Natural Gas Testing and Analytical Laboratory Services

ORTECH has been providing Natural Gas analysis and laboratory services to the industrial chemical, petroleum, automotive, food, agricultural and general manufacturing and government sectors for over 30 years. Our clients have benefited from ORTECH’s proven expertise in specialized analytical services including:

Our Services include:

1. Fuel Heating Value Determination,

2. Landfill Gas and Biogas Analysis,

3. Natural Gas Analysis,

4. Fixed Gas Analysis,

5. Sample Collection from various sources

6. Sulphur Compound Analysis,

7. Inorganic Compound Analysis,

8. Volatile Organic Compound Analysis,

9. Analytical Consultation services

10. Ambient Air Quality Monitoring

Natural Gas Analysis

ORTECH can perform a full extended composition analysis of hydrocarbons and fixed gases in addition to determining the heating value, moisture content, density, specific gravity, Wobbe Index, gas compressibility, water and hydrocarbon dewpoints following the appropriate ASTM methodology. Additional analyses of contaminants in natural gas which may affect pipeline integrity, deterioration of combustion equipment and combustion characteristics include reduced sulphur compounds, particulate matter, metals, siloxanes and condensable organic material can also be tested if requested. 

Fuel Heating Value Determination

Heating value and other physical properties of fuel gases, such as natural gas and biogas, can vary significantly based on gas composition.  with time and It is important for both gas suppliers and their customers to know the heating value of gas supply on a regular basis. ORTECH  is certified  by Measurement Canada to carry out these calculations on natural gas, biogas and other fuel gases using ASTM and Gas Producers Association (GPA) methodology. 

Landfill Gas and Biogas Analysis

ORTECH regularly performs gas composition and calculations of physical properties of landfill gas and biogas samples. These gases primarily contain methane, carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen sulphide. However, there can also be many trace contaminants present such as trace hydrocarbons, metals, volatile organic compounds, ammonia and particulate. ORTECH can conduct extensive field or laboratory sampling and analysis of these gases for all these contaminants following approved methodology.

Fixed Gas Analysis

ORTECH specializes in continuous field sampling and analysis of fixed gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gases from combustion sources at industrial facilities, coal-fired generating stations, incinerators, cement plants and steel works.  These programs may also include sampling and analysis of related gases such as sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides as well as the certification of plant analyzers used for greenhouse gas monitoring and reporting.

Sample Collection

ORTECH has extensive experience in the collection of natural gas, landfill gas and biogas field samples. This includes sampling at high pressure gas mains which enter facilities such as industrial plant and gas turbine generating stations.  These facilities require strict adherence to safety procedures and a thorough knowledge of how the samples should be collected based on the analyses required.  If preferred, ORTECH can provide the equipment and training to allow staff at the facility to collect and ship the samples to ORTECH for analysis.

Sulphur Compound Analysis

Sulphur compounds are frequently responsible for odour complaints from facilities such as sewage treatment plants, steel works, pulp & paper mills, and composting facitilties. Certain sulphur compounds are also added to natural gas, which otherwise has no odour, so that dangerous leaks can be detected.  For each of these situations ORTECH can collect samples and analyze them in the laboratory for a series of sulfur compounds which include hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, mercaptans, organic sulfides and thiophenes.  Portable field analyzers for hydrogen sulfide analysis are also available.  In many cases sulphur compound emissions can be correlated with odour emissions and the potential for odour complaints assessed.

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Sulphur Analysis at ORTECH

Sulphur compounds can cause significant air quality issue for many industries. The laboratory at ORTECH specializes in sampling and analysis of sulfur compounds in samples from various industrial facilities where they may be responsible for odour complaints as well as in natural gas samples where they are added as odorants.

