2013 GHGRP Industrial Profiles
Petroleum Refineries
Petroleum Refineries Sector
Highlights
• The Petroleum Refineries Sector is the third largest
greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting industrial sector among
stationary sources behind Power Plants and Petroleum
and Natural Gas Systems.
• The Petroleum Refineries Sector is the second highest
ranked sector in terms of GHG emissions per facility, with
an average of 1.22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent (MMT CC^e), behind only the Power Plant Sector.
• The largest source of emissions in the Refineries Sector is stationary fuel combustion,
representing about two-thirds of GHG emissions in 2013.
• Emissions from this sector increased by approximately 1.5 percent from 2012 to 2013. Two
facilities had significantly higher emissions; one due to a recent expansion and the other
due to re-starting after being idled during 2012.
About this Sector
The Petroleum Refineries Sector consists of facilities that produce gasoline, gasoline blending
stocks, naphtha, kerosene, distillate fuel oils, residual fuel oils, lubricants, or asphalt (bitumen) by
the distillation of petroleum or the re-distillation, cracking, or reforming of unfinished petroleum
derivatives. Petroleum refining processes emit GHGs from venting flares, and fugitive leaks from
equipment (e.g., valves, flanges, and pumps).
In addition to emissions from petroleum refining processes, this sector includes combustion
emissions from stationary combustion units, except for electricity generating units (Subpart D), the
emissions of which are included in the Power Plant Sector. Emissions from hydrogen production
plants located at refineries are included in the Non-Fluorinated Chemicals Sector. Emissions from
industrial waste landfills and industrial wastewater treatment at these facilities are included in the
Waste Sector. Most petroleum refineries also report as suppliers of petroleum products and a few
petroleum refineries also report as suppliers of carbon dioxide.
Who Reports?
In 2013,145 facilities in the Petroleum Refineries Sector reported GHG emissions of 176.7 MMT
C02e. The Refinery Sector reflects 1.8% of the facilities reporting direct emissions to the GHGRP. In
2013, the Petroleum Refineries sector represented 2.7% of total U.S. GHG emissions.1
Table 1: Petroleum Refineries Sector - Reporting Schedule by Subpart
Subpart
Source Category
Applicability
First Reporting Year
Y
Petroleum Refineries
All facilities
2010
All emissions presented here
are as of 8/18/2014 and
exclude biogenic CO2. All
GHG emissions data
displayed in units of carbon
dioxide equivalent (C02e)
reflect the global warming
potential (GWP) values from
TPCC AR4.
1 The total U.S. GHG emissions are 6,525.6 MMT C02e as reported in the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas
Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2012. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. April 15, 2014. EPA 430-R-14-
003..
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Table 2: Petroleum Refineries Sector - Number of Reporters (2011-2013)
Petroleum Refineries Sector
Number of Reporters
2011
2012
2013
Petroleum Refineries
149
147
145
Table 3: Petroleum Refineries Sector - GHGRP Coverage (as of Reporting Year 2012)
Source Category
GHGRP Coverage of
Industry
Estimated Percent of
Industry Facilities
Covered by GHGRP
Estimated Percent of
Industry Emissions
Covered by GHGRP
Petroleum Refineries
All facilities
100%
100%
Reported Emissions
Table 4: Petroleum Refineries Sector - Emissions (2011-2013)
Sector
Emissions (MMT C02e)
2011
2012
2013
Petroleum Refineries
178.3
174.0
176.7
Reported Process Emission Sources
The largest sources of GHG emissions at petroleum refineries are stationary fuel combustion units
(e.g. steam boilers, process furnaces, and process heaters). The Petroleum Refineries Sector also
reports process emissions from catalytic cracking units, fluid coking units, delayed coking units,
catalytic reforming units, coke calcining units, asphalt blowing operations, blowdown systems,
storage tanks, equipment leaks, loading operations, flares, and sulfur recovery plants. The chart
below shows total reported emissions from these processes and fuel combustion.
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Petroleum Refineries
Figure 1: Petroleum Refineries Sector - Emissions by Source (2013)ab
O
PETROLEUM REFINERY SECTOR - EMISSIONS BY SOURCE
(2013)
Sulfur Recovery Units
2.5 MMT C02e
Catalytic Cracking/ Reforming
46.9 MMT C02e
Flares
5.7 MMT C02e
Other Sources
1.4 MMT C02e
Combustion
120.1 MMT C02e
68%
" Emissions from Fuel Combustion are defined here as emissions reported under Subpart C. Emissions from other
process are reported under Subpart Y.
