North DeSoto Central Collection Facility

North DeSoto Central Collection Facility, Louisiana  Midstream Gas Services, LLC,  Access Midstream

The North DeSoto Central Facility is located at 1679 Gravel Point Road, Frierson, LA. The facility began operating in 2009 with a minor source air permit issued by LA DEQ on July 23, 2009.1 The minor source air permit was then modified on August 9, 2010. A Title V air permit was issued  for the facility on January 11, 2011. The Title V air permit was then modified on April 13, 2012 and April 17, 2014.

On October 30, 2015 the Title V air permit was modified once more and renewed. A notice requesting public comment on the permit renewal was published in The Advocate, Baton Rouge on September 17, 2015 and The Enterprise and Interstate Progress, Mansfield on September 17, 2015. A copy of the public notice was mailed to concerned citizens listed in the Office of Environmental Services Public Notice Mailing List on September 8, 2015. The draft permit was submitted to EPA Region 6 on September 2,  2015. The Part 70 Operating Permit renewal was issued on October 30, 2015.

The facility receives natural gas from the surrounding area wells in two inlet pipelines. The production streams from the wellheads are separated into liquid and gas fractions. The produced water is stored in tanks for transportation offsite via tank trucks.

A portion of the natural gas is routed to the amine units for carbon dioxide  and hydrogen sulfide  removal. The gas is dehydrated, compressed and sent off-site  via  pipeline for sale. The sign at the front gate cautions that hydrogen sulfide gas may be present.2


The facility emission sources include:

  • 9 Compressors
  • 8 Dehydrator Heater Units
  • 8 Glycol Dehydrator Still Column Vents
  • 4 Amine Units
  • 4 Amine Unit Reboilers
  • 2 Amine Regenerators
  • 8 Generators
  • 3 Amine Pro Storage Tanks
  • 1 Gasoline Storage Tank
  • 4 Produced Water Storage Tanks
  • Truck Loading Operations for Produced Water
  • Odor Control Flare
  • Fugitive Emission Sources – seals, valves,  flanges, etc.
  • Insignificant Activities
  • Lube Oil Tanks (2-2,000 gallons, 2-500 gallons)
  • Antifreeze Tanks (2-1,000 gallons, 2-500 gallons)
  • Amine Tanks (1-1,000 gallons, 1-3,000 gallons)
  • Triethylene Glycol Tanks (8-1,000 gallons each)
  • Sulfagurad Tanks (2-210 barrels each)
  • Coastal TRS Tanks(4-500 gallons each)
  • Amine Defoamer Tanks(2-450 gallons each)
  • Diesel Storage Tank (583 gallons)

The permitted air emissions consist of the following:

PM10 12.44 tons/year
PM 2.5 12.44 tons/year
SO2 0.88 tons/year
NOx 150.32 tons/year
CO 90.29 tons/year
Hydrogen Sulfide 9.84 tons/year
VOC 51.53 tons/year
Acetaldehyde 1.11 tons/year
Acrolein 0.71 tons/year
Benzene 1.99 tons/year
Ethyl benzene 0.01 tons/year
Formaldehyde 3.50 tons/year
n-Hexane 1.45 tons/year
Methanol 0.33 tons/year
Toluene 3.38 tons/year
Xylene (mixed isomers) 0.61 tons/year2

The NOx, CO and VOC emissions from the engines are controlled by oxidation catalysts. VOC emissions from the glycol regenerator still columns are condensed with the non-condensable, and then are burned in the glycol reboiler furnace fire boxes. The flare burns produced water tank vent gas and glycol dehydration unit flash vent gas during emergency operations.2

Notes from ITC Certified Thermographer Operator: Emissions are coming from the separator equipment. The emissions had a hydrocarbon odor as they traveled across the fence line.

The exact point source of emissions were difficult to pinpoint from outside the fence line, but the emissions are easily seen in Auto and High Sensitivity modes.

New Subdivision

A new subdivision, Tierre Point Estates, along Gravel Point Road consist of eleven lots that are each five plus acres in size.  None of the lots have houses on them. The North DeSoto Central Collection Facility is adjacent to lot #11. A sign on Lot #8 at the time of the field investigation indicates that lot has been sold.

There is definitely a concern for potential air emission exposure issues associated with the development of the residential area adjacent to the gas processing facilities along Gravel Point Road.

Unauthorized Discharges and Spills at the North DeSoto Central Collection Facility

November 4, 2015
A 24 inch pipeline had been pigged with a large slug of fluid coming into the facility. The dump valve on the slug catcher hung open, sending high  pressure fluid to the atmosphere tank, causing the thief hatch to flip up and fluid to spill/spray out of the tank. 45 gallons of produced water was released and misted onto surrounding rocks outside of the containment.3

July 18, 2012
Three hundred gallons of glycol were discharged from an underground line due to the development of a leak in the underground lean glycol line. The soil was impacted and ten feet of contaminated soil was excavated.4

November 17, 2011
Three barrels of produced water was spilled. A vendor left the valve open while removing  produced water from the storage tank. The soil was impacted.  The free liquid was removed and the contaminated soil was removed.5

May 13, 2011
Approximately 1,000 gallons of triethylene glycol impacted subsurface soils as a result of a pinhole leak in a three-inch line. Product seeped from the sidewalls of the excavation hole at a depth of approximately four feet.6

1 Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Air Permits, North Desoto Central Facility, Louisiana Midstream Gas Services, Frierson, DeSoto Parish, (AI 165400), July 23, 2009.

2 Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Air Permit Inspection, North DeSoto Central Facility, Midstream Treating Facility, DeSoto Parish, Louisiana Midstream Gas Services (AI 165400), November 18, 2015, Air Permit Modification, North DeSoto Central Facility, Frierson, DeSoto Parish, Louisiana Midstream Gas Services (AI 165400), August 9, 2010, Air Permit Renewal/Modification, North DeSoto Central Facility, DeSoto Parish, Louisiana Midstream Gas Services (AI 165400), October 30, 2015.

3 Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Unauthorized Discharge Notification Report, Louisiana Midstream Gas Services, North DeSoto Compression Facility (AI 165400), November 4, 2015.

4 Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Unauthorized Discharge, North DeSoto Central Facility Compressor Station, Chesapeake Midstream Management (AI 165400), July 18, 2012, Inspection by Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to evaluate impacts of glycol spill, August 1, 2012.

5 Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Incident Report, North DeSoto Central Facility, La Midstream Gas Service, LLC, Frierson, DeSoto Parish, November 18, 2011 (AI 165400), Inspection by Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to evaluate impacts of produced water spill, November 21, 2011.

6 Louisiana Midstream Gas Services, Unauthorized Discharge Notification Report, 1000 gallon of Triethylene Glycol, North DeSoto Compression Facility, DeSoto Parish (AI 165400), May 13, 2011.