As the world struggles with the pressing need to combat climate change, industrial companies – particularly those in the Oil & Gas sector – are facing increasing pressure to reduce their emissions and work towards achieving net-zero targets. This pressure is not without reason. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas released during oil and gas operations, has emerged as a critical focal point in the fight against global warming and its reduction is central to achieving the ambitious goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.
To meet their sustainability targets, companies not only need a commitment to sustainability but also robust tools and strategies for monitoring and effectively reducing emissions. In this post, we will explore the importance of emission monitoring for industrial companies, with a special emphasis on the Oil & Gas sector and its efforts to mitigate methane emissions. We will also examine real-world case examples to illustrate its significance.
Tracking Sustainability Goals with Measurement Data
One of the key aspects of any successful sustainability journey is setting clear and achievable goals. Industrial companies are increasingly committing to bold targets, such as achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. However, without accurate and comprehensive data, tracking progress towards these goals is challenging. Emission monitoring plays an important role in providing the data needed to assess the current state of emissions and measure their progress over time.
Industry Application: An Oil & Gas company has set a goal to reduce its methane emissions by 50% within the next five years. By recurring methane emission measurements at its facilities, the company can gather real-time data on emissions, allowing them to track their progress and make necessary adjustments to meet their targets.
Monitoring Process Emissions for Process Development and Maintenance Planning
Emission monitoring is not just about compliance; it can also provide valuable insights for process development and maintenance planning. By monitoring emissions from various sources within their operations, industrial companies can identify inefficiencies, leaks, or malfunctions in their processes. Modern mobile technologies enable simultaneous and selective monitoring of multiple emissions, often providing new insights into process efficiency. This data-driven approach enables companies to optimise their operations, reduce emissions, and save on operational costs.
Industry application: An Oil & Gas company implements monitoring of its flaring operations, gathering real-time data on flaring emissions. By analysing this data, the company identifies opportunities to optimise its flaring process, reducing both emissions and operational costs. This proactive approach not only helps the company meet environmental regulations but also enhances its operational efficiency and sustainability efforts.
Full Emission Picture: Combining Source and Site Measurements
To gain a comprehensive understanding of emission rates, it is essential to utilise a combination of source-level and site-level measurements. Source-level measurements focus on specific emission points, while site-level measurements provide a broader view of emissions across the entire facility. By comparing data from both approaches, companies can identify emission hotspots and gain a more accurate picture of their overall emissions. Employing both source-level and site-level measurements can also shed light on traditionally difficult-to-measure sources. Sources that were once inaccessible or challenging to quantify with traditional methods can now be assessed more accurately, providing a more complete picture on emissions.
Additionally, the concept of reconciliation, which involves the comparison of source-level and site-level measurement results with relevant process data, plays a significant role in emission monitoring. This process helps in identifying discrepancies, pinpointing inefficiencies, and improving the accuracy of emissions reporting, further contributing to emission reduction efforts and regulatory compliance.
This comprehensive approach aligns with industry standards such as the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0 reporting requirements. Incorporating OGMP 2.0 reporting requirements into emission monitoring practices highlights the organisation’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and environmental responsibility, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable energy sector.
Industry Application: An Oil & Gas company conducts site-level methane emission monitoring at a natural gas processing plant with simultaneous source-level monitoring on specific equipment known to be emission-prone. By comparing the data from these two approaches, the company identifies that a particular compressor unit is responsible for a significant portion of emissions. This information allows them to prioritise maintenance and upgrades on that specific unit, leading to substantial emission reductions.
Closing thoughts: Significance of Emission Monitoring
Industrial companies that embrace emission monitoring not only fulfil their regulatory obligations but also position themselves as leaders in the transition to a low-carbon economy. As we move forward, the integration of advanced monitoring technologies and data analytics will play an even more significant role in helping companies reach their net-zero aspirations. Furthermore, this approach offers substantial benefits in terms of data-driven, improved maintenance planning and process development often leading to reduced raw material loss and decreased service downtime, amongst others, all the while optimising operations.
Emission monitoring serves as an enabler in the transition towards new, low-emission technologies, providing a significant source of actionable, real-time, real-world data invaluable when implementing and scaling the updates globally. It’s clear that emission monitoring is not just a step on the path to net-zero but one of the central components in reshaping the industry.