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Development of a method for estimating emissions from oil and gas production sites utilizing remote observations
Citation:
Amin, M., M. MODRAK, E. D. THOMA, AND B. C. SQUIER. Development of a method for estimating emissions from oil and gas production sites utilizing remote observations. In Proceedings, Annual Conference of the Air & Waste Management Association, Orlando, FL, June 21 - 24, 2011. AWMA, Pittsburgh, PA, Paper A-304, 5 p, (2011).
Impact/Purpose:
conference paper
Description:
There is a lack of information on emissions of ozone precursors, hazardous air pollutants, and greenhouse gases from oil and gas production operations, and measurement of these emissions presents many challenges. Assessment is complicated by the fugitive nature ofthe emissions, variability in equipment design and maintenance states, and by an abundant number of sources dispersed over large geographic areas~ Physical on-site leak rate measurements are relevant tools to improve understanding but require site access and can come at a considerable cost, which in turn, makes routine usage difficult. To help improve knowledge of this source category, the U.S. EP A and ARCADIS are working to develop novel measurement approaches which allow identification and estimation of emissions adjacent to and downwind from the facility so site access is not required. The method presented in this paper is a subset of EPA's Geospatia1 Measurement of Air Pollution (GMAP) program which uses high precision instruments in a mobile platform to study air pollution patterns around sources. Specifically, this paper illustrates the GMAP Remote Emission Quantification, Direct Assessment (REQ-DA) technique that was utilized in two 2010 measurement campaigns in Greeley CO and Forth Worth TX, the results of which are discussed in a companion paper published in these proceedings? This paper will provide a method with emphasis on the remote emission assessment algorithms, validation trials, uncertainty analysis and areas for future development.
