Ending Natural Gas Flaring in Nigeria’s Oil Fields

Abstract. We quantify source contributions to springtime (April 2008) surface black carbon (BC) in the Arctic by interpreting surface observations of BC at five receptor sites (Denali, Barrow, Alert, Zeppelin, and Summit) using a global chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) and its adjoint. Contributions to BC at Barrow, Alert, and Zeppelin are dominated by Asian anthropogenic sources (40–43 %) before April 18 and by Siberian open biomass burning emissions (29–41 %) afterward. In contrast, Summit, a mostly free tropospheric site, has predominantly an Asian anthropogenic source contribution (24–68 %, with an average of 45 %). We compute the adjoint sensitivity of BC concentrations at the five sites during a pollution episode (April 20–25) to global emissions from March 1 to April 25. The associated contributions are the combined results of these sensitivities and BC emissions. Local and regional anthropogenic sources in Alaska are the largest anthropogenic sources of BC at Denali (63 %), and natural gas flaring emissions in the Western Extreme North of Russia (WENR) are the largest anthropogenic sources of BC at Zeppelin (26 %) and Alert (13 %). We find that long-range transport of emissions from Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (also known as Jing-Jin-Ji), the biggest urbanized region in Northern China, contribute significantly (~ 10 %) to surface BC across the Arctic. On average it takes ~ 12 days for Asian anthropogenic emissions and Siberian biomass burning emissions to reach Arctic lower troposphere, supporting earlier studies. Natural gas flaring emissions from the WENR reach Zeppelin in about a week. We find that episodic, direct transport events dominate BC at Denali (87 %), a site outside the Arctic front, a strong transport barrier. The relative contribution of direct transport to surface BC within the Arctic front is much smaller (~ 50 % at Barrow and Zeppelin and ~ 10 % at Alert). The large contributions from Asian anthropogenic sources are predominately in the form of ‘chronic’ pollution (~ 40 % at Barrow and 65 % at Alert and 57 % at Zeppelin) on 1–2 month timescales. As such, it is likely that previous studies using 5- or 10-day trajectory analyses strongly underestimated the contribution from Asia to surface BC in the Arctic. Both finer temporal resolution of biomass burning emissions and accounting for the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen (WBF) process in wet scavenging improve the source attribution estimates.

Download Full-text

Brazil Natural Gas Flaring and Its Regulatory Regime

10.4043/29702-ms ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Paula Maria Nogueira Camargos ◽

Letícia Moreira Albuquerque ◽

Hugo Candiá Saad

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Regulatory Regime ◽

Gas Flaring

Download Full-text

THE GIPPSLAND OIL AND GAS FIELDS—FOUR YEARS OF PRODUCTION AND UTILISATION

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj72026 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 166

Author(s):

M. A. Stratton

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Social Life ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Petroleum Industry ◽

Petroleum Products ◽

The State ◽

Oil Field ◽

Oil Fields ◽

Gas Field ◽

Paper Mills

The discovery by the partnership of Esso Exploration and Production Australia Inc. and Hematite Petroleum Pty Ltd during the past eight years of the natural gas and crude oil fields off the east Victorian coast has often been compared to that of gold in the State in the 1850's in its impact .on the economic, industrial and social life of the community.To date the amount spent in the State on the discovery and overall development of these fields is approximately $600 million. The value of oil and gas recovered over the period of nearly four years since production commenced in 1969 and distributed and utilised by various means to 31 December 1972, amounts to about $500 million. In addition the value of refined products from Victoria's three refineries and items produced by industrial processes through the use of natural gas and petroleum products as fuels, amount to many more millions of dollars. The total impact on Victoria in one form or another could, if measured in monetary value, he equivalent to about $1200 million-all in the course of about eight years.Other States have also benefited. The building of tankers, barges, tugs and work boats and the modification of refineries in New South Wales and Queensland, have probably cost in the region of $200 million whilst indirectly the success of the Gippsland oil and gas discoveries has spurred other explorers to step up the search in many areas and, as far as natural gas is concerned, with considerable success.The speed and efficiency with which the four gas and oil fields developed to date were brought into production, the necessary treatment plants erected, the pipelines laid and distribution facilities organised; and with which the gas industry changed over to the new fuel and refineries modified their processes to use indigenous crudes have, by world standards, been exceptional. From the time the first gas field-Barracouta, was found in February 1965 until the last oil field in the program -Kingfish came fully on stream late in 1971, less than seven years elapsed.During that time Victorian fuel patterns underwent vast changes. Today over 95% of all gas consumers are using natural gas and about 70% of crude processed by local refineries comes from the Gippsland Basin. The significance of natural gas in particular is demonstrated by a 41% increase in gas sales in Victoria in 1971/72 over the previous twelve months and this trend is expected to accelerate as a result of recent arrangements for the supply of large volumes of this fuel to industrial plants including paper mills, cement works and an alumina smelter.Also of major significance to the State has been the development of the port of Western Port where the loading of tankers and LPG carriers has resulted in it becoming the State's second busiest port. Of less immediate impact but still of great value in the long term, has been the building of better roads and facilities needed to service the installations and the emergence of many valuable skills in the petroleum industry which will make easier the task of future development of new fields and facilities in Victoria and other parts of Australia.

