Greenhouse Gas Inventory System for the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry

Lead Proponent: Clearstone Engineering Ltd.
Location: Calgary, AB
CEI Contribution: $ 730,000
Project Total: $ 1.2 M
Strategic Area: Methane and VOC Emissions

Project Objectives:

The primary objective of this project is to develop a standardized upstream oil and gas (UOG) emission inventory solution for Alberta. The solution is intended to facilitate integration and harmonization across jurisdictions and demonstrate achievement of provincially and federally stated methane reduction targets.

The project will:

1. Confirm inventory organizational and operational boundaries for the Alberta UOG industry.
2. Feature field data collection to improve confidence in UOG equipment inventories and provincial fugitive and pneumatic emission estimates.
3. Document ‘business rules’ in Requirements and Design Documents for implementing a data management system and emission calculation modules.
4. Develop an inventory database application for monthly determination of emissions from UOG facilities and wells.

Expected Results

The intended result of this project is to minimize or eliminate the use of emission factors and replace with operator reported values for hydrocarbon storage tanks, pneumatic devices, well surface casing vent flows and gas migration (SCVF/GM), dehydrators and equipment leaks. These sources contributed 62% of methane emissions and, 85% of methane uncertainty in the 2011 UOG national inventory (ECCC, 2014). The project will provide a detailed inventory of monthly GHG emissions and uncertainty from the Alberta UOG industry and improve confidence in the identification of methane emission reduction opportunities.

The project is a component of Alberta’s commitment to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas industry by 2025 and the AERs mandate to implement and enforce regulatory requirements, including a system that can intake and manage large data sets from operators for the purpose of monitoring progress toward reduction targets.

Project Partners:

GreenPath Energy Ltd.
Carleton University

Collaborators:

Alberta Energy Regulator (AER)