scholarly journals On the Long-Term Temporal Variations in Methane Emissions from an Unconventional Natural Gas Well Site

ACS Omega ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek Johnson ◽  
Robert Heltzel
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Gas Well ◽  
Unconventional Natural Gas

scholarly journals Health-based evaluation of ambient air measurements of PM2.5 and volatile organic compounds near a Marcellus Shale unconventional natural gas well pad site and a school campus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Long ◽  
Nicole L. Briggs ◽  
Brian A. Cochran ◽  
Destiny M. Mims
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Gas Well ◽  
Unconventional Natural Gas ◽  
Volatile Organic

Abstract Background Limited air monitoring studies with long-term measurements during all phases of development and production of natural gas and natural gas liquids have been conducted in close proximity to unconventional natural gas well pads. Objective Conducted in an area of Washington County, Pennsylvania, with extensive Marcellus Shale development, this study investigated whether operations at an unconventional natural gas well pad may contribute to ambient air concentrations of potential health concern at a nearby school campus. Methods Almost 2 years of air monitoring for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was performed at three locations between 1000 and 2800 feet from the study well pad from December 2016 to October 2018. PM2.5 was measured continuously at one of the three sites using a beta attenuation monitor, while 24-h stainless steel canister samples were collected every 6 days at all sites for analysis of 58 VOCs. Results Mean PM2.5 concentrations measured during the different well activity periods ranged from 5.4 to 9.5 μg/m3, with similar levels and temporal changes as PM2.5 concentrations measured at a regional background location. The majority of VOCs were either detected infrequently or not at all, with measurements for a limited number of VOCs indicating the well pad to be a source of small and transient contributions. Significance All measurement data of PM2.5 and 58 VOCs, which reflect the cumulative contributions of emissions from the study well pad and other local/regional air pollutant sources (e.g., other well pads), were below health-based air comparison values, and thus do not provide evidence of either 24-hour or long-term air quality impacts of potential health concern at the school.

Mobile sampling of methane emissions from natural gas well pads in California

2021 ◽  
Vol 244 ◽  
pp. 117930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaochi Zhou ◽  
Seungju Yoon ◽  
Steve Mara ◽  
Matthias Falk ◽  
Toshihiro Kuwayama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Gas Well

scholarly journals Long-Term Methane Emissions Quantification and Alert System for Natural Gas Storage Wells and Fields

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann P. Smith ◽  
Richard L. Bowers ◽  
Victoria H. Boyd ◽  
Seth Lyman
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Storage ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Alert System ◽  
Natural Gas Storage

scholarly journals Reconstructing and quantifying methane emissions from the full duration of a 38-day natural gas well blowout using space-based observations

2021 ◽  
pp. 112755
Author(s):  
Joannes D. Maasakkers ◽  
Mark Omara ◽  
Ritesh Gautam ◽  
Alba Lorente ◽  
Sudhanshu Pandey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Gas Well

scholarly journals Contribution of oil and natural gas production to renewed increase in atmospheric methane (2007–2014): top–down estimate from ethane and methane column observations

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 3227-3244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Hausmann ◽  
Ralf Sussmann ◽  
Dan Smale
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Atmospheric Methane ◽  
Emission Scenarios ◽  
Gas Emission ◽  
Oil And Natural Gas ◽  
Thermogenic Methane