Download Full-text

Natural Gas Processing in Mexico and its Influence in the Petrochemical Industry

Energy Exploration & Exploitation ◽

10.1177/014459879301100606 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 569-580

Author(s):

Rodolfo Navarro Penilla

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Gas Production ◽

Oil Fields ◽

Natural Gas Production ◽

Sustained Development ◽

Gas Processing ◽

Natural Gas Processing ◽

Gas Products ◽

Petroleos Mexicanos ◽

The Impact

This general out line for Petroleos Mexicanos describes the natural gas production and processing in Mexico, and the influence that natural gas products and condensate have on petrochemicals production. Since about 80% of natural gas production comes from the off-shore oil-fields in the Gulf of Campeche and from the in-land oil fields of the Chiapas-Tabasco mesozoic region, the Petroleos Mexicanos four largest natural gas processing centres are located in the south-east part of Mexico: Cactus, Nuevo Pemex, Ciudad Pemex and la Venta petrochemical complexes. The first one is located in Chiapas and the others in Tabasco. The impact of natural gas processing over the basic and secondary petrochemical industries is shown through its growing and sustained development since Mexico increased its natural gas availability.

Download Full-text

A micro-refinery to reduce associated natural gas flaring

Sustainable Cities and Society ◽

10.1016/j.scs.2016.06.012 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

pp. 116-121 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Zhenni Ma ◽

Cristian Trevisanut ◽

Cristian Neagoe ◽

Daria C. Boffito ◽

Seyed Mahdi Jazayeri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Gas Flaring

Download Full-text

A Chemical Alternative to Natural Gas Flaring

Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research ◽

10.1021/ie0303808 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 42 (20) ◽

pp. 5003-5006 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Michael Golombok ◽

Wendy Teunissen

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Gas Flaring

Download Full-text

Capturing economic and social value from hydrocarbon gas flaring and venting: solutions and actions

10.35188/unu-wider/2021/940-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Etienne Romsom ◽

Kathryn McPhail

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Satellite Data ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Energy Transition ◽

Small Scale ◽

Middle Income ◽

Gas Flaring ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Diamond Model ◽

Hydrocarbon Gas

This second paper on hydrocarbon gas flaring and venting builds on our first, which evaluated the economic and social cost (SCAR) of wasted natural gas. These emissions must be reduced urgently for natural gas to meet its potential as an energy-transition fuel under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and to improve air quality and health. Wide-ranging initiatives and solutions exist already; the selection of the most suitable ones is situation-dependent. We present solutions and actions in a four-point (‘Diamond’) model involving: (1) measurement of chemicals emitted, (2) accountability and transparency of emissions through disclosure and reporting, (3) economic deployment of technologies for (small-scale) gas monetization, and (4) an ‘all-of-government’ approach to regulation and fiscal measures. Combining these actions in an integrated framework can end routine flaring and venting in many oil and gas developments. This is particularly important for low- and middle-income countries: satellite data since 2005 show that 85 per cent of total gas flared is in developing countries. Satellite data in 2017 identified location and amount of natural gas burned for 10,828 individual flares in 94 countries. Particular focus is needed to improve flare quality and capture natural gas from the 1 per cent ‘super-emitter’ flares responsible for 23 per cent of global natural gas flared.

Download Full-text

Small-scale technology solutions to eliminate flaring

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj15118 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 56 (2) ◽

pp. 612 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

James Brown ◽

Chiew Yen Law ◽

Katherine Fielden ◽

Ceri-Sian Dee ◽

Neil Pollock

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Economic Value ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Oil Fields ◽

Small Scale ◽

Well Testing ◽

Associated Gas ◽

Future Technologies ◽

Gas Supply

Five percent of the world’s gas supply is wasted by being flared or vented into the atmosphere, leading to a huge loss of potential revenue, not to mention a significant impact on the environment. This is equivalent to 150 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year and the release of 400 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. The industry does this for a variety of valid reasons, including well testing, emergencies, commissioning, maintenance, or simply because an economic solution for capturing and using the gas has not been discovered. Capture of flared gas, therefore, presents an economic and environmentally beneficial opportunity to create new value chains that can benefit not only the industry but also people’s quality of life. This extended abstract draws on a recent DNV GL project to assess existing and future technologies and concepts for capturing small volumes of associated gas that are normally flared from oil fields, both onshore and offshore. The following four technology options that can be used to capture associated gas, convert it, and either utilise the product onsite or transport it to market for consumption are considered. Using more cost-effective ways of transporting natural gas where there is no existing pipeline. Converting gas into products with a higher economic value through chemical processes. Novel concepts—bringing the solution closer to the source of gas flaring. Other solutions. The extended abstract then focuses on cost-effective ways of transporting gas, in particular the use of micro-LNG solutions

Download Full-text