15 "Other Sources" includes coke calcining units, process vents, uncontrolled blowdown systems, asphalt blowing
operations, equipment leaks, delayed coking units, storage tanks, loading operations, and emissions from sorbent use.
Table 5: Petroleum Refineries - Emissions from Fuel Combustion and Other Processesa b c
Fuel Type
Total Reported Emissions (MMT C02e)
2011
2012
2013
Fuel Combustion
120.5
117.1
120.1
Process Emissions
57.2
56.9
56.6
Sorbentd
**
0
0
a Emissions from Fuel Combustion are defined here as emissions reported under Subpart C. Emissions from other
process are reported under Subpart Y.
b Emission values presented may differ slightly from other publicly available GHGRP data due to minor differences in the
calculation methodology.
£ Does not include sorbent emissions monitored by CEMS.
** Total reported emissions are less than 0.05 MMT CChe.
The predominant fuel used by refineries is fuel gas, which is a byproduct off-gas from refining
processes that is captured and used as a fuel.
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Table 6: Petroleum Refineries Sector - Combustion Emissions by Fuel Type3
Fuel Type
Total Reported Emissions (MMT C02e)b
2011
2012
2013
Coal
0.1
0.1
0.1
Natural Gas
20.7
20.3
22.0
Petroleum Products
99.7
96.7
98.1
Other Fuelsc
**
**
**
a In cases where CO2 emissions were reported at the unit level (i.e. CEMS-monitored sources), fuel level CO2 emissions
were calculated by EPA based on other data directly reported by facilities, as well as default emission factors,
i The sum of the individual fuels might not match the total due to individual rounding.
c Excludes biogenic CO2.
** Total reported emissions are fewer than 0.05 MMT CChe.
Figure 2: Location and Emissions Range for Each Reporting Facility in the Petroleum
Refineries Sector (as of 8/18/14)
This map shows the locations of direct-emitting facilities. The size of a circle corresponds to the
quantity of emissions reported by that facility. There are also petroleum refineries located in
Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
fhttp://www.epa.gov/ghgreporting/ghgdata/reported/refineries.htmR
Readers can identify the largest emitting facilities by visiting the Facility Level Information on
Greenhouse Gases (FLIGHT) website fhttp: //ghgdata.epa.gov].
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Petroleum Refineries
G
Figure 3: Petroleum Refineries Sector - Emissions by State (2013)
DIRECT EMISSIONS BY STATE FROM THE REFINERIES SECTOR
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California"
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Guam
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas"
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi"
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virgin Islands
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
2013 Emissions (million metric tons C02e)
10 20 30 40
50
60
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Petroleum Refineries
Petroleum Refineries Sector: Emissions Trends 2012 to 2013
Emissions in the Petroleum Refineries Sector increased by approximately 1.5% from 2012 to 2013,
even though there were two fewer reporters. Two facilities had large emission increases that,
combined, were greater than the total sector-wide increase from 2012 to 2013. One facility
completed its first full year of operations after finishing a significant expansion. Another resumed
operations in 2013 after being idled and experiencing a subsequent ownership change in 2012.
Petroleum Refineries Sector: Longer-Term Emissions Trends
Emissions in the Petroleum Refineries Sector have remained in a relatively narrow range from
2010 to 2013, as has the number of reporting facilities. The fewest number of reporters occurred in
2013, with 145, and the largest number occurred in 2011, with 149. Emissions have ranged from a
low of 174.0 MMT C02e in 2012 to a high of 178.3 MMT C02e in 2011. A long-term trend in the
petroleum refining industry is that the number of facilities has steadily declined while production
and operating capacity have remained fairly constant. The declining number of facilities points to a
steadily increasing average refinery capacity, as the result of expansions at existing refineries over
time.
©
Figure 4: Petroleum Refineries Sector - Emissions Trend (2011-2013)
ANNUAL REPORTED DIRECT EMISSIONS FROM THE
REFINERIES SECTOR
o
o
(A
C
o
E
c
o
(A
c
o
'35
»
LU
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
2011
2012
2013
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2013 GHGRP Industrial Profiles
Petroleum Refineries
Table 7: Petroleum Refineries Sector - Emissions by GHG (MMT C02e)a
Petroleum Refineries Sector
Reporting Year
2011
2012
2013
Number of facilities
149
147
145
Total emissions (MMT C02e)
178,3
174.0
176.7
Emissions by GHG
Carbon dioxide (C02)
177.0
173.0
175.0
Methane (CH4)
0.9
0.9
1.0
Nitrous oxide (N20)
0.5
0.5
0.5
a Totals may not sum due to independent rounding.
