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Uinta Basin Pneumatic Controller Research Project: Industry meeting slides
Citation:
Beeler, C. AND E. Thoma. Uinta Basin Pneumatic Controller Research Project: Industry meeting slides. Presented at Webinar, RTP, NC, February 26, 2016.
Impact/Purpose:
These slides are for a meeting with potential industry cooperators for the R8 RARE project "Uinta Basin Pneumatic Controller Research Project" that will take place in August 2016. We need to cooperate with O&G operators to get site access and information for the study. The upcoming webinar (Date TBD) will start this communication process.
Description:
Upstream oil and natural gas (ONG) production has increased significantly within Utah’s Uinta & Ouray (U&O) Basin and across the United States over the last decade. ONG extraction and production activities can co-emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a subset of which consists of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), and greenhouse gases (GHGs) that are released directly to the atmosphere. Many of these pollutants also serve as precursors to ground-level ozone, which is subject to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards set by EPA. As the U&O Basin is on the verge of an ozone non-attainment classification, it is prudent to collaboratively work with State/Local/Tribal stakeholders to quantify emission sources from the energy sector for air quality management purposes. The primary objectives of this study are to enhance the current knowledge of both quantities and composition of emissions from component-level sources at ONG production pads. This study will focus on characterizing pneumatic controller emissions, which are the single largest methane source from onshore energy production1 and second largest contributor of VOC emissions in the U&O Basin, by using a combination of extractive air sampling and remote optical gas imaging (OGI) tools. The results of this study will be used to improve emission inventories and component-level emission factors. Through this collaborative approach, it is anticipated that two of the Administrator’s objectives, “Launching a New Era of State, Tribal, and Local Partnerships” and “Addressing Climate Change and Air Quality”, will be met and will lead to emission reductions.