for collecting data from a plurality of public and private sources, merging the data to determine a regulation compliance model for the data, developing a compliance report for the data and electronically or manually submitting the report to the appropriate regulatory agency. An exemplary module is disclosed in detail herein for environmental compliance. The same methodology may be used for other regulatory compliance as well and the disclosure should not be considered as limited to environmental compliance schemes.  
         [0023]    In the exemplary embodiment, the Data Collection Module (1.0) collects the data from the clients from a variety of sources and through a variety of means, and the data is then loaded into the System Database. The System Database stores all of the client data, organized by client, location, and equipment identifiers. The System Library contains two primary types of information. The first includes engineering constants and other constants and curves that are used in the various calculations. These are pre-loaded into the system and do not change. The second type of information is likely to change over time and is therefore constantly maintained and updated by an automated harvesting engine module (2.0) supplemented by human effort.  
         [0024]    This information includes the latest statutory and regulatory information from all levels of government, as well as any forms or other necessary information for environmental compliance or reporting.  
         [0025]    The Air Emission Compliance module (3.0) contains twelve (12) submodules. Eight (8) submodules obtain input data from the System Database and perform a variety of calculations. The remaining three (3) modules take the output from those modules and use them as inputs for generating reports. The submodules operate as follows:  
         [0026]    1. Tanks Submodule (3.1)  
         [0027]    This submodule calculates hydrocarbon emissions from the crude oil storage tanks according to EPA Document AP-42 , Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors, Volume I, Supplement E: Stationary Point and Area Sources , Chapter 12, Section 12.3-1 dated October 1992.  
         [0028]    The primary calculation formulas are:  
           L   T   =L   S   +L   W   (3.1.1)  
           L   S =365 V   V   W   V   K   E   K   S   (3.1.2)  
         [0029]    [0029]               V   V     =       π   4            D   2          (       H   S     -     H   L     +     H   RO       )                 (3.1.3)                                               W   V     =         M   V          P   VA         RT   LA               (3.1.4)                                 
           T   LA =0.044 T   AA +0.56 T   B +0.0079 aI   (3.1.5)  
           T   B   =T   AA +6 a− 1  (3.1.6)  
         [0030]    [0030]               K   E     =         dT   V       T   LA       +         dP   V     -     dP   B           P   A     -     P   VA                   (3.1.7)                                 
           dT   V =0.072 d   TA +0.028 I   (3.1.8)  
         [0031]    [0031]               K   S     =     1     1   +     0.053        P   VA          H   VO                   (3.1.9)                                 
           H   VO   =H   S   −H   L   +H   RO   (3.1.10)  
           L   W =0.0010 M   V   P   VA   QK   N   K   P   (3.1.11)  
         [0032]    [0032]                                               Symbol   Name   Description   Type   Source                   π   Pi   Constant dimensionless factor =   Numeric   Mathematical constant               3.1415       (given)       a   Tank paint solar   Dimensionless empirical factor   Numeric   Reference from Table           absorbence factor   which has been established       12.3-7 in AP42               through experience.       reference and based on                       color. Stored in                       System Library.       D   Tank diameter   Cross sectional linear measurement   Numeric   Client data stored in               of the cylindrical tank. Units = linear       System Database       H L     Liquid Height   Average daily tank gauge reading   Numeric   Client data stored in               which shows how much is in the       System Database               tank. Units = linear (e.g. ft)       H RO     Roof Outage   Linear measurement of tank roof   Numeric   Client data stored in               height measured from the vertical       System Database               edge of the tank shell to the top of               the dome or coned roof. Units =               linear (l)       H S     Shell Height   Linear measurement of tank height   Numeric   Client data stored in               excluding the height of the roof       System Database               section of the tank. Units = linear (l)       H VO     Vapor Space   The height of the inside tank space   Numeric   Result of           Outage   minus the liquid level in linear units,       Equation 3.1.10               e.g. ft       I   Daily solar   Empirical factor based on tank   Numeric   Referenced from Table           insolation factor   materials and conditions. Units =       12.3-6 in AP42               BTU/ft 3  - day       reference. Stored in                       System Library.       K E     Vapor space   Dimensionless empirical factor used   Numeric   Result of Equation           expansion factor   to calculate standing losses in       3.1.7               Equation (1)       K N     Turnover factor   Dimensionless empirical factor   Numeric   Taken from FIG.                       12.3-6 in AP42                       reference. Stored in                       System Library.       K P     Working loss   Dimensionless empirical factor   Numeric   Included by reference.           product factor   which is product specific, i.e. 0.75       Stored in System               for crude oil and 1.0 for all other       Library.               organic liquids.       K S     Vented Vapor   Dimensionless factor used to   Numeric   Result of Equation           Saturation Factor   calculate the Standing Storage       3.1.9               Losses.       