A tale of two regions: methane emissions from oil and gas production in offshore/onshore Mexico

Zavala-Araiza, Daniel; Omara, Mark; Gautam, Ritesh; Smith, M. L.; Pandey, Sudhanshu; Aben, I.; Almanza, Victor; Conley, Stephen; Houweling, Sander; Kort, E. A.; Maasakkers, Joannes D.; Molina, Luisa T.; Pusuluri, Abhinand; Scarpelli, Tia R.; Schwietzke, Stefan; Shen, Lu; Zavala, M.; Hamburg, Steven P.

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/abceeb

Cited by 37 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The side-by-side comparison highlights the need for improvements using empirical data as witnessed in numerous previous studies (e.g. [28,31,66,67]).…”

Section: (C) Impact Of Data Choices In Inventoriesmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…Studies in three previous locations, i.e. the Four Corners region in the USA [ 26 , 68 ], the Permian Basin in the USA [ 60 ], and a region in Mexico [ 67 ], used satellite-based long-term measurements to confirm the TD estimates of the local, more spatially detailed, short-term aerial-based surveys. Further research may revisit the Surat Basin using satellite-based analysis, especially considering the ongoing development in remote sensing technology, or via repeated aerial surveys including facility-level measurements to address the open questions about, e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Coal seam gas industry methane emissions in the Surat Basin, Australia: comparing airborne measurements with inventories

Neininger¹,

Kelly

Hacker

et al. 2021

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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Coal seam gas (CSG) accounts for about one-quarter of natural gas production in Australia and rapidly increasing amounts globally. This is the first study worldwide using airborne measurement techniques to quantify methane (CH 4 ) emissions from a producing CSG field: the Surat Basin, Queensland, Australia. Spatially resolved CH 4 emissions were quantified from all major sources based on top-down (TD) and bottom-up (BU) approaches, the latter using Australia's UNFCCC reporting workflow. Based on our TD-validated BU inventory, CSG sources emit about 0.4% of the produced gas, comparable to onshore dry gas fields in the USA and The Netherlands, but substantially smaller than in other onshore regions, especially those where oil is co-produced (wet gas). The CSG CH 4 emission per unit of gas production determined in this study is two to three times higher than existing inventories for the region. Our results indicate that the BU emission factors for feedlots and grazing cattle need review, possibly requiring an increase for Queensland's conditions. In some subregions, the BU estimate for gathering and boosting stations is potentially too high. The results from our iterative BU inventory process, which feeds into TD data, illustrate how global characterization of CH 4 emissions could be improved by incorporating empirical TD verification surveys into national reporting. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Rising methane: is warming feeding warming? (part 1)’.

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“…The side-by-side comparison highlights the need for improvements using empirical data as witnessed in numerous previous studies (e.g. [28,31,66,67]).…”

Section: (C) Impact Of Data Choices In Inventoriesmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coal seam gas industry methane emissions in the Surat Basin, Australia: comparing airborne measurements with inventories

Neininger¹,

Kelly

Hacker

et al. 2021

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

Self Cite

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“…Zhang et al [63] found annual SO 2 and NO 2 emission rates between 2005-2017 over the KMZ and Cantarell offshore production cluster peaked in 2008 and have declined since due to expanded capacity for associated gas utilization, which reflects policy interventions to reduce flaring. Zavala-Ariaza et al [66] suggested that associated gas from offshore production is being transported and flared at onshore midstream facilities. Inaccurate assumptions regarding flaring efficiencies in the Mexican national greenhouse gas inventory contributed to overestimation of methane emissions offshore but underestimation of emissions from Nuevo Pemex.…”

Section: Intercomparison Of Emission Source Contributionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In assessments of earlier bottom-up inventories, Muriel-García et al [38] noted the needs for emission measurements and the homogenization of emission factors. Zavala-Ariaza et al [66] suggested the main driver for inaccuracies in the Mexican greenhouse gas inventory to be the use of emission factors that are not specific to Mexico.…”

Section: Improving Contemporary Inventoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emissions and Air Quality Implications of Upstream and Midstream Oil and Gas Operations in Mexico

et al. 2021

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Mexico approved amendments to its constitution in December 2013 that initiated transformational changes to its energy sector. This study developed a 2016 bottom-up emissions inventory for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from upstream and midstream sector sources, including onshore and offshore well sites, gas flaring, natural gas processing facilities, and natural gas compressor stations, throughout Mexican basins. Crude oil storage tanks at onshore oil well sites and venting and fugitive sources at offshore oil production sites were the primary sources of VOC emissions. Key contributions to NOx, CO, and PM2.5 emissions were from internal combustion engines at offshore oil well sites and midstream operations. SO2 emissions were associated with onshore and offshore gas flaring and boilers and process heaters at natural gas processing facilities. Application of the inventory with the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) indicated that oil and gas production operations could contribute to ozone and PM2.5 concentrations in Mexican and U.S. states under favorable transport patterns. This study provides a foundation for assessing the implications of Mexico’s future energy policies on emissions and domestic and cross-border air quality and public health.

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“…Apart from model inversions, Buchwitz et al [122] developed a fast data-driven method, in which the gradient of the methane concentration is used in analyzing the methane emission rate without a transport model. This method was applied in the research of Zavala-Araiza et al [123] about methane emission in Mexico, and the estimation result was compared with the GOSAT inversion-based estimation by Maasakkers et al [115] and airborne-based measurement results based on transection integration.…”

Section: Model Inversionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methane Emission Estimation of Oil and Gas Sector: A Review of Measurement Technologies, Data Analysis Methods and Uncertainty Estimation

Sun

2021

Sustainability

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The emission estimation of the oil and gas sector, which involves field test measurements, data analysis, and uncertainty estimation, precedes effective emission mitigation actions. A systematic comparison and summary of these technologies and methods are necessary to instruct the technology selection and for uncertainty improvement, which is not found in existing literature. In this paper, we present a review of existing measuring technologies, matching data analysis methods, and newly developed probabilistic tools for uncertainty estimation and try to depict the process for emission estimation. Through a review, we find that objectives have a determinative effect on the selection of measurement technologies, matching data analysis methods, and uncertainty estimation methods. And from a systematic perspective, optical instruments may have greatly improved measurement accuracy and range, yet data analysis methods might be the main contributor of estimation uncertainty. We suggest that future studies on oil and gas methane emissions should focus on the analysis methods to narrow the uncertainty bond, and more research on uncertainty generation might also be required.

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A tale of two regions: methane emissions from oil and gas production in offshore/onshore Mexico

Cited by 37 publications

References 38 publications

Coal seam gas industry methane emissions in the Surat Basin, Australia: comparing airborne measurements with inventories

Coal seam gas industry methane emissions in the Surat Basin, Australia: comparing airborne measurements with inventories

Emissions and Air Quality Implications of Upstream and Midstream Oil and Gas Operations in Mexico

Methane Emission Estimation of Oil and Gas Sector: A Review of Measurement Technologies, Data Analysis Methods and Uncertainty Estimation

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