Abstract. Harmonized time series of column-averaged mole fractions of atmospheric methane and ethane over the period 1999–2014 are derived from solar Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements at the Zugspitze summit (47° N, 11° E; 2964 m a.s.l.) and at Lauder (45° S, 170° E; 370 m a.s.l.). Long-term trend analysis reveals a consistent renewed methane increase since 2007 of 6.2 [5.6, 6.9] ppb yr−1 (parts-per-billion per year) at the Zugspitze and 6.0 [5.3, 6.7] ppb yr−1 at Lauder (95 % confidence intervals). Several recent studies provide pieces of evidence that the renewed methane increase is most likely driven by two main factors: (i) increased methane emissions from tropical wetlands, followed by (ii) increased thermogenic methane emissions due to growing oil and natural gas production. Here, we quantify the magnitude of the second class of sources, using long-term measurements of atmospheric ethane as a tracer for thermogenic methane emissions. In 2007, after years of weak decline, the Zugspitze ethane time series shows the sudden onset of a significant positive trend (2.3 [1.8, 2.8]  ×  10−2 ppb yr−1 for 2007–2014), while a negative trend persists at Lauder after 2007 (−0.4 [−0.6, −0.1]  ×  10−2 ppb yr−1). Zugspitze methane and ethane time series are significantly correlated for the period 2007–2014 and can be assigned to thermogenic methane emissions with an ethane-to-methane ratio (EMR) of 12–19 %. We present optimized emission scenarios for 2007–2014 derived from an atmospheric two-box model. From our trend observations we infer a total ethane emission increase over the period 2007–2014 from oil and natural gas sources of 1–11 Tg yr−1 along with an overall methane emission increase of 24–45 Tg yr−1. Based on these results, the oil and natural gas emission contribution (C) to the renewed methane increase is deduced using three different emission scenarios with dedicated EMR ranges. Reference scenario 1 assumes an oil and gas emission combination with EMR  =  7.0–16.2 %, which results in a minimum contribution C  >  39 % (given as lower bound of 95 % confidence interval). Beside this most plausible scenario 1, we consider two less realistic limiting cases of pure oil-related emissions (scenario 2 with EMR  =  16.2–31.4 %) and pure natural gas sources (scenario 3 with EMR  =  4.4–7.0  %), which result in C  >  18 % and C  >  73 %, respectively. Our results suggest that long-term observations of column-averaged ethane provide a valuable constraint on the source attribution of methane emission changes and provide basic knowledge for developing effective climate change mitigation strategies.

scholarly journals Quantifying the loss of processed natural gas within California's South Coast Air Basin using long-term measurements of ethane and methane

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (22) ◽  
pp. 14091-14105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Wunch ◽  
Geoffrey C. Toon ◽  
Jacob K. Hedelius ◽  
Nicholas Vizenor ◽  
Coleen M. Roehl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
South Coast ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Atmospheric Measurements ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Emissions Inventories ◽  
South Coast Air Basin ◽  
Atmospheric Trace Gas

Abstract. Methane emissions inventories for Southern California's South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) have underestimated emissions from atmospheric measurements. To provide insight into the sources of the discrepancy, we analyze records of atmospheric trace gas total column abundances in the SoCAB starting in the late 1980s to produce annual estimates of the ethane emissions from 1989 to 2015 and methane emissions from 2007 to 2015. The first decade of measurements shows a rapid decline in ethane emissions coincident with decreasing natural gas and crude oil production in the basin. Between 2010 and 2015, however, ethane emissions have grown gradually from about 13 ± 5 to about 23 ± 3 Gg yr−1, despite the steady production of natural gas and oil over that time period. The methane emissions record begins with 1 year of measurements in 2007 and continuous measurements from 2011 to 2016 and shows little trend over time, with an average emission rate of 413 ± 86 Gg yr−1. Since 2012, ethane to methane ratios in the natural gas withdrawn from a storage facility within the SoCAB have been increasing by 0.62 ± 0.05 % yr−1, consistent with the ratios measured in the delivered gas. Our atmospheric measurements also show an increase in these ratios but with a slope of 0.36 ± 0.08 % yr−1, or 58 ± 13 % of the slope calculated from the withdrawn gas. From this, we infer that more than half of the excess methane in the SoCAB between 2012 and 2015 is attributable to losses from the natural gas infrastructure.

scholarly journals Unconventional natural gas development and public health: toward a community-informed research agenda

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina Smith Korfmacher ◽  
Sarah Elam ◽  
Kathleen M. Gray ◽  
Erin Haynes ◽  
Megan Hoert Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Community Leaders ◽  
Natural Gas Development ◽  
Unconventional Natural Gas ◽  
Unconventional Natural Gas Development

