Quantification of methane emissions in the exploration and production of natural gas and petroleum in The Netherlands

1995 ◽  
pp. 591-596
Author(s):  
Hans Oonk ◽  
Mariëlle Vosbeek
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Exploration And Production

scholarly journals Methane emissions in the Netherlands: The Groningen field

Elem Sci Anth ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara I. Yacovitch ◽  
Bruno Neininger ◽  
Scott C. Herndon ◽  
Hugo Denier van der Gon ◽  
Sander Jonkers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Production Volume ◽  
Offshore Platforms ◽  
Source Characterization ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Individual Site

The Groningen natural gas field in the Netherlands – one of Europe’s major gas fields – deploys a “production cluster” infrastructure with extraction, some processing and storage in a single facility. This region is also the site of intensive agriculture and cattle operations. We present results from a multi-scale measurement campaign of methane emissions, including ground and airborne-based estimates. Results are compared with inventory at both the facility and regional level. Investigation of production cluster emissions in the Groningen gas field shows that production volume alone is not a good indicator of whether, and how much, a site is emitting methane. Sites that are nominally shut down may still be emitting, and vice-versa. As a result, the inventory emission factors applied to these sites (i.e. weighted by production) do a poor job of reproducing individual site emissions. Additional facility-level case studies are presented, including a plume at 150 ± 50 kg CH4 hr–1 with an unidentified off-shore emission source, a natural gas storage facility and landfills. Methane emissions in a study region covering 6000 km2 and including the majority of the Groningen field are dominated by biogenic sources (e.g. agriculture, wetlands, cattle). Total methane emissions (8 ± 2 Mg hr–1) are lower than inventory predictions (14 Mg hr–1) but the proportion of fossil fuel sources is higher than indicated by the inventory. Apportionment of methane emissions between thermogenic and biogenic source types used ethane/methane ratios in aircraft flasks and ground-based source characterization. We find that emissions from the oil and gas sector account for 20% of regional methane, with 95% confidence limits of (0%, 51%). The experimental uncertainties bound the inventory apportionment of 1.9%, though the central estimate of 20% exceeds this result by nearly 10 times. This study’s uncertainties demonstrate the need for additional research focusing on emissions apportionment, inventory refinement and offshore platforms.

Accelerating oil and gas investment and reserves by design

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 557
Author(s):  
Barry A. Goldstein
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Land Access ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Oil And Gas Producers ◽  
Crude Oil Prices ◽  
Exploration And Production ◽  
Oil And Gas Operations

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence (Adams 1770). Some people unfamiliar with upstream petroleum operations, some enterprises keen to sustain uncontested land use, and some people against the use of fossil fuels have and will voice opposition to land access for oil and gas exploration and production. Social and economic concerns have also arisen with Australian domestic gas prices tending towards parity with netbacks from liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. No doubt, natural gas, LNG and crude-oil prices will vary with local-to-international supply-side and demand-side competition. Hence, well run Australian oil and gas producers deploy stress-tested exploration, delineation and development budgets. With these challenges in mind, successive governments in South Australia have implemented leading-practice legislation, regulation, policies and programs to simultaneously gain and sustain trust with the public and investors with regard to land access for trustworthy oil and gas operations. South Australia’s most recent initiatives to foster reserve growth through welcomed investment in responsible oil and gas operations include the following: a Roundtable for Oil and Gas; evergreen answers to frequently asked questions, grouped retention licences that accelerate investment in the best of play trends; the Plan for ACcelerating Exploration (PACE) Gas Program; and the Oil and Gas Royalty Return Program. Intended and actual outcomes from these initiatives are addressed in this extended abstract.

scholarly journals Methane Emissions from Process Equipment at Natural Gas Production Sites in the United States: Liquid Unloadings

2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 641-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
David T. Allen ◽  
David W. Sullivan ◽  
Daniel Zavala-Araiza ◽  
Adam P. Pacsi ◽  
Matthew Harrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Process Equipment ◽  
Natural Gas Production

scholarly journals An Estimate of Natural Gas Methane Emissions from California Homes

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (17) ◽  
pp. 10205-10213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc L. Fischer ◽  
Wanyu R. Chan ◽  
Woody Delp ◽  
Seongeun Jeong ◽  
Vi Rapp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Methane Emissions

scholarly journals Regulating Subsidence and its uncertainty in the Dutch Wadden Sea

2020 ◽  
Vol 382 ◽  
pp. 63-70
Author(s):  
Johannes A. de Waal ◽  
Mathijs W. Schouten
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Land Subsidence ◽  
Wadden Sea ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Reservoir Rock ◽  
Proper Management ◽  
Subsidence Rate ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Regulatory Approach

Abstract. At the start of gas production its effects on land subsidence are not certain. There are uncertainties in mechanisms, models and parameters. Examples are non-linear deformation of reservoir rock, fault transmissibility, behaviour of overlaying salt and aquifer activity. Looking back at historical cases in the Netherlands, a factor two or three difference between initial prediction and final outcome is quite common. As the Dutch regulator, SSM is tasked with assuring proper management by operators of the risks associated with land subsidence from natural gas production in The Netherlands. Large initial uncertainties can only be tolerated if operators can demonstrate that timely actions can still be taken when predefined subsidence limits are at risk of being exceeded now or in the future. The applied regulatory approach is illustrated by the case history of gas production induced subsidence in the Dutch Wadden Sea area. This environmentally highly sensitive UNESCO World Heritage Site is a natural gas province. Extensive legal, technical and organisational frameworks are in place to prevent damage to its natural values. Initial uncertainties in the predicted subsidence (rate) were later exacerbated by the detection of strong non-linear effects in the observed subsidence behaviour, leading to new concerns. It was realised that – depending on the underlying physical cause(s) – there will be a different impact on future subsidence. To assure proper management of the additional uncertainty by the operator, several improvements in the regulatory approach have been implemented. Possible underlying mechanisms had to be studied in depth and improved data analysis techniques were requested to narrow down uncertainties as time progresses. The approach involves intensified field monitoring, scenario's covering the full range of uncertainties and a particle filter approach to handle uncertainties in predictions and measurements. Spatial-temporal double differences, production data and the full covariance matrix are used to confront scenario predictions against measurements and to assess their relative probability. The regulator is actively involved in assuring this integrated control loop of predictions, monitoring, updating, mitigation measures and the closing of knowledge gaps. The regulator involvement is supported in the Mining law and by appropriate conditions in the production plan assent. With the approach it can be confidently assured that subsidence (rate) will remain within the allowed range.

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