Oil and Gas Climate Initiative

Performance data

Our aggregate data is reported annually and used to set baselines and track progress for collective targets. OGCI member companies have standardized and regularly streamline the methodologies we use to collectively report greenhouse gas emissions and spending on low carbon technologies.

EY, as an independent third party, verifies data submitted by companies, anonymizes it and reviews the consolidated data

Introduction

OGCI Performance Data 2022

In line with best practice, we are continually improving data collection methodologies and processes in areas such as flaring, investment and research and development (R&D) in low-carbon technologies as well as adding new aggregate indicators as they become relevant. 

This year, for the first time, we are publishing greenhouse gas emissions data on an equity basis to complement operated data. Eleven of our 12 companies reported data for Scope 1 and 2 equity greenhouse gas emissions – one more than last year, which was the first year we collected the data.

EY, an independent third party collects and reviews OGCI data. 

In 2023, EY issued a limited assurance statement (available in the Progress Report), as it has done in previous years. This year the EY statement covers nine companies’ data for 2022. This year, EY increased the requirements for assurance in line with evolving auditing standards.

With six years of aggregated operated data now available, we can see some clear trends across our members:

A male and female engineer working at a computer with multiple screens.

1. Greenhouse gas emissions are continuing to decrease and OGCI members are on track to achieve the group’s collective 2025 upstream carbon intensity target.

Aggregated upstream carbon intensity at operated assets is 21% lower than it was in 2017, largely due to reductions in methane and flaring emissions and an increase in renewable sourcing and portfolio changes. 

2. Investment in low carbon technologies, including acquisitions and R&D, has risen steadily since 2017 and was up 66% in 2022 vs 2021.

In 2022, OGCI member companies invested $24.3 billion on low-carbon technologies – almost 70% more than spending in the previous year.

Renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar accounted for the largest share, while spending on carbon capture, utilization and storage tripled since 2021.

Since 2017, OGCI members have cumulatively spent $65 billion on low carbon technologies (including acquisitions and R&D). 

3. Since 2017, operated absolute upstream methane emissions and flared volumes have halved.

The volume of methane emissions reductions across all relevant operated sectors since 2017 is 1.1 million tonnes of methane. This is equivalent to removing the emissions of almost 7 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles for one year.

This progress supports OGCI member companies aim to reach near zero methane emissions by 2030 from operated oil and gas assets in line with the Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions initiative OGCI launched in 2021.

Abbreviations

Mboe/dayMillion barrels of oil equivalent per day
kgCO2e/boeKilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per barrels of oil equivalent
MtCO2eMillion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent
MtCH4Million tonnes of methane
Mm3Million cubic metres

Note: Our member companies are continually improving their own reporting methodologies. As a result, the published data for 2019 and 2020 incorporates some methodological changes and may differ slightly from those previously reported. Read more about OGCI’s definitions and methodology in the OGCI Reporting Framework

Performance data

Production

Aggregate operated oil and gas production from the 12 OGCI member companies remained steady in 2022 at 43.9 Mboe/day. Oil production rose 2% compared with the previous year, while gas production fell 1%. Production trends across the companies were mixed. In 2022, oil production was overall slightly higher on the year as decreased output at most of the companies was offset by an increase at the remainder amid disruptions to global energy markets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Gas production decreased slightly as some companies divested assets. Since 2017, oil production has fallen 5% while gas production has risen 2%. The share of gas has now risen to 35.3% of aggregate operated oil and gas production. OGCI member companies operated 27% of global oil and gas production in 20222.

Oil and gas production, Mboe/day (operated)

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OGCI indicatorsUnit20172018201920201202112022
OGCI oil production (operated)Mboe/day29.829.929.728.427.928.4
OGCI gas production (operated)Mboe/day15.215.716.115.115.615.5
OGCI oil and gas production (operated)Mboe/day45.045.645.843.843.843.9
Share of natural gas in OGCI operated portfolio%33.834.335.234.735.935.3
OGCI oil and gas production (equity)Mboe/day42.542.442.941.641.141.7

Notes:

  1. 2020 and 2021 data restated

  2. Provisional estimate of global oil and gas production of roughly 162 Mboe/day in 2022, based on IEA indicators for oil supply of 94.8 Mboe/day and global natural gas production of 67.3 Mboe/day. OGCI member companies’ share of total oil and gas production is 27% on an operated basis and 26% on an equity basis. IEA Oil Market Report (January 2023); IEA 2023 Gas Market Report Q1

Performance data

Greenhouse gas emissions (operated)

Upstream carbon intensity is on track to achieve OGCI’s 2025 target of 17 kg/boe. In 2022, it fell to 18 kg/boe, a 6% decrease compared to the previous year. This brings the total reduction in carbon intensity since 2017 to 21%. 

