Patent ID: 7350581

Claim:
A method for recovering vapors from oil and gas well equipment in fluid communication with a well, the equipment including a natural gas sales line, a holding tank that stores liquid removed from the well, and a liquid separator interposed between the well and the holding tank, the method comprising: (a) interposing a compressor, which is drivingly linked to an engine, between the holding tank and the sales line; (b) extending a first conduit in fluid communication with the holding tank to a compressor inlet; (c) extending a second conduit from a compressor outlet to fluid communication with the sales line; (d) connecting a controller to the engine; (e) connecting a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the controller and an interior chamber of the holding tank for measuring the pressure within the interior chamber; (f) monitoring the pressure of a gas in the interior chamber of the holding tank; (g) signaling the controller when the gas in the holding tank reaches a predetermined pressure; (h) starting the engine when the predetermined pressure is reached; (i) drawing the gas from the holding tank through said first conduit and the compressor inlet, and compressing the gas in the compressor; and (j) forcing the compressed gas from the outlet of the compressor through the second conduit into the sales line.