Sulphur compounds are often responsible for odour complaints at facilities such as sewage treatment plants, steel works, pulp & paper mills and composting operations. Additionally, sulphur compounds are often added to natural gas as an odourant so that any leaks can be detected. ORTECH can collect and analyze sulphur samples and analyze them by gas chromatography. These compounds include hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, various mercaptans, sulfides and thiophenes.  Portable field analyzers for hydrogen sulfide analysis are also available for source gas and ambient air studies.  In many cases the emissions of reduced sulfur compounds can be correlated with odour emissions and the potential for odour complaints assessed.

ORTECH has extensive experience sampling and analyzing samples in the following industries:

• Sewers and Wastewater Treatment Facilities

• Petrochemical Refineries

• Pulp and Paper Mills

• Composting Facilities

• Livestock Activities

• Steel Mill Process Operations

• Odourants in Natural Gas

• Ambient Air Studies

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Biogas/BioEnergy

ORTECH provides specific technical services to the Renewable Natural Gas ("RNG") or BioEnergy industry.   Our deep understanding of emissions and odours, our extensive experience with regulatory compliance, either through the REA or Environmental Compliance Approval ("ECA") process, over 30 years of experience working directly with Waste to Energy ("WTE"), Waste Water Treatment Plants ("WWTP") and Biogas/Biomass developers makes us the ideal partner. This core experience is all internal.  ORTECH will outsource select specialty services such as noise, natural heritage, archeological and cultural heritage and has a long working history with practitioners selected for projects. Click here for ORTECH's experience.

ORTECH has a number of services to assist you including:

• Emission Testing,

• Biogas Testing,

• Environmental Permitting,  and

• Odour Assessment.

Why ORTECH?

ORTECH’s experience goes well beyond completing the REA process for three (3) biogas facilities.  Our deep understanding of emissions and odours, our extensive experience with regulatory compliance, either through the REA or Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) process, over 30 years of experience working directly with Waste to Energy (WTE) or Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP) makes us the ideal partner. This core experience is all internal.  ORTECH will outsource select specialty services such as noise, natural heritage, archeological and cultural heritage and has a long working history with practitioners selected for this project.

Renewable Natural Gas ("RNG") or Biogas REA Experience:

The key components of a RNG or Biogas REA are odour and air emission estimates and dispersion modelling.  Examples of some of our recent biogas experience are summarized below:

Grimsby Energy Inc.:  ORTECH developed and prepared an Emission Summary and Dispersion Modelling (ESDM) Report for a RNG or biogas anaerobic digester which produces electrical power through reciprocating internal combustion engines using farm crop, livestock and zoo animal wastes.  The ESDM Report was submitted as part of Renewable Energy Approval (REA) applications for Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA).

ZooShare Biogas Co-operative Inc.:  ORTECH developed and prepared an Emission Summary and Dispersion Modelling (ESDM) Report for a RNG or biogas anaerobic digester which produces electrical power through reciprocating internal combustion engines.  The ESDM Report was submitted as part of a Renewable Energy Approval (REA) application for an Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA).

Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO):  ORTECH performed commercial operation date audits for the 8 facilities in the RNG or biogas category.  These audits were performed on behalf of the IESO to determine if the facility was constructed as per the REA and Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) contact.  ORTECH has performed over 325 audits for the IESO across all renewable energy categories.

General Industry Experience with WWTP:

For over 30 years, ORTECH has been offering emission testing, odour testing, emissions estimating and dispersion modelling and analytical laboratory services to WWTP, incinerators and WTE facilities in Canada.  ORTECH also provides RNG or biogas and natural gas analytical services including but not limited to heating value and sulphur content.

Other examples of relevant ORTECH clients in various air quality services are provided below.

Emissions Testing/Environmental Compliance Approval Clients:

• AbitibiBowater,

• Aevitas Inc,

• Covanta York Durham Energy Center, Waste to Energy,

• Clean Harbors Hazardous Waste Treatment Plant (Sarnia/Mercier),

• City of London,

• City of Toronto, Greenway WWTP/Highland Creek WWTP/Ashbridges Bay WWTP,

• Emerald Power (former Region of Peel) Waste to Energy,

• Enbridge Gas,

• Halton Region WWTP,

• Imperial Oil Co-Generation Plant,

• Medical Waste Management Inc. (Incinerator),

• Northland Power Thorold Co-Generation Plant, and

• Plasco, Waste to Energy.