Reductions in absolute greenhouse gas emissions at operated assets fell by 5% in 2022 in line with the reduction in upstream carbon intensity. 

Scope 1 upstream greenhouse gas emissions fell by 5% over the year (and a total of 22% since 2017), due to factors including a reduction in flaring, vent recovery projects and portfolio changes.

Scope 2 upstream greenhouse gas emissions fell by 5% over the year (and a total of 12% since 2017), mainly due to an increase in renewable sourcing and divestments. 

Downstream, which accounts for around half of OGCI member companies’ aggregate Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions, has shown slower progress than upstream, reflecting the complexity and longer timelines of decarbonization efforts in refineries and chemical facilities.

In 2022, OGCI members’ aggregate greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 operated) including upstream and downstream was 590 MtCO2e. This represents 1.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, using latest 2021 data from UNEP’S Emissions Gap Report for 2022.

Notes:

3. UNEP’S Emissions Gap Report 2022, p34. The 2021 data for total GHG emissions excluding LULUCF is 52.8GtCO2e

Greenhouse gas emissions Scope 1, MtCO2e (operated)

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OGCI indicators Unit 2017 2018 2019 2020V 2021V 2022
Upstream carbon intensity I kgCO2e/boe 22.7 22.1 21.3 20.4 19.1 18.0
Greenhouse gas emissions – (Scope 1) II MtCO2e 709 687 684 633 620 590
   of which: upstream emissions (Scope 1) III MtCO2e 362 349 343 311 296 282
Upstream greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 2) IV MtCO2e 41.4 43.5 43.7 39.4 38.2 36.4

Notes:

  1. This is the key performance indicator for OGCI’s upstream carbon intensity target. It includes upstream carbon dioxide and methane emissions, both Scope 1 and 2, on an operated basis. It excludes emissions from gas liquefaction and gas-to-liquids.
  2. This figure includes direct (Scope 1) emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide (for those companies that report it) from all operated activities (upstream as well as downstream, which includes refineries and petrochemicals). The methane emissions were converted to CO2 equivalent using a 100-year time horizon global warming potential (GWP) of 25 for fossil-based methane as per IPCC AR4. Using the IPCC AR6 GWP of 29.8, the operated greenhouse gas emissions were 595 MtCO2e in 2022.
  3. Upstream activities comprise all operations from exploration to production and gas processing (up to the first point of sale), including LNG liquefaction plants if located before the first point of sale.
  4. Scope 2 emissions were not calculated in a homogenous way across companies, with some using a location-based and others a market-based methodology.
  5. 2020 and 2021 data restated for “upstream carbon intensity”,”operated greenhouse gas emissions – all sectors (Scope 1)” and “of which: upstream emissions (Scope 1).”
Performance data

Greenhouse gas emissions (equity)

This year we started publishing equity emissions for the first time, marking an important milestone in OGCI’s reporting and reflecting the group’s strategy to lead the industry toward greater transparency.

Equity reporting includes emissions from assets owned, even where they are operated by partners. 

Total greenhouse gas emissions on an equity basis for Scope 1 and Scope 2 were 595.7 MtCO2e and 83 MtCO2e respectively in 2022. This is 6% and 20% higher respectively than the previous year as more companies (11 versus 10) reported data for 2022 than in 2021 – the first year we started to collect this data. 

Comparing the same group of 10 companies that reported in 2021, Scope 1 equity emissions fell by 4%. Scope 2 equity emissions fell by 3% as some companies switched to renewable electricity. 

Absolute methane emissions on an equity basis were 0.9 Mt of methane in 2022, a 16% decrease compared with the previous year, mainly driven by emissions reductions upstream. 

OGCI indicators Unit 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Equity GHG emissions – Scope 1 MtCO2e 560.9 (10) 595.7 (11)
Equity GHG emissions – Scope 2 MtCO2e 69.1 (10) 83.0 (11)
Total equity CH4 emissions MtCH4 1.1 (9) 0.9 (9)
Equity upstream CH4 emissions MtCH4 1.09 (10) 0.90 (10)

Notes:

  1. 2021 data restated

Performance data

Methane emissions

OGCI members reported an aggregate upstream operated methane intensity of 0.15% in 2022, a 17% decrease over the year and half the level seen in 2017. OGCI members had already achieved their collective methane intensity target of well below 0.20% in 2021 – four years early.

Absolute upstream methane emissions decreased by 17% in 2022 compared with 2021 and 50% since 2017. The reduction is mainly a result of widescale equipment and system upgrades, improved flaring controls, continued leak detection and repair, and improved calculation methodologies. Divestment of assets also played a role for some companies.

