Safe Odorant Handling in Populated Areas with Temporary Negative Pressure Enclosures

How Burgess Pipeline Services Ensures Safe Odorant Operations in Urban Environments

Natural gas odorization is critical for public safety, ensuring leaks are detectable before they become hazardous. However, working with odorants like THT (tetrahydrothiophene) or TBM (tert-butyl mercaptan) in highly populated areas presents unique challenges. Strong-smelling mercaptan blends can cause community complaints, regulatory scrutiny, and even emergency responses if not properly contained.

At Burgess Pipeline Services, we specialize in temporary odorization and odor fade remediation, including safe odorant handling in sensitive environments. One of our most effective solutions is the use of temporary negative pressure enclosures with carbon filtration—a method that neutralizes vapors and prevents odorant release during maintenance, refills, or repairs.

The Challenge: Odorant Containment in Urban Settings

When performing wick odorizer refills, valve maintenance, or pipeline pickling, escaping mercaptan vapors can lead to:

• Public nuisance reports due to strong gas-like smells.

• Unnecessary emergency calls from concerned residents.

• Regulatory violations if odorant dispersion exceeds permissible limits.

Traditional methods (venting to atmosphere or passive diffusion) are no longer viable in cities or near schools, hospitals, or residential zones. A controlled, engineered solution is required.

Solution: Temporary Negative Pressure Enclosures with Carbon Filtration

Our method involves creating a sealed, negative-pressure environment around the work area using portable enclosures. Here’s how it works:

1. Enclosure Setup (Airtight Sealing)

• A modular, temporary enclosure is erected around the odorizer or maintenance site.

• All seams, entry points, and vents are sealed to prevent leaks.

2. Negative Pressure Generation

• A high-efficiency system actively pulls air from the enclosure, ensuring lower internal pressure than the surrounding environment.

• This prevents odorant vapors from escaping—air flows into the enclosure, not out.

3. Carbon Filtration (Neutralizing Odorants)

• Extracted air passes through activated carbon filters, which adsorb and neutralize mercaptan molecules.

• Cleaned air is safely discharged, eliminating detectable odors.

  
  

Applications: Where This Method Excels

This system is ideal for:

Wick odorizer refills – Preventing spills and vapor release during mercaptan replenishment.

Odorizer maintenance/repairs – Containing fumes when during new line commissioning.

Emergency leak response – Quickly isolating and neutralizing odorant releases in sensitive areas.

Why Choose Burgess Pipeline Services?

• Zero-Emission Focus – Our closed-loop systems align with environmental regulations, eliminating venting/flaring.

• Proven Technology – We use portable odorant analyzers and thermal imaging for precision monitoring.

• Regulatory Compliance – Meeting PHMSA, API, and EPA standards for safe odorant handling.

A Safer, Smarter Approach to Odorant Management

For gas utilities operating in urban areas, traditional odorant handling methods are no longer sufficient. Burgess Pipeline Services’ temporary negative pressure enclosures with carbon filtration provide a clean, compliant, and community-friendly solution. By trapping and neutralizing mercaptan vapors, we ensure odorization safety without disruption.