Figure 5: Petroleum Refineries Sector - Average Emissions per Reporter (2013)
AVERAGE EMISSIONS PER REPORTER FROM THE REFINERIES
SECTOR
2013 Emissions (million metric tons C02e)
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4
Petroleum Refineries
GHGRP Average
(Direct Emitters Only)
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Figure 6: Petroleum Refineries Sector - Percentage of Reporters by Emissions Range (2013)
O
PERCENTAGE OF FACILITIES IN THE REFINERIES SECTOR AT
VARIOUS EMISSION RANGES
a>
ui
c
ro
DC
-o
0)
o
o
a>
CL
n
Refineries Sector
i—1
GHGRP (All
Direct Emitters)
0-25 25- 50 50- 100 100-250 250- 1,000 >1,000
2013 Emissions Range (thousand metric tons C02e)
Table 8: Petroleum Refineries Sector - Number of Reporters by Emissions Range (2013)
Petroleum Refineries Sector
Emissions Range (MMT C02e)
0 - 0.025
0.025-0.05
0.05 - 0.1
0.1-0.25
0.25-1
> 1
Total Refineries Sector
11
7
8
13
49
57
Calculation Methods Used
Emission Calculation Methodology from Stationary Fuel Combustion Units
For fuel combustion emissions, facilities must generally follow the applicable tier methodology
prescribed in subpart C (general stationary fuel combustion sources] to calculate CO2, CH4, and N2O
emissions. However, the Petroleum Refineries Sector has more stringent requirements for fuel gas,
and thus the vast majority of fuel gas combustion emissions have to be calculated using subpart C's
Tier 3 calculation methodology. The calculation methodologies for subpart C are explained here.
Emission Calculation Methodologies for Process Emissions Sources
Process ventsL The major source of process vent emissions at petroleum refineries - catalytic
cracking, fluid coking and catalytic reforming units - have the following options for calculating CO2
emissions:
• CEMS - Operate a CEMS in the final exhaust stack.
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• Monitoring -Large catalytic cracking units and fluid coking units must monitor exhaust
gas 02, C02, and, if necessary, CO concentrations continuously, or no less frequently than
hourly, prior to the combustion of other fossil fuels. Catalytic reforming and smaller (i.e.,
less than 10,000 barrels per stream day (bbls/sd) catalytic cracking and fluid coking
units) have the option to measure these parameters at least daily or use an emission
factor (see below).
• Emission factor - Catalytic cracking units and fluid coking units with rated capacities less
than 10,000 bbls/sd can calculate emissions using a coke burn-off factor and the carbon
content of the coke (either measured or default value). Catalytic reforming units,
regardless of size, can also use a coke burn-off factor.
Other process emission sources. The calculation methodologies include direct measurements,
engineering calculations, process knowledge, and emission factors.
Table 9: Petroleum Refineries Sector Emission Calculation Methodologies
Type of Emissions
Methodology
Percent of Emissions
Monitored by Method (by Type)
2011
2012
2013
Process Emissions
CEMS
15.6%
17%
16.0%
Measurement data
74.6%
72.5%
71.9%
Engineering estimates or
emission factors
9.8%
10.5%
12.1%
Combustion Emissions
CEMS (Tier 4)a
0.2%
0.2%
0.3%
Measured carbon content,
and, if applicable, molecular
weight (Tier 3)
84.3%
84.1%
83.8%
Measured high heating values
(HHVs) and default emission
factors (Tier 2)
12.4%
13.0%
13.1%
Default HHVs and emission
factors (Tier 1)
3.1%
2.7%
2.8%
a CEMS emissions include CO2 from fossil fuel combustion and, if applicable, CO2 from sorbent.