L S     Standing Losses   Hydrocarbon air emissions from   Numeric   Result of Equation               crude and condensate above ground       3.1.2               storage tanks that are given off while               the tank is standing idle (not filling               and emptying) and contains some               quantity of fluid. Measured in lbs/hr,               lbs/day, and tons/year.       L T     Total losses   Hydrocarbon air emissions from   Numeric   Result of Equation               crude and condensate above ground       3.1.1               storage tanks that are a sum of the               working and standing losses as               described above. Measured in lbs/hr,               lbs/day, and tons/year.       L W     Working Losses   Hydrocarbon air emissions from   Numeric   Result of Equation               crude and condensate above ground       3.1.11               storage tanks that are given off               during operations (filling and               emptying) and contains some               quantity of fluid. Measured in lbs/br,               lbs/day, and tons/year.       Mv   Vapor Molecular   Molecular weight or the weight of an   Numeric   Taken from reference           Weight   Avogadro&#39;s number of molecules of       tables in the AP42               the gases in the vapor space volume,       reference. Stored in               Units = mass/mole (e.g. lb/lb mole)       System Library.       P A     Atmospheric   Standard ambient atmospheric   Numeric   Constant by reference.           pressure   pressure as measured via barometer,       Stored in System               e.g. 14.7 psia       Library.       dP B     Breather vent   The range in pressures at which the   Numeric   Client data stored in           pressure setting   tank vent or hatch will relieve under       System Database.           range.   the pressure of its contents.       Otherwise the program                       will provide a default                       value if the user                       chooses.       dPv   Daily vapor   The range (or change) in the vapor   Numeric   Derived from FIG.           pressure range   pressure caused by the variance in       12.3-1 and Table 12.3-               maximum and minimum daily       6 in AP42 reference.               ambient temperatures. Provided by       Stored in System               reference in pressure measurements.       Library.       P VA     Vapor pressure   True vapor pressure of the liquid at   Numeric   Vapor sample data               the average liquid surface       stored in System               temperature. Units = force/unit area       Database or table in               (f/l 2 ) (lbs/inch 2 )       AP42 reference stored                       in System Library.       Q   Annual net   The annual volume of hydrocarbons,   Numeric   Client data stored in           production   e.g. crude oil, that is stored in the       System Database           through-put   tank being considered. This figure is               taken from actual lease production               volumes. Volumetric units, e.g. bbls       R   Ideal Gas Constant   Ideal gas constant calculated as   Numeric   Calculated from               (standard atmospheric pressure -       constants/Almost               ideal molar volume of gas/mole -       always used in USA as               standard temperature) (e.g. psia - ft 3 /       10.731. Stored in               lb-mole - ° R (Rankine) = 10.731)       System Library.       dT A     Daily average   The difference between daily   Numeric   Taken from Table 12.3-6           temperature range   minimum and maximum       in AP42 reference.           (° R , ° K)   temperatures taken from Table 12.3-       Stored in System               6 as determined by regional       Library.               location.       T AA     Daily average   Average of daily maximum and   Numeric   Table 12.3 in AP42           ambient   minimum ambient temperatures.       reference. Stored in           temperature   Measured in ° R or ° K.       System Library.       T B     Liquid bulk   Liquid bulk temperature at standard   Numeric   Result of Equation           temperature   temp Units = ° R or ° K       3.1.6       T LA     Daily average   The average temperature measured   Numeric   Result of Equation           liquid surface   at the surface of the liquid in the       3.1.5           temperature   tank. In this case the temperature is               calculated from ambient               temperatures rather that measured.               Units = ° R (Rankine)       dTv   Daily vapor   The daily range in temperature of the   Numeric   Result of Equation           temperature range   vapor in the vapor space of the tank       3.1.8               as described above; calculated.       Vv   Vapor space   Volumetric calculation of the   Numeric   Result of Equation           volume   average amount of space in the tank       3.1.3               (overhead) that is not occupied by               liquids. Measurement = 1 3         Wv   Vapor density   Calculated density of the   Numeric   Result of Equation               gases(vapors) in the vapor space       3.1.4               calculated in equation (1)(a) Units =               mass/unit volume (m/l 3 ) (e.g. lb/ft 3 )                    
         [0033]    2. Internal Combustion Submodule (3.2)  
         [0034]    This submodule calculations emissions from internal combustion engines according to the method set forth in the AP42  Volume I, Stationary Point and Area Sources , Chapter 3, Section 3.2, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. The emission factors used in these calculations are either provide by the manufacturer for each particular engine or taken from the AP42 reference.  
         [0035]    The primary calculation formula is:  
                 ∑     i   =     1                 to                 n                    EF   i                   g       1                 hp                 hr       ×       Rated                   hp   i       1     ×       24                 hrs     day     ×       365                 days     year     ×       1                 lb       453.6                 g       ×       1                 ton       2   ,   000                 lbs           =       Emissions                 tons     year             (3.2.1)                               
 
