Typical Methane Emissions:

• DVG sources  (Tank venting, casing gas venting)
• Pneumatic devices
• Compressor Seals
• Glycol Dehydrators
• Non-Routine Events (Wellsite blowdowns, ect.)
• Fugitive Emissions

The first step in developing a methane abatement strategy for your company, is to first have a reliable and robust inventory of these sources including the operational data points required to calculate overall volumetric quantifies. Field data collection projects such as the past BROA program to collect this type of inventory is paramount in order to use that data set to assess abatement strategies. Addressing any known non-compliance areas such as overall vent gas limits or device specific vent limits should be considered the first priority, however bundling in overall mitigation plans to cover any non-compliance and additionally to the requirements is always a great strategy as well.

 

There are almost an unlimited amount of technologies available today to mitigate methane sources, understanding the goals of implementing these is an important next step. Is the implementation to bring the assets into regulatory compliance, is it to generate offset credits, is it part of the companies overall ESG commitments, or is it for other reasons? Once this is understood the economics of technology options can then be reviewed as options for mitigation.

 

 

If its for being proactive and looking to generate offset credits, typically in the methane abatement area there are two primary offset protocols in the Alberta offset system to utilize:

• Quantification Protocol for Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions from Pneumatic Devices
• Quantification Protocol for Vent Gas Reduction

 

The newer but still not largely adopted by the industry is the Vent Gas Reduction Protocol. This protocol allows for conservation and vent gas destruction project types. Typical projects under conservation are vapour recovery units (VRU) to capture the vented gas from production storage tanks or well head casing gas. Vent gas destruction projects allow for the use of incinerators or combustors to be used to destruct previously vented gas. Conservation projects allow for a full crediting period of up to 8 years where the destruction projects, have a end date of September 2025. Destruction projects however typically come at a much lower capital cost so are well suited for lower volumes or where VRU systems aren’t as applicable.