AbstractUnconventional natural gas development (UNGD) using high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) has vastly increased the potential for domestic natural gas production in recent years. However, the rapid expansion of UNGD has also raised concerns about its potential impacts on public health. Academics and government agencies are developing research programs to explore these concerns. Community involvement in activities such as planning, conducting, and communicating research is widely recognized as having an important role in promoting environmental health. Historically, however, communities most often engage in research after environmental health concerns have emerged. This community information needs assessment took a prospective approach to integrating community leaders’ knowledge, perceptions, and concerns into the research agenda prior to initiation of local UNGD. We interviewed community leaders about their views on environmental health information needs in three states (New York, North Carolina, and Ohio) prior to widespread UNGD. Interviewees emphasized the cumulative, long-term, and indirect determinants of health, as opposed to specific disease outcomes. Responses focused not only on information needs, but also on communication and transparency with respect to research processes and funding. Interviewees also prioritized investigation of policy approaches to effectively protect human health over the long term. Although universities were most often cited as a credible source of information, interviewees emphasized the need for multiple strategies for disseminating information. By including community leaders’ concerns, insights, and questions from the outset, the research agenda on UNGD is more likely to effectively inform decision making that ultimately protects public health.

scholarly journals Mobile measurement of methane emissions from natural gas developments in northeastern British Columbia, Canada

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (20) ◽  
pp. 12405-12420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmaline Atherton ◽  
David Risk ◽  
Chelsea Fougère ◽  
Martin Lavoie ◽  
Alex Marshall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Detection Limit ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Minimum Detection Limit ◽  
Emission Sources ◽  
Natural Gas Development ◽  
Unconventional Natural Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Sector

Abstract. North American leaders recently committed to reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, but information on current emissions from upstream oil and gas developments in Canada are lacking. This study examined the occurrence of methane plumes in an area of unconventional natural gas development in northwestern Canada. In August to September 2015 we completed almost 8000 km of vehicle-based survey campaigns on public roads dissecting oil and gas infrastructure, such as well pads and processing facilities. We surveyed six routes 3–6 times each, which brought us past over 1600 unique well pads and facilities managed by more than 50 different operators. To attribute on-road plumes to oil- and gas-related sources we used gas signatures of residual excess concentrations (anomalies above background) less than 500 m downwind from potential oil and gas emission sources. All results represent emissions greater than our minimum detection limit of 0.59 g s−1 at our average detection distance (319 m). Unlike many other oil and gas developments in the US for which methane measurements have been reported recently, the methane concentrations we measured were close to normal atmospheric levels, except inside natural gas plumes. Roughly 47 % of active wells emitted methane-rich plumes above our minimum detection limit. Multiple sites that pre-date the recent unconventional natural gas development were found to be emitting, and we observed that the majority of these older wells were associated with emissions on all survey repeats. We also observed emissions from gas processing facilities that were highly repeatable. Emission patterns in this area were best explained by infrastructure age and type. Extrapolating our results across all oil and gas infrastructure in the Montney area, we estimate that the emission sources we located (emitting at a rate > 0.59 g s−1) contribute more than 111 800 t of methane annually to the atmosphere. This value exceeds reported bottom-up estimates of 78 000 t of methane for all oil and gas sector sources in British Columbia. Current bottom-up methods for estimating methane emissions do not normally calculate the fraction of emitting oil and gas infrastructure with thorough on-ground measurements. However, this study demonstrates that mobile surveys could provide a more accurate representation of the number of emission sources in an oil and gas development. This study presents the first mobile collection of methane emissions from oil and gas infrastructure in British Columbia, and these results can be used to inform policy development in an era of methane emission reduction efforts.

Polymer-Free Fracturing Fluid Exhibits Improved Cleanup for Unconventional Natural Gas Well Applications

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.N. Fredd ◽  
T.N. Olsen ◽  
G. Brenize ◽  
B.W. Quintero ◽  
T. Bui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Fracturing Fluid ◽  
Gas Well ◽  
Unconventional Natural Gas
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