How Data Defines The Future Of Methane Mitigation

As the oil and gas industry becomes more pro-active in reducing fugitive emissions across the value chain, for either jurisdictional, regulatory, commercial or voluntary requirements, the value of accurate, real-time data comes into play.

A survey conducted at a recent online event hosted by the Industrial Decarbonization Network found that 50% of organizations put voluntary commitments ahead of regulatory requirements. Those results may seem surprising given that the United States and European Union are introducing new, tighter, regulations on methane emissions, but it perhaps demonstrates that the industry is serious about getting ahead of regulatory requirements.

The main drivers behind an organization’s methane emissions program:

Source: Industrial Decarbonization Network, Methane Emissions Data Management Online Event Survey, May 18

To achieve this, organizations in the oil and gas industry are actively piloting new technologies that paint a clearer picture, at the operational level of their main sources of emissions. Methane emissions data is at the foundation of those new technologies and efforts.

Industrial Decarbonization Network hosted a webinar with OGMP 2.0 Consultant, Erin Tullos, and Robert Panchuk, Instrumentation Engineer, Decarbonization System Strategies from TC Energy on how important accurate methane emissions data is for:

a) managing an organization’s environmental footprint, leading to meaningful emission reductions

b) unlocking hidden potential at an operational level in terms of modernization and technology advancement

c) recalibrating and enhancing long-term mitigation strategy goals

“For too long we have treated an environmental function as a bolt-on, separate function simply there to administer regulatory requirements.” – Erin Tullos, Consultant, OGMP 2.0, United Nations Environment Program.

Watch the Methane Emissions Data Management Panel for more insights from Erin Tullos and Robert Panchuk: Methane Emissions Data Management (industrialdecarbonizationnetwork.com)

Often, operators calculate emissions using generic emissions factors recognised by the industry. While that mid-grade level estimation may be acceptable to build a national annualized inventory, it is insufficient to effectively inform mitigation measures as it does not provide an accurate enough account. The key, Tullos says, is to “understand actual emissions from actual equipment under actual operational conditions” like weather, environmental, maintenance, design and vintage of equipment.

When companies engage their engineers to build an understanding of emissions and operational dependencies, they are better able to guide mitigation strategies and identify cost-effective options than they would from a desk in a corporate office, Tullos muses.

“Use that site level measurement to take a step back and make sure you're not missing something like a quality assurance step,” she says. “But most importantly, build a detailed understanding of the way your physical equipment is operated in an actual place is generating emissions and let that be the basis of a generic emission factor-based pie chart.”

READ: INFOGRAPHIC: Sources of Methane Emissions in Oil and Gas 

TC Energy is one of North America's leading energy infrastructure company with operations in natural gas, oil and power industries. The company is looking at technology solutions that can help them build that detailed understanding of their emissions to ensure they’re on track for their long-term mitigation goals to reduce GHG emissions intensity by 30% by 2030 and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

“If you know the high emitting sources across your asset base, you can craft programmes to replace or modernize those assets,” explains Panchuk.

He also says that accurate emissions data can help operational teams with better day-to-day decision making. For instance, he says, facilities engineers can more effectively plan and coordinate activities such as pipeline blowdowns (where methane is released into the atmosphere in order to perform maintenance), which would help reduce unnecessary emissions.

“Do I have to blow down this entire section of pipe or is there a way that we can better schedule or coordinate those activities to lessen the number of unnecessary blowdowns?” he says.

With over 93,000 kilometres of natural gas pipeline, 340+ compressor stations and thousands of other valve sites spread across three countries, all with their unique jurisdictional, regulatory and commercial requirements, it is interesting to see how TC Energy integrates their methane emissions data into the planning process. The fundamental thing Panchuk found is to understand the assets, and realize that the emissions data is going to mean something across different parts of the asset footprint, and to different stakeholders.

The key is to ensure “that you have a clean foundation to bring all this data together so that the stakeholders that need to use selective pieces of that data can utilise it for the tools and software for their specific processes.”

Panchuk explains that the company is looking at a range of solutions - both technological and operational - to get their data foundations in order. The quality of the data (new and historic) put into these solutions is what will ultimately define the quality of the systems’ output.

TC Energy experiments with new technologies to enhance historical emissions data and establish older programmes that brings back data on fugitive emissions. This allows for better detection and better quantification to overlay on fundamental raw emissions data. Stated data, control systems data, additional geospatial data and climate data can also be utilized for prediction modelling and optimizing the configuration of on-site assets.

With the recent wildfires in Western Canada impacting gas production in the area, TC Energy is leveraging historical data to navigate operations. Given the unpredictability of the situation, their operators are using historical data to execute an optimal combination of how best to run their assets when the volatility calls for production to be potentially shut in.  

However, for many organizations, implementing a data-led strategy comes with its own set of challenges, from data latency to implementing the right mix of data technology.

The biggest data challenges with methane emissions:

Source: Industrial Decarbonization Network, Methane Emissions Data Management Online Event Survey, May 18

“The main challenge people will face is trying to rebaseline their emissions when they've historically either completely ignored them or had a highly generic basis for understanding them in the past, and are now transitioning to something that's more asset specific. As operators begin to transition to methods that are more representative, they're going to have to tell a story about why their emissions appear to be changing either up or down. That is, both parts of changing how they're operating to reduce emissions, but also partly just changing the basis by which the emissions are being described or estimated.” - Erin Tullos, Consultant, OGMP 2.0, United Nations Environment Program.

With several emerging technologies and approaches to measurement promising to elevate data available on oil and gas methane emissions, what organizations needs to do is to get their data foundation in order and then implement the right mix of software and technologies to abate emissions and inch closer to their long-term sustainability strategies.

Industrial Decarbonization Network’s recently conducted online survey also suggests that 50% of organizations struggle with implementing the right mix of measurement technology.

Alternatively, it is imperative for organizations to understand the algorithms run by the software vendors that they choose to implement because ultimately, “as the operator you hold the bag when it comes to what you’re saying about your own emissions.” 

Once a sound implementation of data and technology is executed, the industry can focus their resources on equipment upgrades and operational changes, enabling them to optimize their emissions reduction strategies in real time.

WATCH: On-Demand Webinar: Critical Considerations for Building Your Methane Mitigation Strategy

Interested in learning more? Join us at our free online event taking place on July 12 to learn how to mitigate fugitive emissions with leak detection procedures, training and competency expectations, repair protocols and data collection and management. Register here to assess the latest technology solutions in emissions management: Fugitive Emissions Management Online Event