EHS Support completed an accounting of existing and potential future Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions associated with a confidential client’s natural gas operations in Queensland, Australia. The key objectives of the project were to assure credibility in the company’s Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, gain an improved understanding of its emissions profile, improve visibility on reduction opportunities, and assess the potential impact on GHG emissions of planned activities.
Scope 1 emissions include those associated with combustion in flares and engines used for compression and on-site power generation (e.g., for offices and camps); processing (e.g., separation, dehydration, acid gas removal); flaring; and fugitive emissions associated with leaks from equipment such as vents and pneumatic valves. Scope 2 GHG emissions included emissions from the generation of purchased energy, including electricity and heat consumed by the company. EHS Support applied method(s) and reporting consistent with the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (Measurement) Determination 2008 (the Determination) as amended in 2022 (Department of Industry, Science, Energy, and Resources, 2022) and guided by the GHG Protocol (Greenhouse Gas Protocol, n.d.; WBCSD/WRI, 2004). EHS Support also applied emission factors from the Compendium of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Methodologies for the Natural Gas and Oil Industry published by the American Petroleum Institute (API, 2021).
The report characterized and quantified emissions by GHG (e.g., carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and refrigerant[s]); process category (e.g., process and venting, stationary combustion, fugitive, mobile combustion, and scope 2); source (e.g., compressors, transmission pipeline, flares); and geographic location. The project included a benchmark review of reported GHG emissions by comparable oil and gas companies.