Offshore staff
LONDON – Britain’s offshore oil and gas industry will halve its methane emissions by 2030, according to Oil and Gas UK (OGUK).
The methane target applies to oil and gas facilities operating on the UK continental shelf, and to associated onshore processing plants.
At the current COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, numerous countries have signed up to a ‘Global Methane Pledge’ to cut emissions by 30% by 2030.
Most oil and gas methane emissions arise from flaring and venting, in which gases are released into the air, mainly for safety reasons.
OGUK’s Methane Action Plan, published in June, noted that in 2018 just over 50,000 metric tons (55,116 tons) of methane were released by the UK’s upstream oil and gas sector, including onshore terminals.
Last month the sector agreed to halve its methane emissions compared to the 2018 baseline, in compliance with the Methane Guiding Principles drawn up by the industry, non-governmental organizations, and academics, and to cease all routine flaring.
It undertook similar commitments under the North Sea Transition Deal agreed earlier this year with the UK government.
In addition, each company and managers of an offshore installation will develop a Methane Action Plan by 2023, including monitoring and measurement, flaring and venting and abatement actions.
OGUK Emissions Improvement Manager Thibaut Cheret said: “We hope to see companies and other industries around the world adopting a similar approach, developing their own comprehensive guidelines to accelerate the drive for net zero and reposition for a sustainable future.”
11/04/2021
