In:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 23, No. 18 ( 2023-09-20), p. 10399-10412
Abstract:
Abstract. Ambitious methane (CH4) emission mitigation represents one of
the most effective opportunities to slow the rate of global warming over the
next decades. The oil and gas (O&G) sector is a significant source of
methane emissions, with technically feasible and cost-effective emission
mitigation options. Romania, a key O&G producer within the EU, with the
second highest reported annual CH4 emissions from the energy sector in the
year 2020 (Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data - Comparison by Category, 2022), can play an important role towards the EU's emission reduction targets. In this study, we quantify CH4 emissions from onshore oil production sites in Romania at source and facility level using a combination of ground- and drone-based measurement techniques. Measured emissions were characterized by heavily skewed distributions, with 10 % of the sites
accounting for more than 70 % of total emissions. Integrating the results from all site-level quantifications with different approaches, we derive a central estimate of 5.4 kg h−1 per site of CH4 (3.6 %–8.4 %, 95 % confidence interval) for oil production sites. This estimate represents the third highest when compared to measurement-based estimates of similar facilities from other production regions. Based on our results, we estimate a total of 120 kt CH4 yr−1 (range: 79–180 kt yr−1) from oil production sites in our studied areas in Romania. This is approximately 2.5 times higher than the reported emissions from the entire Romanian oil production sector for 2020. Based on the source-level characterization, up to three-quarters of the detected emissions from oil production sites are related to operational venting. Our results suggest that O&G production infrastructure in Romania holds a massive mitigation potential, specifically by implementing measures to capture the gas and minimize operational venting and leaks.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1680-7324
DOI:
10.5194/acp-23-10399-2023
DOI:
10.5194/acp-23-10399-2023-supplement
Language:
English
Publisher:
Copernicus GmbH
Publication Date:
2023
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2092549-9
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2069847-1
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