scholarly journals Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions and freshwater consumption associated with Bakken tight oil

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (48) ◽  
pp. E7672-E7680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian J. Laurenzi ◽  
Joule A. Bergerson ◽  
Kavan Motazedi
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Tight Oil ◽  
Bakken Formation ◽  
Horizontal Drilling ◽  
Associated Gas ◽  
Using Data

In recent years, hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have been applied to extract crude oil from tight reservoirs, including the Bakken formation. There is growing interest in understanding the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the development of tight oil. We conducted a life cycle assessment of Bakken crude using data from operations throughout the supply chain, including drilling and completion, refining, and use of refined products. If associated gas is gathered throughout the Bakken well life cycle, then the well to wheel GHG emissions are estimated to be 89 g CO2eq/MJ (80% CI, 87–94) of Bakken-derived gasoline and 90 g CO2eq/MJ (80% CI, 88–94) of diesel. If associated gas is flared for the first 12 mo of production, then life cycle GHG emissions increase by 5% on average. Regardless of the level of flaring, the Bakken life cycle GHG emissions are comparable to those of other crudes refined in the United States because flaring GHG emissions are largely offset at the refinery due to the physical properties of this tight oil. We also assessed the life cycle freshwater consumptions of Bakken-derived gasoline and diesel to be 1.14 (80% CI, 0.67–2.15) and 1.22 barrel/barrel (80% CI, 0.71–2.29), respectively, 13% of which is associated with hydraulic fracturing.

Optimal Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Design and Allocation for Minimum Life Cycle Cost, Petroleum Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Shin Norman Shiau ◽  
Scott B. Peterson ◽  
Jeremy J. Michalek
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Hybrid Electric Vehicle ◽  
Operating Cost ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vehicle Design ◽  
Battery Capacity ◽  
Hybrid Electric

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) technology has the potential to help address economic, environmental, and national security concerns in the United States by reducing operating cost, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and petroleum consumption from the transportation sector. However, the net effects of PHEVs depend critically on vehicle design, battery technology, and charging frequency. To examine these implications, we develop an integrated optimization model utilizing vehicle physics simulation, battery degradation data, and U.S. driving data to determine optimal vehicle design and allocation of vehicles to drivers for minimum life cycle cost, GHG emissions, and petroleum consumption. We find that, while PHEVs with large battery capacity minimize petroleum consumption, a mix of PHEVs sized for 25–40 miles of electric travel produces the greatest reduction in lifecycle GHG emissions. At today’s average US energy prices, battery pack cost must fall below $460/kWh (below $300/kWh for a 10% discount rate) for PHEVs to be cost competitive with ordinary hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Carbon allowance prices have marginal impact on optimal design or allocation of PHEVs even at $100/tonne. We find that the maximum battery swing should be utilized to achieve minimum life cycle cost, GHGs, and petroleum consumption. Increased swing enables greater all-electric range (AER) to be achieved with smaller battery packs, improving cost competitiveness of PHEVs. Hence, existing policies that subsidize battery cost for PHEVs would likely be better tied to AER, rather than total battery capacity.

scholarly journals Improving Robustness of LCA Results Through Stakeholder Engagement: A Case Study of Emerging Oil Sands Technologies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Sleep ◽  
Zainab Dadashi ◽  
yuanlei chen ◽  
Adam R. Brandt ◽  
Heather L. MacLean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Life Cycle Assessments ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Stakeholder Input ◽  
Using Data

Life cycle assessments can help to inform decision-making about greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction opportunities but are often not embraced by stakeholders associated with industries where study results are highly scrutinized and often contentious. This project was motivated by stakeholder interest in understanding open source life cycle models (the Oil Production Greenhouse Gas Emissions Estimator, OPGEE, and the Petroleum Refinery Life Cycle Inventory Model, PRELIM) and how accurately they can estimate emissions for existing oil sands projects and emerging technologies. We evaluate the robustness of these models and improve them using data from three existing oil sands projects (mining + upgrading, mining + dilution, and steam assisted gravity drainage, SAGD, + dilution). The models are then applied to estimate the GHG emissions reduction potential for two emerging in situ oil sands technologies. We find that, when boundaries are aligned, OPGEE can generate upstream GHG emissions estimates for the projects modeled within 1-4% of company reported GHG emissions data. Extending the boundary to include indirect (life cycle) emissions can lead to a doubling in upstream GHG emissions intensity. The two emerging technologies evaluated in the study can reduce upstream emissions by 14-19% compared to a SAGD project operating at the same reservoir, or 1.4-1.9% on a well-to-wheel basis. This work contributes a revised process of conducting LCAs that includes stakeholder input throughout and results in more robust and transparent estimations of emissions from deploying existing and emerging technologies.<br>

scholarly journals The role of concrete in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of US buildings and pavements