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Best Available Monitoring Methods (BAMM)
During the first year that the GHGRP applied, facilities were allowed for most source categories to
optionally use a best available monitoring method (BAMM) to determine emissions inputs for
specific emissions sources for a limited amount of time. The use of BAMM was allowed because it
was not always feasible for a newly subjected facility to acquire, install, and operate all of the
required monitoring equipment by the date required by the GHGRP. EPA's BAMM provision
provided time for these facilities to replace their equipment in a way that could minimize impacts
to normal business operations. Refineries were automatically eligible to use BAMM from January 1,
2010 through March 31, 2010. Learn more about BAMM.
Refineries were required to follow applicable monitoring and QA/QC requirements beginning on
April 1, 2010, unless EPA approved a BAMM extension. Petroleum refineries are eligible to apply to
use BAMM through December 31, 2015.
Table 10: Petroleum Refineries Sector - Percent of Facilities Using BAMM (2011-2013)
BAMM Use
2011
2012
2013
Petroleum Refineries Sector
12%
6%
1%
Data Verification and Analysis
As a part of the reporting and verification process, EPA evaluates annual GHG reports with
electronic checks. EPA contacts facilities regarding potential reporting issues and facilities resubmit
reports as errors are identified. Additional information on EPA's verification process is available
here.
The EPA also used an outside data set from the Department of Energy's Energy Information
Administration (EIA) to evaluate emissions reported to the GHGRP. This datasetmay be accessed
here. Specifically, the U.S. Gross Inputs to Refineries data observed a 2.2% increase in the daily
average atmospheric crude input from 2012 to 2013. This compares favorably to the 1.5%
emissions increase from this sector over the same time period.
GLOSSARY
BAMM means Best Available Monitoring Methods. Facilities approved for BAMM may use best
available monitoring methods for any parameter (e.g., fuel use, feedstock rates) that cannot
reasonably be measured according to the monitoring and QA/QC requirements of a relevant
subpart
CEMS means continuous emissions monitoring system.
CChe means carbon dioxide equivalent, which is a metric used to compare the emissions from
various greenhouse gases based upon their global warming potential (GWP). The carbon dioxide
equivalent for a gas is calculated by multiplying the tons of the gas by the associated GWP.
Direct emitters are facilities that combust fuels or otherwise put greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere directly from their facility. Alternatively, Suppliers are entities that supply certain
fossil fuels or fluorinated gases into the economy that—when combusted, released or oxidized—
emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Distillate fuel oil means a classification for one of the petroleum fractions produced in
conventional distillation operations and from crackers and hydrotreating process units. The generic
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term distillate fuel oil includes kerosene, kerosene-type jet fuel, diesel fuels (Diesel Fuels No. 1, No.
2, and No. 4), and fuel oils (Fuel Oils No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4).
FLIGHT refers to EPA's GHG data publication tool, named Facility Level Information on Greenhouse
Gases Tool (http://ghgdata.epa.govl.
Fuel gas means gas that is generated as a byproduct at a petroleum refinery or petrochemical plant
and that is combusted separately or in combination with any type of gas.
GHGRP means EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (40 CFR part 98).
GHGRP vs. GHG Inventory: EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) collects and
disseminates annual greenhouse gas data from individual facilities and suppliers across the U.S.
economy. EPA also develops the annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG
Inventory) to track total national emissions of greenhouse gases to meet U.S. government
commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The GHGRP and
Inventory datasets are complementary and may inform each other over time. However, there are
also important differences in the data and approach. For more information, please see
http://www.epa.gov/ghgreporting/ghgdata/reported/inventory.html
IPCC AR4 refers to the Fourth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change. Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the
Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team,
Pachauri, RK. and Reisinger, A. (eds)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 2007. The AR4 values also can be
found in the current version of Table A-l in subpart A of 40 CFR part 98.
MMT means million metric tons.
NAICS means the North American Industry Classification System, the standard used by federal
statistical agencies to classify business establishments into industrial categories for collecting and
publishing statistical data related to the U.S. economy.
Naphtha is a generic term applied to a petroleum fraction of crude oil that is the raw material for
gasoline.
Petroleum products means all refined and semi-refined products that are produced at a refinery
by processing crude oil and other petroleum-based feedstocks, including petroleum products
derived from co-processing biomass and petroleum feedstock together, but not including plastics or
plastic products. Petroleum products may be combusted for energy use, or they may be used either
for non-energy processes or as non-energy products. Fuel gas is included in the petroleum product
fuel category for all sectors other than petrochemical production. For petrochemical production
fuel gas is classified separately.
Residual fuel oil refers to Fuel Oils No.5 and No.6.
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