                                               Symbol   Name   Description   Type   Source                   EF   Emission   The amount of an   Numeric   Provided by the           Factor   individual pollutant       user or obtained           g/hp/hr   that will be       from the equip-               generated per horse       ment data base by               power hour of       the id number or               operation, e.g.       model of               2.0 grams NOx       compressor               generated in grams               per hp per hour.       HP (hp)   Horse   The power rating of   Numeric   Provided by the           power   the compressor in       user or obtained           rating   horse power per       from the               hour       equipment data                       base by the id                       number or model                       of compressor                  
 
         [0036]    This formula is repeated for each piece of equipment using emissions factors for each of the following pollutants:  
                                               NOx   Nitrous Oxides   Nitrous oxide   Calculated from AP-42               emissions   emission factors or                   manufacturers data.       CO   Carbon   Carbon monoxide   Calculated from AP-42           Monoxide   emissions   emission factors or                   manufacturers data.       SO 2     Sulfur dioxide   Sulfur dioxide   Calculated from AP-42               emissions   emission factors or                   manufacturers data.       PA or   Particulates   Particulate emission   Calculated from AP-42       PM 10         from fuel   emission factors or               combustion   manufacturers data.       VOCnm   Non-methane   Measurement of   AP-42 emission           Volatile   emissions of VOC&#39;s as   factors or           Organic   tons per year.   manufacturers data.           Compounds                  
 
         [0037]    3. External Combustion Submodule (3.3)  
         [0038]    This submodule calculations emissions of combustion gases from external combustion units based upon the normal gas consumption and factors for natural gas combustion found in AP-42 (10/92) Section 1.4, Tables 1.4-1 through 1.4-3. Combustion factors for commercial boilers are used in the calculations.  
         [0039]    The primary calculation formula is:  
                 ∑     i   =     1                 to                 n                  mm                   BTU   i       hr     ×       1                 SCF             Fuel                 Heat                 Value               in                 BTU             ×       EF                 lbs       mm                 SCF       ×       24                 hrs     day     ×       365                 days     year     ×       1                 ton       2   ,   000                 lbs           =       Emissions                 tons     year             (3.3.1)                               
 