Odour Assessment Clients:

• City of Toronto Highland WWTP/Ashbridges Bay WWTP,

• Halton Recycling,

• Kitchener WWTP,

• Ontario Clean Water Agency (Lakeview WWTP),

• PlanET biogas Solutions,

• Region of Halton Mid-Halton WWTP/Georgetown WWTP,

• Skyway WWTP, and

• Stormfisher.

RNG or Biogas Analysis Clients:

• Anaergia,

• BioRem,

• Cardinal Power Cogeneration,

• Casco Cardinal,

• City of Sudbury Sludge Treatment Plant,

• City of Toronto (Highland Creek WWTP),

• EBI Energie,

• Enbridge,

• Ingredion,

• Metro Vancouver,

• Oxford County,

• Region of Niagara,

• StormFisher,

• Triton Engineering, and

• Union Gas.

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Water Quality Monitoring?  We have that covered!

ORTECH has the experience, expertise and resources to design, implement and operate cost effective monitoring programs for the continuous measurement of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) in aqueous streams.  ORTECH also maintains in-house laboratory capabilities for VOC analysis of discrete aqueous samples.

Municipal Water Quality Monitoring
ORTECH can tailor monitoring systems for municipalities to meet specific water quality analytical requirements.

Industrial Water Quality Monitoring
ORTECH has a great deal of experience with providing continuous measurement of industrial process streams (i.e. cooling water, effluent).  Systems can range from TOC measurement to specialized systems capable of sub-ppb analysis of target compounds of concern.  ORTECH also analyzes discrete aqueous effluent samples for VOC’s via GC/MS via our specialty Organic Analytical Services facility.

Equipment Selection Criteria

•    Provision of detection limits adequate to compare to standards
•    Use of recognized methods
•    Use of well-developed, well supported technology
•    Reliable operation – data recovery of better than 95%
•    Can report continuous monitoring results on hourly basis by telemetry, and track trends over long time periods
•    Provide automated alerting for system problems or contaminants above “trigger” levels

Currently, ORTECH operates and maintains continuous water monitoring systems at Petroleum Refining and Petrochemical Manufacturing sector facilities in the Sarnia, Ontario, area.

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Material Testing Services at ORTECH

ORTECH can provide testing and analysis of various materials for a variety of chemical and physical components, as well the collection of off-gas samples from the materials followed by analysis for volatile organic compounds, fixed gases and odour.

• Off-Gas Testing of Materials: Consumer and related products frequently discharge volatile organic compounds and other volatile compounds into the air during a process called off-gassing, particularly when these products are new. Examples are furniture and fabrics which have the potential to cause health problems or unwanted odours in households or the workplace. ORTECH uses various techniques to collect these compounds using physical material samples. Once the air samples have been collected analyzed the results can be compared with indoor air quality standards and guidelines to confirm if the discharges may be the cause for concern from a health perspective or the source of unpleasant odours.

• Odour Release Potential of Materials: Odours may be released from a variety of industrial, commercial and consumer products. Frequently there is a need to quantify these odour emissions so that the material can be modified or reformulated to reduce the odour impact. Examples are the reformulation of paint at an automobile paint facility to address off-site odour complaints or to prevent packaging material odours from contaminating food products. Odour testing may also be conducted on merchandise recovered from a fire or flood to determine if it can be salvaged. Samples for odour evaluation may be recovered from the material using a variety of techniques. Evaluation of the samples involves a determination of the odour detection threshold value and other odour parameters using an odour panel with an olfactometer. An odour panel is a group of people who are trained to assess odours. An olfactometer is an analytical device which is used to accurately introduce and quantify odorous samples by the odour panel.

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