Taking offshore methane measurements to new levels
Understanding and addressing methane emissions is an important step toward net zero, but traditional methodologies of reporting emissions at source level are under increasing scrutiny.
The company is pursuing a broad set of initiatives to achieve this goal, focusing on efficiency gains, methane emissions reduction, portfolio shifts towards lower and zero carbon energy sources, and carbon capture and storage.
The main driver to reduce carbon intensity over the next five years, however, is cutting flaring, which in 2018 accounted for 27% of emissions from production. With the aim of achieving Zero Routine Flaring by 2025, Eni has completed a number of projects over the past 10 years to recover and use the gas produced in association with oil. In 2018, process flaring volumes were cut by more than 9% as Eni achieved zero flaring in Turkmenistan.
Eni also invested around US$130 million in flaring reduction projects in its Nigerian assets. It completed a new 18km pipeline from the Akri oil producer to Kwale, where it is conveyed into the existing gas network. Work is also ongoing to install low-pressure compression trains to collect, compress and transport atmospheric and low-pressure flared gas in Kwale.
Eni’s experience in creating alternatives to flaring in developing markets will be crucial for other companies to draw on as they focus on reducing carbon intensity.
Member companies are expanding leak detection and repair campaigns, removing high-emitting devices, and reducing both flaring and venting.
Understanding and addressing methane emissions is an important step toward net zero, but traditional methodologies of reporting emissions at source level are under increasing scrutiny.
Across many of the world’s natural gas production fields, gas pneumatic devices used for process control and chemical injection vent methane directly into the air.
ExxonMobil is progressing a comprehensive methane management programme which is on track to meet its goal of reducing methane emissions by 15% in 2020, compared to 2016.
In 2018, Repsol introduced a comprehensive set of internal metrics, targets and action plans to ensure meaningful progress towards climate change mitigation.
Saudi Aramco’s leak detection and repair programme, enables the mitigation of fugitive leaks, one of the largest sources of methane emissions in the industry.
Having reduced upstream operated carbon intensity by 20% since 2014, Eni is on track to achieve its company target of 43% reduction by 2025.
Reducing upstream methane emissions from oil and gas operations is an important component of CNPC’s Green Action Plan
bp has pledged to measure its methane emissions by 2023 and has enlisted Kairos to conduct aerial surveys.