The upstream sector accounted for 93.7% of OGCI total methane emissions in 2022. Venting and fugitive leaks accounted for over 66.7% of total upstream methane emissions. 

OGCI member companies are striving to reach near zero methane emissions from their operated assets by 2030 through the Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions initiative launched by OGCI. They are sharing what they are learning about detection, measurement and abatement across the industry. 

Methane emissions, MtCH4 (operated)

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OGCI indicators Unit 2017 2018 2019 2020III 2021III 2022
Upstream methane intensity I % 0.30 0.25 0.23 0.21 0.18 0.15
Methane emissions – upstream MtCH4 2.0 1.7 1.6 1.3 1.2 1.0
Total operated methane emissions II MtCH4 2.1 1.9 1.7 1.4 1.3 1.0

Notes:

  1. This is the key performance indicator for OGCI’s 2025 upstream methane target of well below 0.2%. It includes total upstream methane emissions from all operated gas and oil assets. Emissions intensity is calculated as a share of marketed gas.
  2. This figure includes relevant operated activities (upstream, refineries, petrochemicals, power generation, etc, where these are operated by the company).
  3. 2020 and 2021 data restated.
Performance data

Flaring

OGCI member companies continued to reduce flaring volumes and related greenhouse gas emissions from flaring in 2022, in line with their commitment to end upstream routine flaring and achieve near zero methane emissions by 2030. 

In 2022, upstream flaring intensity fell by 21% on the year, accompanying an 18% reduction in upstream flaring emissions. 

Routine flaring volumes in upstream fell in 2022 compared with the previous year as one less company reported data. 

In the period, some of the reduction was attributed to improved production practices such as flaring reductions for targeted assets, flare gas recovery systems, gas compression and capture projects.

Since 2017, upstream flaring of greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 45%. 

Flaring greenhouse gas emissions - upstream, MtCO2e

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OGCI indicators Unit 2017 2018 2019 2020II 2021III 2022
Upstream flaring intensity I Mm3/Mtoe 10.8 9.5 9.2 7.6 7.4 5.8
Natural gas flared – upstream Mm3 24,221 21,465 20,998 16,490 15,931 12,714
Routine gas flared – upstream Mm3 5,636 (10) 4,871 (10) 4,250 (11) 4,166 (12) 2,923 (11)
Flaring greenhouse gas emissions – upstream MtCO2e 62 57 55 44 42 34

Notes:

  1. Upstream flaring intensity is calculated on the basis of the volume of gas flared per millions tonnes of oil equivalent produced on an operated basis.
  2. 2020 data restated “for upstream flaring intensity” and “natural gas flared – upstream.”
  3. 2021 data restated.
Performance data

Investment and R&D in low carbon technologies

Aggregate OGCI data on low-carbon investment, including acquisitions and R&D includes between nine and 11 companies. These companies reported investments totalling $24.3 billion in 2022, an increase of 66% compared with 2021. 

Renewable energy accounted for more than half of the low-carbon investment and comprised the bulk of the acquisition spend. Organic investment in CCUS almost tripled over the year, with most OGCI members investing in the technology as part of their decarbonization strategies. 

R&D spending on low carbon technologies continued to grow in 2022 with a 38% increase in absolute terms over the year and accounting for 32% of total R&D spend – double the share in 2021. 

The total spend on low carbon technologies and projects, including investment, R&D and acquisitions, amounted to $65 billion since 2017. 

Spending on investment and R&D in low carbon technologies, US $bn

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OGCI indicators Unit 2017 2018 2019 2020III 2021IV 2022
Total investment in low carbon technologies I US$ billion 4.7 (10) 5.5 (10) 5.6 (10) 6.8 (11) 13.3 (11) 22.5 (11)
of which: acquisitions US$ billion 0.3 (5) 1.0 (5) 1.1 (9) 1.6 (9) 7.7 (9) 13.1 (9)
R&D expenditures on low carbon technologies II US$ billion 0.7 (9) 1.0 (9) 1.0 (9) 0.8 (11) 1.3 (11) 1.8 (11)
Low-carbon R&D as a share of total R&D spend % 19.0 (9) 15.0 (9) 15.0 (9) 11.7 (11) 17.3 (11) 32.0 (11)

Notes:

  1. Low carbon energy technologies include but are not limited to wind, solar and other renewable energies, carbon-efficient energy management, CCUS, blue and green hydrogen, biofuels, synfuels, energy storage and sustainable mobility.

  2. R&D spending is additional to investment.

  3. 2020 data restated for “investment in low carbon technologies” restated.
  4. 2021 data restated for “investment in low carbon technologies” and “low carbon R&D as share of total R&D spend.”
Oil and Gas Climate Initiative

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