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (37) ◽  
pp. e2021936118
Author(s):  
Jeremy Gregory ◽  
Hessam AzariJafari ◽  
Ehsan Vahidi ◽  
Fengdi Guo ◽  
Franz-Josef Ulm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Critical Component ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
New Construction ◽  
Use Phase ◽  
Future Emissions

Concrete is a critical component of deep decarbonization efforts because of both the scale of the industry and because of how its use impacts the building, transportation, and industrial sectors. We use a bottom-up model of current and future building and pavement stocks and construction in the United States to contextualize the role of concrete in greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions strategies under projected and ambitious scenarios, including embodied and use phases of the structures’ life cycle. We show that projected improvements in the building sector result in a reduction of 49% of GHG emissions in 2050 relative to 2016 levels, whereas ambitious improvements result in a 57% reduction in 2050, which is 22.5 Gt cumulative saving. The pavements sector shows a larger difference between the two scenarios with a 14% reduction of GHG emissions for projected improvements and a 65% reduction under the ambitious scenario, which is ∼1.35 Gt. This reduction occurs despite the fact that concrete usage in 2050 in the ambitious scenario is over three times that of the projected scenario because of the ways in which concrete lowers use phase emissions. Over 70% of future emissions from new construction are from the use phase.

Geographic Differences of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction From Electric Vehicle Deployment in the United States

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Yang ◽  
Chris Yuan ◽  
Xiang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Electric Vehicle ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Co2 Equivalent ◽  
The U.S

The use of electric vehicle (EV) has been widely recognized as an effective way to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation sector. However, the geographic difference of GHG emission reduction from EV deployment is seldom explored. This paper presents a study on the total GHG emissions generated from the life cycle of an EV (represented by Nissan Leaf) and an internal combustion vehicle (ICV) (represented by Toyota Corolla) for benchmarking on the potential emission reductions in the United States. The differences of electricity mix and driving style in each state are considered in the analysis. The results indicate a 43% GHG emissions reduction from ICV with the deployment of EV under the current average United States’ electricity generation scheme and transportation style. But the life cycle GHG emission reductions vary significantly from state to state in the U.S. Some states such as Indiana, Wyoming and West Virginia can only get 7237, 9501 and 9860 kg CO2 equivalent reduced, while some states such as Vermont, New Jersey and Idaho can get 57915, 57206 and 49039 kg CO2 equivalent GHG emissions reduced. This study can be useful in supporting future decision-making and strategy development for EV deployment in the U.S.

scholarly journals Improving Robustness of LCA Results Through Stakeholder Engagement: A Case Study of Emerging Oil Sands Technologies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Sleep ◽  
Zainab Dadashi ◽  
yuanlei chen ◽  
Adam R. Brandt ◽  
Heather L. MacLean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Life Cycle Assessments ◽  
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Stakeholder Input ◽  
Using Data

Life cycle assessments can help to inform decision-making about greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction opportunities but are often not embraced by stakeholders associated with industries where study results are highly scrutinized and often contentious. This project was motivated by stakeholder interest in understanding open source life cycle models (the Oil Production Greenhouse Gas Emissions Estimator, OPGEE, and the Petroleum Refinery Life Cycle Inventory Model, PRELIM) and how accurately they can estimate emissions for existing oil sands projects and emerging technologies. We evaluate the robustness of these models and improve them using data from three existing oil sands projects (mining + upgrading, mining + dilution, and steam assisted gravity drainage, SAGD, + dilution). The models are then applied to estimate the GHG emissions reduction potential for two emerging in situ oil sands technologies. We find that, when boundaries are aligned, OPGEE can generate upstream GHG emissions estimates for the projects modeled within 1-4% of company reported GHG emissions data. Extending the boundary to include indirect (life cycle) emissions can lead to a doubling in upstream GHG emissions intensity. The two emerging technologies evaluated in the study can reduce upstream emissions by 14-19% compared to a SAGD project operating at the same reservoir, or 1.4-1.9% on a well-to-wheel basis. This work contributes a revised process of conducting LCAs that includes stakeholder input throughout and results in more robust and transparent estimations of emissions from deploying existing and emerging technologies.<br>

scholarly journals Life cycle carbon footprint analysis of pulp and paper grades in the United States using production-line-based data and integration

