American Oil and Gas Reporter - November 2023 - 77

SpecialReport: Emissions Monitoring
Partnership's future work towards identifying
solutions for primary sources of
methane emissions. "
At The Source
With results in hand from the aerial
surveys, the report notes, The Partnership
collaborated with CSU and LiDAR company
Bridger Photonics to organize a
field analysis in Fall 2022 with 10 participating
companies in the Bakken
Shale and Permian Basin. The goal was
to validate and better understand methane
emission sources in compressors and
their drivers.
" CSU and stack testing companies
quantified methane emissions from the
exhaust stream, as well as from rod packing
vents, crankcase vents and fugitives
visible on an optical gas imaging camera, "
The Partnership details. " The team measured
sources on 79 units at 24 sites, and
48 of these units' emissions were fully
captured by the ground team. While the
field team was taking measurements on
the ground, aerial surveys with an active
source LiDAR system were deployed
over the field sites to allow for a comparison
between aerial survey data and individual
source measurements. "
When electric-driven units were excluded,
more than 76% of the study's observed
methane emissions were related to
engine exhaust, the report says. Moreover,
it continues, CSU determined that most
units operated within design specifications,
with engine emissions that did not significantly
exceed manufacturer estimates.
The average magnitude of emissions
for units where the field team could completely
quantify emissions aligned with
average aerial survey totals over the same
period, the report assures.
" These results indicate that the majority
of emissions observed from compressordriver
units is related to methane slip
through engine exhaust, " the report says.
" Companies and The Partnership are
working with operators, engine manufacturers
and other stakeholders to identify
solutions that can further mitigate methane
emissions from compressor drivers. "
The Partnership quotes CSU research
scientist Tim Vaughn about the study's
implications for technologies to improve
air quality. " TEP's initiative to better understand
next generation sensing technologies
will help validate and characterize
the performance of new measurement
techniques on gas compression engines, "
he says. " The interest and engagement
of the wide range of operators that TEP
brought together supported not only the
study's top-level goal, but also sparked
inquiries on how to leverage new emission
reduction opportunities from several subsidiary
study observations. "
Record Of Results
The report notes that The Partnership
offers eight environmental performance
programs for producers and midstream
companies:
· The Leak Detection and Repair
Program incorporates monitoring and
timely correction at sites by using detection
methods and technologies such as portable
analyzers, optical gas imaging cameras
and laser-based aerial surveys.
· The Pneumatic Controller Program
deals with replacing, removing or retrofitting
gas-driven pneumatic controllers
with low- or zero-emitting devices.
· The Manual Liquids Unloading
Program implements an industry best
practice that minimizes emissions by
monitoring the removal of liquids that
can accumulate as natural gas wells age
and eventually restrict gas flow.
· The Compressor Program involves
implementing practices that minimize
emissions associated with centrifugal and
reciprocating compressors, such as routing
vapors to control or replacing rod packings.
·
The Pipeline Blowdown Program
emphasizes reduction practices to minimize
emissions during pipeline blowdowns,
such as routing natural gas to a
low-pressure system or reducing pressure.
·
The Flare Management Program
implements practices to reduce flare volumes,
promote beneficial use of associated
gas and calculate flare intensity to demonstrate
progress.
· The Maintenance and Integrity Program
incorporates best practices that improve
liquid petroleum pipeline and facility
integrity and maintenance programs to
reduce emissions and product releases to
the environment.
· The Energy Efficiencies Program
upholds best practices to shrink energy
consumption for liquid petroleum pipelines
and facilities within the transmission and
storage segments.
American Petroleum Institute President
and Chief Executive Officer Mike
Sommers praises The Partnership for
promoting safer and more efficient methods
that allow the industry to continue
providing affordable and reliable energy
while reducing emissions. " Tackling the
challenge of reducing methane emissions
requires not just words, but action, and
I look forward to advancing The Partnership's
record of results in the years
ahead, " he says.
" After five years as chair of The Environmental
Partnership, I continue to be
both impressed by and grateful for our
participants' ingenuity, creativity and
know-how for solving problems, powering
our lives and reducing environmental impacts, "
attests Vanessa Ryan, chair of The
Environmental Partnership and manager
of methane reduction for Chevron Corp.
" I am proud of what we have achieved in
just five years and look forward to continuing
to grow the Partnership's scope
and membership. "
" In my first year leading The Partnership,
this industry has taken on new
challenges and new opportunities to improve
our environmental performance,
and I am proud of how The Partnership
and our participating companies continue
to meet the challenge of reducing
methane emissions across the supply
chain, " relates Emily Hague, director
of The Environmental Partnership.
" Through innovative facility design, improvements
in operational practices and
procedures, advancements in detecting
and measuring emissions and improved
accuracy in data emissions reporting,
we are achieving meaningful results,
helping to ensure the continued production
of affordable, reliable and cleaner
energy for decades to come. "
❒
Do you have
surplus products
or special services?
Use AOGR's
classified advertising
to promote them!
NOVEMBER 2023 77
American Oil and Gas Reporter - November 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Oil and Gas Reporter - November 2023
