Real Estate Journal — ODM — Architects & Engineers — July 27 - August 9, 2018 — 5B
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By Gary R. Brown, LSRP, PE, QEP, RT Environmental Services, Inc. Methane controls being evaluated by the natural gas industry
T
here has been recent focus on the amount of natural gas emitted
http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/ coal (http://science.sciencemag.org/ content/early/2018/06/20/sci- ence.aar7204) How do methane emis- sions compare with those from other fuels? It has been estimated that the amount of methane emitted from natural gas operations in 2015 had as much impact on the climate as coal fired power plants during that same year. Many groups claim that this fact completely undermines that idea that natural gas has a lesser impact on the environment, in terms of carbon footprint, as opposed to
coal. Yearly methane emissions from the oil and gas industry total approximately 14.3 mil- lion U.S. tons. Methane has 80 times the warming impact of carbon dioxide for the first 20 years after being released into the atmosphere. (http://www. ecowatch.com/tag/coal) Is it possible to reduce emissions? Increasingly, there seems to be growing consensus that natural gas emissions can be significantly reduced. The larges emissions occur from system leaks, and ef- forts to reduce emissions will need to include identification of the largest leakers. Efforts
to reduce emissions can only be implemented if levels at all production and transmis- sion sites are first monitored and measured. It seems like it would be beneficial to recover and use methane, rather than vent it, or allow it to leak. What efforts are being im- plemented to reduce meth- ane emissions? Here is what companies are doing: • reducing venting or fugitive emissions through technologies or equipment upgrades • improvements in manage- ment practices and operational procedures • enhanced management
practices that take advantage of improved technology. Various project options such as compressor upgrades, va- por recovery from oil storage tanks, pneumatic device re- placements, and leak surveys have broad applicability glob- ally and across the oil and gas industry. Many point out that the emissions problem is likely a solvable one, since methane gas can be captured and sold. Companies can recover their investments through a number of economic channels, includ- ing gas sales revenue, on-site fuel use, reduced labor costs, continued on page 18B
from meth- ane produc- t i on wh i l e i t i s be ing drawn from the ground, pressurized a n d p r o - cessed, and u l t i ma t e l y
Gary R. Brown
distributed and used as a fuel. This article focuses on current methane gas emissions from the oil and gas industry, how methane gas could be better controlled, and how it can possibly be captured and sold in world markets. Methane is emitted from a variety of natural and human influenced resources. Methane is a con- stituent of natural gas, an important and growing energy source. What are the key parts of the natural gas industry that may be of concern with respect to methane emis- sion? Production, gathering and processing, transmission, and distribution are the parts of the natural gas industry where methane gas may be generated and/or emitted. Emissions pri- marily result from normal op- erations, routine maintenance, fugitive leaks, and system upsets. Emissions can occur through intentional venting or unintentional leaks. Which segments of nat- ural gas production and distribution produce the most methane? Natural gas production is the main con- tributor of methane emissions in the natural gas industry. Estimated methane production is as follows: • Gas Production – 53% • Oil Production – 19% • Transmission and Storage – 16% What are the forecasted methane trends, and are they expected to increase or decrease? Ecowatch indi- cates that oil and natural gas operations may release 60% more methane than has cur- rently been estimated by EPA. The underestimate is likely due to EPA being required to first ask industry permission to test at oil and gas sites, and the industry likely tightens up and repairs leaks prior to any test- ing. The study that presents this finding was published in Science Magazine . • Processing – 6% • Distribution – 6%
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