                                               Symbol   Name   Description   Type   Source                   EF   Emission   Amount of pollutant species   Numeric   Client data           Factor   generated per unit       stored in           lb/mmscf   of fuel used or burned, e.g.       System               lbs (pounds) per mmscf       Database               (Million standard cubic               feet) of gas burned.       mmbtu   BTU   The size of the combustion   Numeric   Client data           rating of   unit as measured in       stored in           the unit   BTU&#39;s per hour.       System               mmbtu = million       Database               British Thermal Units                      
 
         [0040]    This formula is repeated for each piece of equipment using emissions factors for each of the following pollutants:  
                                               NOx   Nitrous Oxides   Nitrous oxide   Calculated from AP-42               emissions   emission factors or                   manufacturers data.       CO   Carbon   Carbon monoxide   Calculated from AP-42           Monoxide   emissions   emission factors or                   manufacturers data.       SO 2     Sulfur dioxide   Sulfur dioxide   Calculated from AP-42               emissions   emission factors or                   manufacturers data.       PA or   Particulates   Particulate emission   Calculated from AP-42       PM 10         from fuel   emission factors or               combustion   manufacturers data.       VOCnm   Non-methane   Measurement of   AP-42 emission           Volatile   emissions of VOC&#39;s as   factors or           Organic   tons per year.   manufacturers data.           Compounds                  
 
         [0041]    4. Fugitive Emissions Submodule (3.4)  
         [0042]    Fugitive emission estimates for valves, flanges, piping and compressor seals in natural gas/vapor service are based on emission factors obtained from EPA Document EPA-450/3-83-007. For fugitive emission sources in crude oil service are based on SOCMI fugitive emissions (without ethylene) for components handling light liquids. VOC emissions from components in gas/vapor service are speciated based on gas analyses provided by the user. Emissions from components in crude oil service were not speciated because of the small quantity of emissions generated. Example calculations for fugitive emission estimates are provided below. VOC estimates for fugitive emission sources in all services were derived by the following equation:  
         [0043]    The primary calculation formula is:  
                 ∑     i   =     1                 to                 n                    EF   i                   lb       hr   i       ×       VOC        %   i       1     ×       24                 hrs     day     ×       365                 days     year     ×       1                 ton       2   ,   000                 lbs           =       Emissions                 tons     year             (3.4.1)                               
 
         [0044]    This formula is repeated for each fitting in each piece of equipment.  
                                               Symbol   Name   Description   Type   Source                   EF   Emission   Amount of   Numeric   Provided           Factor   volatile organic       by reference               emissions       from AP42               generated per       and SOCMI.               fugitive               component               or source. E.G.               lbs/hour/source       No. of   Number of   Actual number   Numeric   Provided by       components,   components   of each       the user or       (src)       source       obtained               component       from Client               at the facility       data stored               e.g 355       in System               valves, etc.       Database or                       equipment                       data stored                       in System                       Library       VOC %   VOC   The   Numeric   Calculated           Concentration   concentration       from the gas           in the affected   of VOC       analysis           stream   (volatile       for this               organic       facility.               hydrocarbon               compounds)               defined as any               compound with               C3+               hydrocarbons               as identified in               the gas analysis               and as               calculated               by volume %.                  
 
