Citation:

Footer, T., E. Thoma, D. Johnson, N. Clark, S. Herndon, AND C. Daube. Evaluating Natural Gas Emissions from Upstream Oil and Gas Facilities in West Virginia using Next Generation Measurement Methods. Air & Waste Management Association¿s Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology Conference, Durham, NC, November 14 - 16, 2023.

Impact/Purpose:

This is an abstract and associated presentation titled “Evaluating Natural Gas Emissions from Upstream Oil and Gas Facilities in West Virginia using Next Generation Measurement Methods” is submitted to the Air & Waste Management Association’s Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology conference to be held November 14–16, 2023 on Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The presentation reports on field work conducted in cooperation with and oil and gas production company on 15 well pads located in West Virginia. There are three peer-reviewed papers describing the study. Two of the paper discussing onsite NGEM measurements of pneumatic controllers and storage tank emissions were published in early 2023 and the third that describes mobile tracer correlation measurements is currently in review. This presentation presents select aspects from each of these papers in the context of the overall study.

Description:

Advancement in energy extraction technologies has driven unprecedented expansion of oil and natural gas (ONG) production in many regions of the U.S. Methane, ozone precursors, and hazardous air pollutants, such as benzene, are emitted as part of ongoing ONG production operations. A growing body of research indicates that fugitive leaks and equipment/process malfunctions are important ONG emissions categories that may not be properly reflected in emission inventories. These stochastic sources can produce significant impacts to near-source populations, regional air sheds, and greenhouse gas budgets. Environmentally sustainable development of ONG assets requires improved understanding and management of these sources. Development and application of next generation measurement (NGEM) approaches is a key strategy to improve understanding and control of emissions from this sector.  This presentation describes a collaborative field study that used several NGEM approaches to identify and characterize gaseous emissions from 15 upstream ONG facilities in Ohio County, West Virginia. Measurements were conducted at two different spatial scales; the point-source scale utilized optical gas imaging and West Virginia University’s Full Flow Sampler on site, while a dual tracer method was employed further afield using Aerodyne’s advanced mobile laboratory. Evacuated canister samples were collected and analyzed using Method TO-14A and EPA Method 18 ALT-100 to provide supporting data. This presentation provides an overview of the study and comparison of the methods used to collect the study data.

Record Details: