The P2O process produces a minor by-product of off-gas, which is much like natural gas. After testing the P2O process at high processing rates, it was found that the P2O processor’s furnace did not have the capacity to sufficiently burn all of the off-gases. Flaring (i.e., burning) excess off-gas is common in the oil and gas industry, but this practice is not environmentally friendly, is a waste of valuable gas, and would require a separate permit. To avoid flaring the excess gas, the Company purchased a gas compression system that buffers and regulates the off-gas. The gas is then stored in mobile tanks and can be resold, used to cold start the P2O furnace, or as the Company has recently determined, could be used in a small on-site co-generation plant to create electricity to be sold back to the grid. The gas compression system and mobile storage tanks were installed on the Company’s 20MT P2O processor in June, 2010.
There have been many other additions to the P2O machine and facility, all of which have been designed to increase efficiencies and improve operations. A second condenser was added to the P2O system so that there is one condenser to condense the lighter naphtha and another to condense the heavier fuel oil. Additionally, we have made investments in securing the premises of our P2O site. We installed a multi-camera security system, a video archival security system, a perimeter fence, and built a small guardhouse to control access to the facility. The Company has contracted with off-duty East Buffalo law enforcement to protect and secure the property around the clock. The Company has also made other improvements, including an expansion of the furnace, installation of a small cooling tower and the purchase of a small diesel generator for times when our machinery is disconnected from the electrical grid.
In conjunction with development of the P2O processor, the Company has continued the development of the Fuel-Blending Facility. Significant upgrades were undertaken by JBI to ensure the site’s operational integrity. Some improvements include seals on the tanks, new lines, valves, loading and unloading racks, maintenance on all pumps, replacing of the check valves and the replacement and calibration of the anti-corrosion systems. The lines and tanks were pressure tested and the tank wall thickness and pipelines were certified. All of the tanks were cleaned out and the levels replaced. The entire site was repainted to conform to the latest fuel blending site safety standards. Maintenance was performed on the butane injection systems and lab equipment was purchased for testing multiple ranges of fuels. Also, the heating and cooling systems on the site were replaced, gate and security instalments were made, and additional maintenance was performed.
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