         [0045]    5. Glycol Dehydration Submodule (3.5)  
         [0046]    Emissions for the glycol dehydration units were calculated using the GRI-GLYCALC model. All input variables are taken as provided by the client and are as follows:  
                                               Symbol   Name   Description   Type   Source                       Unit   Case name and case description used   Text   Provided by the user or           Description   to retrieve case files from the GRI       taken from the facility data               program. This name will also       base as a facility name.               be identified by a facility ID number               and an equipment ID number.           Annual Hours   Number of hours the unit operates   Numeric   Input by user or user data           of Operation   annually, e.g 8760 hrs = 1 year       base.           Gas   Percentages of all components in the   Numeric   Gas analysis provided by           Composition   gas stream. Individual values input   and text   user or from Client data               separately from gas analysis.       stored in System Database       mmscf/   Dry gas flow   The volumetric flow of the sales gas   Numeric   Production data from user       day   rate   stream in volumetric units per day (e.g.       or Client data stored in               mmscf/day or million standard cubic       System Database               feet per day)       lb/   Dry gas water   The target final concentration of water   Numeric   Client data stored in       mmwscf   content   in the sales gas stream, in the USA the       System Database or               default value is 7.0 lb/mmscf       accepted by default           Absorber   Number of actual equilibrium stages in   Numeric   Chosen by user           stages   the contactor; may be chosen, if               known, by the user as an alternative               entry to the dry gas water content               described above.           Lean TEG/   The pumping rate of the lean or fresh   Numeric   Client data stored in           EG flow rate   tri-ethylene glycol (or ethylene glycol)       System Database               solution in gallons per minute           Water content   The allowable water concentration in   Numeric   Client data stored in               the lean or fresh glycol stream. A       System Database of               default value of 1.5% may be chosen if       chosen by default               the use does not have this value           Re-circulation   The gallons of glycol solution   Numeric   Client data stored in           ratio   circulated per pound of water removed       System Database               from the wet gas stream if known.               May be chosen in place of the lean               TEG/EG flow rate. Default value of               0.3 may be chosen in the program.           Wet Gas   Temperature of the incoming wet gas   Numeric   Client data stored in           Temperature   stream in ° F.       System Database           Wet gas   Pressure of the incoming wet gas   Numeric   Client data stored in           pressure   stream in psig.       System Database           Glycol pump   May be gas driven or electric   Text   Client data stored in           type           System Database       ACFM/   Gas drive   ACFM (air cubic feet per minure) gas/   Numeric   Client data stored in       gal   pump volume   gallon per minute glycol pumped (only       System Database           ratio   for gas driven pumps) May choose               default values of 0.03 for wet gas               pressures greated than 40 psig and 0.08               for units with wet gas pressures less               than 400 psig.           Flash Tank   Yes or no question. Is a flash tank   Text   Client data stored in               involved with this unit.       System Database           Flash tank   Operating temperature of the flash tank   Numeric   Client data stored in           temperature   if used in ° Fahrenheit (° F.)       System Database       PSIG   Flash tank   Operating pressure of the flash tank if   Numeric   Client data stored in           pressure   used. Psig (pounds per square inch       System Database               gauge)           Stripping gas   Yes or no question. Is a gas stream   Text   Client data stored in           option   used to remove the hydrocarbons from       System Database               the glycol vent stream?           Stripping gas   Flow rate of the stripping gas stream,   Numeric   Client data stored in           flow rate   scfm       System Database           Control device   Choose a control device as either a   Text   Client data stored in           option   vent condenser or vapor incinerator, or       System Database               choose no control device.           Vent   Operating temperature of the vent   Numeric   Client data stored in           condenser   condenser (if used) in ° F.       System Database           temperature           Vent   Operating pressure of the vent   Numeric   Client data stored in           condenser   condenser (if used) in absolute       System Database           pressure   pressure, e.g. psia           Incinerator   Average ambient air temperature for   Numeric   Selected from climatic           ambient air   the location in ° F.       data stored in System           temperature           Library           Excess oxygen   % excess oxygen used in combustion   Numeric   Provided by the               process if a vapor incinerator is chosen       manufacturer of the               as a control device.       combustion unit and                       included in the System                       Library           Comubstion   % efficiency of the vapor control   Numeric   Provided by the           efficiency   incinerator unit.       manufacturer of the                       combustion unit and                       included in the equipment                       data base.       VOCs   Volatile   Measurement of emissions of VOC&#39;s   Numeric   Glycalc ® program output           Organic   as tons per year from the Glycalc           Compounds   Program Printout in tons/year       HAPs   Hazardous Air   Volumetric measurement of a group of   Numeric   Glycalc ® program output           Pollutants   air constituents that have been       of information gained from               determind by the Environmental       the EPA speciation               Protection Agency (EPA) to be       program for HAP&#39;s.               considered categorically hazardous to               health and the human environment.               Measured in tons/year                  
 