BioResources ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 3899-3914
Author(s):  
Kristen E. Tomberlin ◽  
Richard Venditti ◽  
Yuan Yao
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Production Line ◽  
Paper Industry ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
The Us ◽  
Emission Reduction Strategies

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels are causing concern as climate change risks are growing, emphasizing the importance of GHG research for better understanding of emission sources. Previous studies on GHG emissions for the pulp and paper industry have ranged in scope from global to regional to site-specific. This study addresses the present knowledge gap of how GHG emissions vary among paper grades in the US. A cradle-to-gate life cycle carbon analysis for 252 mills in the US was performed by integrating large datasets at the production line level. The results indicated that one metric ton of paper product created a production weighted average of 942 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO2eq) of GHG emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions varied by pulp and paper grade, from 608 kg CO2eq per metric ton of product to 1978 kg CO2eq per metric ton of product. Overall, fuels were the greatest contributor to the GHG emissions and should be the focus of emission reduction strategies across pulp and paper grades.

Shale, Quakes, and High Stakes: Regulating Fracking-Induced Seismicity in Oklahoma, USA and Lancashire, UK

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Miriam R. Aczel ◽  
Karen E. Makuch
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Shale Gas ◽  
Seismic Activity ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
High Volume ◽  
The United States ◽  
Horizontal Drilling ◽  
Induced Seismic Activity

High-volume hydraulic fracturing combined with horizontal drilling has “revolutionized” the United States’ oil and gas industry by allowing extraction of previously inaccessible oil and gas trapped in shale rock [1]. Although the United States has extracted shale gas in different states for several decades, the United Kingdom is in the early stages of developing its domestic shale gas resources, in the hopes of replicating the United States’ commercial success with the technologies [2, 3]. However, the extraction of shale gas using hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling poses potential risks to the environment and natural resources, human health, and communities and local livelihoods. Risks include contamination of water resources, air pollution, and induced seismic activity near shale gas operation sites. This paper examines the regulation of potential induced seismic activity in Oklahoma, USA, and Lancashire, UK, and concludes with recommendations for strengthening these protections.

The potential of bio-methane as bio-fuel/bio-energy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: a qualitative assessment for Europe in a life cycle perspective

2008 ◽  
Vol 57 (11) ◽  
pp. 1683-1692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Tilche ◽  
Michele Galatola
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Industrial Wastewater ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Crops ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Ghg Reduction

Anaerobic digestion is a well known process that (while still capable of showing new features) has experienced several waves of technological development. It was “born” as a wastewater treatment system, in the 1970s showed promise as an alternative energy source (in particular from animal waste), in the 1980s and later it became a standard for treating organic-matter-rich industrial wastewater, and more recently returned to the market for its energy recovery potential, making use of different biomasses, including energy crops. With the growing concern around global warming, this paper looks at the potential of anaerobic digestion in terms of reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The potential contribution of anaerobic digestion to GHG reduction has been computed for the 27 EU countries on the basis of their 2005 Kyoto declarations and using life cycle data. The theoretical potential contribution of anaerobic digestion to Kyoto and EU post-Kyoto targets has been calculated. Two different possible biogas applications have been considered: electricity production from manure waste, and upgraded methane production for light goods vehicles (from landfill biogas and municipal and industrial wastewater treatment sludges). The useful heat that can be produced as by-product from biogas conversion into electricity has not been taken into consideration, as its real exploitation depends on local conditions. Moreover the amount of biogas already produced via dedicated anaerobic digestion processes has also not been included in the calculations. Therefore the overall gains achievable would be even higher than those reported here. This exercise shows that biogas may considerably contribute to GHG emission reductions in particular if used as a biofuel. Results also show that its use as a biofuel may allow for true negative GHG emissions, showing a net advantage with respect to other biofuels. Considering also energy crops that will become available in the next few years as a result of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform, this study shows that biogas has the potential of covering almost 50% of the 2020 biofuel target of 10% of all automotive transport fuels, without implying a change in land use. Moreover, considering the achievable GHG reductions, a very large carbon emission trading “value” could support the investment needs. However, those results were obtained through a “qualitative” assessment. In order to produce robust data for decision makers, a quantitative sustainability assessment should be carried out, integrating different methodologies within a life cycle framework. The identification of the most appropriate policy for promoting the best set of options is then discussed.

scholarly journals Life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of production of bioethanol from sorghum in the United States

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Cai ◽  
Jennifer B Dunn ◽  
Zhichao Wang ◽  
Jeongwoo Han ◽  
Michael Q Wang
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
The United States ◽  
Gas Emissions
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