Greenhouse gas reduction: UK offshore oil and gas industry to halve methane emissions

The UK’s offshore oil and gas industry will halve its emissions of methane, and put an end to routine flaring, by 2030 according to OGUK which represents the sector.

The UK industry wants to set a global lead by stopping methane leaking from oil and gas rigs operating on the UK’s continental shelf, and from processing plants onshore.

The industry move preceded the latest announcement, at the COP26 climate summit, where scores of countries joined the ‘Global Methane Pledge’ to cut emissions by 2030 – but only by 30%.

The UK industry wants to go further. Most oil and gas methane emissions come from flaring and venting where gases are released into the air, mainly for safety reasons. These have already been cut by 50% since 1990 but there is more left to do.

OGUK’s Methane Action Plan, published in June, found that in 2018 just over 50,000 tonnes of methane were released by the UK’s upstream oil and gas sector including emissions at onshore terminals. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with up to 80 times the global warming potential of CO2, so this was equivalent to 1.3 million tonnes of CO2.

Last month the industry signed up to the Methane Guiding Principles under which it pledged to cut methane emissions by half again, compared to the 2018 baseline, within eight years.

Under the ‘principles’, developed by industry, non-governmental organisations, and academics, the industry will also put an end to all routine flaring. It has made similar commitments under the North Sea Transition Deal, also recently agreed with the UK government.

Additionally, each company and offshore installation will develop its own Methane Action Plan by 2023, including a monitoring and measurement plan, flare & vent plan and abatement plan.

OGUK Emissions Improvement Manager Thibaut Cheret said flaring and venting had already been sharply reduced. He said: “Methane is one of the worst greenhouse gases, so reducing emissions has immediate benefits that reductions in CO2 alone cannot achieve.

“This plan means the UK industry can contribute to emissions reductions while continuing to produce the energy the UK will need for the future.

“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.”