         [0047]    Two separate calculations are used to calculate the flash emissions caused by the transfer of higher pressure liquids from a process vessel to a storage tank of less pressure. These are the Black Oil GOR (gas oil ratio) method developed by Rollins, McCain and Creeger,  
           log R   st =0.4896−4.916 logγ   ost +3.496 logγ   sp +1.501 logP   sp −0.9213 logT   sp   (3.6.1)  
         [0048]    and the Vasquez Beggs GOR Correlation.  
             GOR   =     C1   ×   SG100   ×       (       P   str     +     P   atm       )     C2     ×     e       C3   ×   °API         T   gas          °F   .     +   460                       (3.6.2)               SG100   =     SG   ×     (     1.0   +     5.912   ×     10     -   5       ×     T   gas        °F   ×   log                       P   sep     +     P   atm       114.7                     (3.6.3)                               
 
                                               Symbol   Name   Description   Type   Source                   R st     Stock Tank Gas Oil   The ratio of the volume of gas   Numeric   Calculated by Black           Ratio (GOR)   generated per barrel of oil produced as       Oil GOR equation,               a result of the pressure drop between       3.6.1               the pressurized separator and the oil               storage (stock) tank. Units = volume               gas/volume oil, e.g standard cubic               feet/barrel       γ ost     Stock Tank Oil   Measurement of the ratio of the weight   Numeric   Calculated using the           specific gravity   of the oil relative to water at standard       physical data of the               temperature and pressure. E.g. units =       materials being               lb/gal per lb/gal or SG = 6.5 lb/gal oil/       stored               8.34 lb/gal water @ STP = 0.78       γ sp     Separator specific   Measurement of the ratio of the weight   Numeric   Calculated using the           gravity   of the air relative to       physical data of the                       gas being measured       P sp     Separator pressure   The operating pressure of the vessel   Numeric   Measured at the               used to separate the oil, water and gas       equipment by the               in the produced fluid stream       user       T sp     Separator   The operating temperature of the   Numeric   Provided by the           temperature   separator measured in ° F.       user from field                       measurements       V MW     Vapor Molecular   The weight of one mole (or   Numeric   Determined by           Weight   Avogadro&#39;s number of molecules) of       reference or               the gas being measured.       measurement. May                       use default value or                       actual gas analysis.       C1, C2,   Vasquez Beggs   Constants calculated for the use in this   Numeric   Provided by       C3   Constants   relationship using statistical empirical       reference to the               data. Dimensionless       relationship based                       on degree API                       gravity range of the                       crude being stored.       SG   Specific Gravity of   Same as γ sp  or separator specific   Numeric   Calculated using the           the gas   gravity as described above.       physical data of the                       gas being measured       SG100   Specific gravity of   A calculated quantity based on the   Numeric   Result of equation           the gas referenced   temperature and pressure measured at       3.63           to 100 psig   the separator referenced to 100 pounds               per square inch gauge (psig) pressure.       P str     Pressure of the   Pressure of the fluid stream as it leaves   Numeric   Measured in the           upstream fluid   the separator or the separator pressure.       field by the user.       P atm     Atmospheric   The measured pressure of ambient   Numeric   Measured at the           pressure   conditions or in the atmosphere outside       field location using               the separator.       a barometer or by                       default at ST&amp;P.       T gas     Gas temperature at   The measured temperature of the gas   Numeric   Measured at the           the separator   stream in the separator       field location by the                       user.       P sep     Separator Pressure   The operating pressure of the separator   Numeric   Measured at the               measured in psig       field location by the                       user.       psig   Pounds per square   Pressure measurement in units of   Numeric   Measured with a           inch gauge   pounds per square inch or in general       pressure measuring               units - f/l 2 .       device at the                       equipment site.       ° API   Degrees API gravity   The meaured API gravity of the fluid   Numeric   Calculated using the               (crude) being measured as calculated       physical data of the               by a standard equation which ratios the       fluid.               specific gravity of the fluid to a               referenced standard.       ° F.   Degrees Fahrenheit   The standard temperature measurement   Numeric   Standard unit               using degrees Fahrenheit as a scale.       log   Logarithm   Mathematical relationship which   Text   Standard unit               equals the exponent value that the               number 10 would be raised to get that               same number.                  
 
