MGP Case Studies

Flares are an essential safety device that enable gas to be disposed of when a part of an oil and gas facility has an unexpected event – upset conditions – requiring gas to be safety released. Operators and regulators recognize the importance of achieving high combustion efficiency of flare gas in order to reduce methane emissions and destruction and removal efficiency. When properly burnt off, the gas converts to carbon dioxide and prevents raw methane from entering the atmosphere via the flare stack. The destruction and removal efficiency of flares should be at the level of 98% or higher. This case study shows how bp is using Flare.IQ to better understand, measure and ultimately reduce methane emissions associated with flares.

Beijing Gas is developing a methane emissions governance system. This includes setting up reduction targets and a monitoring system as well as implementing measures to reduce methane leaks and vented volumes. This case study highlights explores how Beijing Gas is taking a comprehensive approach to methane abatement in urban transmission and distribution networks.

A case study on bp’s Angola LNG flare reduction

Unconventional oil and gas resources account for most the United States’ hydrocarbon production. These operations often cover a wide area and pose particular challenges for methane mitigation. This case study discusses how Chevron implemented measures to reduce methane emissions in unconventional production by minimizing designed flaring and venting in operations, and piloting advanced methane detection approaches.

On February 11th 2022, the Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy finalized its flaring and fugitive methane emissions regulations, which aim to reduce fugitive emissions from upstream oil and gas activities at a national level – making it the first South American nation to regulate methane emissions from oil and gas. This case study presents the steps taken to achieve this milestone and what are the major ingredients of this legislation.

On May 25, 2021, New Mexico approved new rules proposed by the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) that form a key part of the state’s methane strategy of creating a statewide, enforceable regulatory framework for reducing oil and gas sector emissions. This case study lays out the process by which these rules were promulgated along with the key components of the regulation.

Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF’s) Permian Methane Analysis Project (PermianMAP) was a monitoring and research project to provide transparent and accessible methane emissions data from one of the world’s largest oil fields. The project was designed to use a variety of peer-reviewed techniques to monitor and quantify emissions, including: satellite-based regional estimates; ground-based vehicle measurements and helicopter-mounted optical gas imaging; stationary measurement towers and periodic aircraft mass balance flights; and aircraft hyperspectral imaging. This case study presents these monitoring efforts and discusses how resulting data was made available on a public website within days to weeks after data collection.

Mobile measurement platforms have been used to characterize emissions from local distribution networks across different cities in North America and Europe. These methods can quickly survey large urban areas, identify leaks, quantify the emissions distribution and support estimates of total emissions from distribution networks. This case study provides further details on such efforts to detect and quantify methane leaks in urban areas.

This case study presents recent measurement studies conducted in Mexico and highlights how they can inform targeted mitigation action.

A case study on Equinor’s Hammerfest LNG leak detection improvements

This case study was presented by Gerard Bottino at Baker Hughes and Peter Evans at BP during the Methane Guiding Principles 2023 Masterclass.

This case study describes different solutions deployed by GRTgaz to reduce venting on its transmission network, to recover or reduce pipeline maintenance vents, compressors vents and even smaller vents on delivery stations. During maintenance works on transmission pipelines, a mix of solutions enabled GRTgaz to save more than 90% of the gas that would otherwise have been vented since 2018. On compression stations, a specifically-designed mobile recompression technology addresses intermediate-sized volumes. In addition, when recovery is not yet possible, a mobile blue flare stack is used to address vents. GRTgaz also implemented a specific multi-year investment plan to eliminate vent leaks and use gas resulting from depressurizations.

Examples and best practices for blowdowns presented by Nathan Eifler of TC Energy at Methane Guiding Principles 2023 Masterclass.

A case study on National Grid’s continuous mointoring of emissions

Canada has set an ambitious target: at least 75% reduction in oil and gas sector methane emissions from 2012 to 2030. To accelerate methane abatement in line with this goal, Canada is advancing policy measures and regulatory requirements for methane emissions reductions in the oil and gas sector. This case study presents one of these measures – Natural Resource Canada’s Emissions Reduction Fund – that supports investments in green technologies and infrastructure to reduce methane emissions from existing and alreadyscheduled oil production.

A case study on Nedgia’s Commissioning with Vacuum Pumps

In 2021, the United Kingdom’s offshore oil and gas industry committed to a range of methane emissions reduction actions under the North Sea Methane Action Plan. This plan comprises a halving of methane emissions by 2030 against a 2018 baseline, and a 90 % reduction by 2050. This case study outlines core elements of the Methane Action Plan, which was designed to complement and support regulatory measures in the UK.

This methane reduction project case study was presented at the Methane Guiding Principles 2023 Masterclass by Jesse Sandlin, Methane Reduction Facility Engineering Advisor at Chevron. Jesse talks in detail about pneumatic controllers/devices, why they are used and how different controllers can be used for different solutions

In 2021, NextDecade and Project Canary started a joint pilot project for monitoring, reporting, and independent third-party emissions measurement and facility certification of greenhouse gas intensity of LNG to be sold from NextDecade’s planned Rio Grande LNG export facility. The joint pilot project will measure emissions across the value chain through Canary X and Aeris continuous emissions monitoring devices, and use certification processes to confirm emissions levels of each element of the natural gas value chain – from the wellhead to the ship at Rio Grande LNG.

A case study on QE’s Jetty Boil-off Gas Recovery Project

A case study on Snam’s Conversion of gas pneumatics to instrument air

A case study on Snam’s Hot Tapping for pipeline connections

This case study elaborates on Snam’s Leak Detection Repair (LDAR) program, which consists of periodic campaigns for monitoring system components to identify methane leaks and plan maintenance operations. It outlines how components are monitored, repairs are carried out and LDAR data feeds into emissions quantification.

A case study on Socar’s Pipeline Pump-Down for maintenance

A case study on Snam’s Utilisation of Associated Gas in Gunashli Oil Field

TC Energy presents strategies to avoid emissions (hot taps, ILL, bundling, flaring). This methane reduction project case study was presented at the Methane Guiding Principles 2023 Masterclass by Andrew Willard, Manager of Emissions Reduction at TC Energy.

On December 15th, 2021, the European Commission tabled a proposed regulation targeting methane emissions in the energy sector. The proposal follows the EU’s strategy to reduce methane emissions, released in 2020. This case study discusses the background of the EU’s Methane Strategy as well as the content of the proposed regulation.