Act now on gas emissions

As the global demand for energy grows, the oil and gas industry needs to step up its record on gas detection.

The developing international economy has prompted a rise in energy consumption. In 2023, the world’s electricity requirements grew by 2.2%, and this is expected to rise even faster to 2026 as demand from data centres and artificial intelligence expands.¹

Despite the ongoing action towards cleaner energy sources, the oil and gas industry will continue to play an essential role in this landscape. Oil and gas suppliers have a duty to ensure that fuel supplies remain reliable and affordable, providing energy security to a world that is still dealing with ongoing international disruption.

However, this escalating requirement for energy presents a challenge. Growing public awareness of the sector’s environmental impact is increasing the urgency for oil and gas operations to get on top of their emissions problem. With the energy sector contributing approximately 40% of anthropogenic methane emissions – as well numerous other harmful gases – operators are under pressure to demonstrate real change if they are to continue supplying society’s growing power requirements.

At the same time, although the environment is a critical issue for the oil and gas industry, it is not the only consideration. Worker safety, infrastructure maintenance, and financial competitiveness are all important concerns that must be managed as energy demands increase, and these all have one thing in common – they again rely on reducing emissions and minimising gas leak occurrence.

Rather than being seen as part of the emissions problem, energy operators have the chance to become instrumental in solving it.

Achieving this will not be straightforward; advances in gas detection technology at last mean that change is within arm’s reach.

Investing in a comprehensive gas detection solution can help the energy sector make a real difference to some of the biggest challenges facing them today, and what is more, this solution could pay for itself.

Environmental issues

It is impossible to discuss gas detection in the energy sector without touching on the subject of emissions.

Greenhouse gas emissions are a perennial factor in the production, storage, transportation, and use of oil and gas. Substances like methane and carbon dioxide are common byproducts of these processes, and possess significant global warming potential, with methane in particular noted for its lasting impact on the climate. Oil and gas operations are responsible for around 15% of all energy-related emissions, equivalent to 5.1 billion t of CO2e in 2022, and the international pressure from regulators demanding action is growing.²

Gas detection systems present a viable solution for addressing this problem. One of the main barriers to effective action on emissions in the energy sector is the lack of clear data as to the problem’s true extent. Many oil and gas operators base their emissions estimates on factor-based computer modelling, but these often significantly under-estimate the true extent of the problem.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), current annual methane emissions from oil and gas operations around 84 million t, but the figures reported to national governments by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are around half this amount.³

Improving the data that businesses hold on the extent of gas emissions and where precisely they are occurring is the first step towards addressing this problem. A clearer understanding of gas emissions enables maintenance procedures to be targeted at areas of greatest need, quickly repairing any leaks and even facilitating preventative maintenance to prevent leaks occurring in the first place.

If oil and gas operators want to demonstrate a commitment to reducing their environmental impact, investing in gas detection technology should be their first consideration.

Detecting for safety

It may sound obvious, but gas leaks and build-up can present a serious threat to safety in this sector. Extraction, production, and transportation of fossil fuel produces comes with the risk of exposing workers to hazardous substances such as hydrogen sulphide, benzene, ammonia, or nitrates. Such exposure has been linked to long-term health conditions such as lung cancer, and sufficiently severe cases can result in death. Oxygen deficiency presents another threat, not to mention the explosive risk that can emerge when certain gases accumulate in high concentrations.

Employee safety is not the only thing threatened by emissions – gas leaks can also cause critical damage to important equipment. For example, hydrogen sulphide is highly corrosive and may cause damage to infrastructure over prolonged exposure.

It is not enough to rely on human senses to identify when a threat to safety occurs. Although certain gases are detectable by smell, others can become impossible to notice at higher concentrations as exposure causes olfactory fatigue in employees, otherwise known as ‘nose blindness’.

This threat reinforces the importance of a robust gas detection network. Today’s technology can identify gases even at concentrations where human beings cannot, issuing immediate alerts to ensure safety. Installing fixed detectors in high-risk areas, and equipping employees with wearable gas detection technology when operating in confined spaces close to potential leak hazards, will provide early notification and ensure that any emerging problem is identified as soon as possible.

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Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/special-reports/27092024/act-now-on-gas-emissions/