         [0049]    7. Loading Losses Submodule (3.7)  
         [0050]    Loading losses are the primary source of emissions from rail tank car, tank car, and marine vessel operations. Loading losses occur as organic vapors in “empty” cargo tanks are displaced to the atmosphere by the liquid being loaded into the tanks. These vapors are a composite of vapors formed in the empty tank by evaporation of residual product from the previous load, vapors transferred to the tank in vapor balance systems as product is being unloaded, and vapors generated in the tank as the new product is being loaded. Loading losses is calculated according to the procedures outlined in Section 5.2 of the EPA DOCUMENT AP-42, COMPILATION OF AIR POLLUTANT EMISSION FACTORS, VOLUME I, STATIONARY POINT AND AREA SOURCES, CHAPTER 5, SECTION 5.2 DATED JANUARY 1995. The quantity of evaporative losses from loading operations is a function of the following parameters:  
         [0051]    Physical and chemical characteristics of the previous cargo;  
         [0052]    Method of unloading the previous cargo;  
         [0053]    Operations to transport the empty carrier to a loading terminal;  
         [0054]    Method of loading the new cargo; and  
         [0055]    Physical and chemical characteristics of the new cargo.  
         [0056]    Emissions from loading petroleum liquid can be estimated (with a probable error of 30%) using the following equation:  
               L   L     =     12.46                   SPM   T               (3.7.1)                               
 
                                               Symbol   Name   Description   Type   Source                   L L     Loading   The Volatile   Numeric   Result of           losses -   Organic       equation 3.7.1           VOC   Compound               (VOC)               emissions               quantity as               determined in               the above               equation.       S   Saturation   Empirical quantity   Numeric   AP-42           factor   for calculation       reference Table                       5.2-1. Stored in                       System                       Library.       P   True   The true vapor   Numeric   By reference           liquid   pressure of the liquid       from AP-42           vapor   being loaded which       FIGS. 7.1-5,           pressure   is the pressure at       7.1-6, 7.1-2.           of the   which the liquid is in       Stored in           liquid   equilibrium with the       System           being   overhead vapors.       Library.           loaded   Measured in pounds               per square inch               atmospheric (psia)       M   Vapor   The weight per   Numeric   By reference           Molecular   mole of gases being       from AP-42           Weight   emitted, e.g lb/lb       Table 7.1-2.               mole. One mole =       Stored in               weight of 10 23         System               molecules (Avogadro&#39;s       Library.               number)               of the gas or 359               standard cubic feet.               (SCF)       T   Bulk   The temperature of the   Numeric   Supplied from           Liquid   liquid being loaded       the tank           Tempera-   in ° R (Rankine) =       calculation           ture   ° F. + 460.       data.                  
 
         [0057]    8. Hazardous Air Pollutants submodule (3.8)  
         [0058]    Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) have been defined by the EPA to include the following compounds which are common to oil and gas production emissions:  
         [0059]    Hexane  
         [0060]    Xylene  
         [0061]    Benzene  
         [0062]    Xylene  
         [0063]    Toluene  
         [0064]    Ethylbenzene  
         [0065]    Formaldehyde  
         [0066]    Acetaldehyde  
         [0067]    These component concentrations will be retrieved by using calculation routines that speciate the VOC emissions into the above compounds. Calculation routines such as this are produced in software form by both the Gas Research Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency. The user will need to only supply the equipment or application type and the VOC emissions for that particular unit and the program will speciate the HAP emissions form that stream by concentration and report them as such. The output for this module will be the HAP emissions in tons per year and lbs per day.  
         [0068]    9. Emissions Inventory Submodule (3.20)  
         [0069]    The air emissions inventory is a summary of all of the air emissions generated by the various unit sources at a facility. This inventory is a time based report that catalogues these emission volumes on an annual basis for reporting to the state air pollution control agencies. Each report must present:  
         [0070]    [0070] 1 ) The individual calculations for each unit source in the facility, which includes every piece of equipment or process that has the potential to produce air emissions of regulated constituents, e.g. nitrous oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), particulates (PA or PM 10 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), etc.  
         [0071]    2) The sources of the data used in the calculations, i.e. measured data, estimated data, calculated data, industry or government standard data (AP42), etc., along with any assumptions associated with this data.  
         [0072]    3) The summary of the emissions of the individual constituents reported by unit source and by facility.  
         [0073]    4) The status of the equipment, e.g. active, idle, shut down, moved, etc.  
         [0074]    5) All emissions factors used to calculate the emissions in the summary.  
         [0075]    6) The operating schedule of each source or the amount of time (days, hours, etc.) that the individual sources were on line and operating (i.e. generating emissions) during the year.  
         [0076]    7) The equipment parameters, i.e. stack height, stack diameter, power ratings (hp, btu, etc.), fuel usage, fuel type.  
         [0077]    10. Air Permitting submodule (3.21)  
         [0078]    The air permitting data group will require much the same data as the emissions inventory group will, with much additional text type data required. In addition to the data listed in the table for each type facility and equipment, this group will include:  
         [0079]    A) Company mailing and personnel information, e.g who will be the responsible party for signature authority on the permit, who will have regulatory responsibility over the compliance issues, and who will be responsible for operational oversight at this facility.  
         [0080]    B) The legal location of the facility, e.g latitude/longitude, section-township-range, utm coordinates, etc., including county, state and nearest town or city.  
         [0081]    C) The compliance codes for each unit at the facility, if a Title V Federal Operating Permit is being sought.  
         [0082]    The permit will also required the same seven sets of information described above for submodule 3.21.  
         [0083]    11. Emissions Fees Submodule (3.22)  
         [0084]    The emissions fees submodule will take the summary emissions figures from the annual emissions inventory report and generate a figure for the fee based on these annual emissions. The sum total of these emissions will be multiplied by the price per ton per year for emissions fees that are established for that particular state. The user will be required to provide support for these figures in the form of sample calculations and equipment data verification sheets.  
         [0085]    The primary calculation formula is:  
               ∑     Emissions                   tons   year     ×   $                 per                 ton       =     Annual                 Emissions                 Fee             (3.22.1)                               
 
                                               Symbol   Name   Description   Type   Source                   $   Price per ton   The dollar price per   Numeric   Established               tons of emissions as       by law               established by the               particular state of               operation       NOx   Nitrous   Nitrous oxide   Numeric   Calculated           Oxides   emissions       CO   Carbon   Carbon monoxide   Numeric   Calculated           Monoxide   emissions       SO 2     Sulfur   Sulfur dioxide   Numeric   Calculated           dioxide   emissions       PA   Particulates   Particulate emission   Numeric   Calculated       or PM 10         from fuel combustion       VOCs   Volatile   VOC emissions   Numeric   Calculated           Organic           Compounds                  
 
         [0086]    From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment it will be readily understood that the subject invention provides a method for collecting, assimilating and storing data in a searchable database for providing automated on-line compliance with regulatory requirements of various agencies. While certain embodiments and features have been described in detail herein, it should be understood that the invention includes all modifications and enhancements within the scope and spirit of the following claims.